A hypertext link, often simply called a link or hyperlink, is a clickable reference that sends a visitor to a target. That target might be another page, a location farther down the current page, another website, a document such as a PDF, or other media. Links make a site easier to traverse, so they are a central part of navigation rather than just decorative text. section 3.5 section 3.7
Good links help visitors find useful information and can improve the user experience. They also support a site’s goals: an internal link can guide someone from a recipe overview to a specific recipe, while an external link should be used sparingly when keeping visitors on the site matters. Clear navigation and well-chosen links can reduce bounce rate and help visitors reach a call to action. section 3.5.1 section 3.7
Links can look different, but each should make its destination or action understandable:
- Traditional text link: usually an underlined blue word or phrase. Its visible description is called anchor text, and visited links may change color. section 3.5.1
- Menu link: a horizontal group of page links, commonly near the top of every page. section 3.5.1
- Button link: a labeled control that may submit a form or lead to another location. section 3.5.1
- Image, map, or logo link: a picture, clickable region of a larger image, or site identity that commonly returns visitors home. section 3.5.1
A link can lead to the top of another page on the same site, an external site, a location within a different page, or a location within the current page. Same-page links are useful when a visitor should jump directly to a heading or paragraph instead of scrolling through a long page. section 3.5.2 section 3.7
Linking two recipe pages
To add a link in WordPress, open the page that will contain it, select the Visual editor, place the insertion cursor, and choose Insert/Edit Link. Enter a useful label, select the destination page from the available pages and posts, then choose Add Link and Update. For example, a Thai Treats page can link visitors to Mexican Specialties with the label “See Some Mexican Specialties!” section 3.5.2
<a href="https://timetestedrecipes.com/mexican-specialties/"> See Some Mexican Specialties!</a>
This HTML example shows the two essential parts of a traditional link: the href destination and the clickable anchor text between the opening and closing tags. section 3.5.2
When creating an in-page destination by hand, give the target heading or paragraph an ID, then link to that ID with a number sign before its name. A link such as “Go to the fourth headline” can therefore take a visitor directly to a heading identified as “fourth.” Check the finished link on the live page; quotation marks in HTML must be straight rather than curly. section 3.5.2
Treat the menu as the primary navigation tool. Keep its labels brief and show only a few main items; parent and child pages can keep secondary choices available without crowding the menu. A site plan and page hierarchy make it easier to decide which links belong in navigation and which belong in page content. section 3.7
