Make link text explain where customers will go
A useful link tells someone what to expect before they activate it. View the lunch menu is clearer than Click here, especially when a page has several links. Good wording should match the real destination and make sense in its surrounding context. It should not promise a booking when the link only opens an enquiry form.
Before you start
- Choose one page and list its text links, buttons and linked images.
- Open ordinary destination pages to confirm what they actually contain.
- Separate links that navigate from actions that can send, book, call or purchase.
What to do
Name the destination or task
Rewrite vague labels using the customer’s aim. A trade business could use See recent kitchen projects instead of Find out more. A café could use Read our breakfast menu. Avoid clever wording that forces a visitor to guess which page contains the information they need.
Distinguish similar links
If three service cards each say Learn more, make their visible wording or accessible context clearly identify the relevant service. Consistent wording is useful when several links genuinely share a destination. Different destinations should not look interchangeable when somebody scans the page quickly.
Explain unusual outcomes
Tell visitors when a link opens a document or starts a contact action. A label such as Download the menu (PDF) is more informative than Menu if the format matters. If a route leaves the website for an external booking provider, make that handover understandable without adding a long warning.
Check the published interaction
Review the updated page on mobile and with keyboard navigation. Read each link beside its surrounding sentence and confirm that it still makes sense. Check the stored destination separately from the label; changing the visible words does not automatically correct a wrong URL or telephone number.
What to check
- Link wording describes the real next step.
- Repeated links can be distinguished in context.
- Document, external-tool and contact destinations are clear before activation.
Sources and further reading
Platform features can change. Check the provider’s current guidance before changing a live service.