What Is a Link?
A link is a clickable text, image, or button that sends you to another page, file, or section when you click or tap on it. Links connect web pages together so you can move around the internet easily.
Definition
A link, also called a hyperlink, is a piece of code on a web page that points to another URL. When a user clicks the link, the browser opens that URL. Links can go:
- From one page to another page on the same site
- From one site to a different site
- To a file such as a PDF, image, or video
- To a specific spot on the same page
Links often appear as underlined text in a different color or as a button or image you can click.
Why Links Matter
Links are important for both people and search engines.
- Help users navigate. Links let people move from page to page to find more details, related topics, or important actions like buy, sign up, or contact.
- Build site structure. Internal links, which connect pages within the same website, show how your pages are related and which pages are most important.
- Support SEO. When other sites link to your site, search engines see this as a sign of trust and relevance. These are called backlinks and they can help your pages rank higher.
- Share authority. Links can pass PageRank or link equity, which is a way search engines measure importance and trust between pages.
- Improve user experience. Clear, helpful links guide visitors so they spend more time on your site and find what they need faster.
How Links Work
Behind every link there is HTML code that tells the browser where to go. The basic parts are:
- Anchor tag the
<a>element that creates the link - Href attribute the URL that the link points to
- Anchor text the visible text the user clicks
Example of simple HTML for a link:
<a href="https://example.com">Visit Example</a>When someone clicks this link, the browser goes to https://example.com.
Link vs URL
A URL is the address itself such as https://example.com/page. A link is the clickable element on a page that uses that URL. You can think of it this way:
- URL is the written address.
- Link is the door you click to go to that address.
Example of a Link
Imagine you are reading a blog post about cats. In the text you see blue underlined words that say learn more about cat food. When you click those words, you go to another page that explains cat food in detail. Those blue underlined words are a link.
FAQs
What is an internal link?
It is a link that connects two pages on the same website, such as from the home page to a product page.
What is an external link?
It is a link from your website to a different website, or from another site to yours.
What is a backlink?
A backlink is a link from another website that points to your site. Backlinks are very important for SEO because they show search engines that others trust your content.
What is anchor text?
Anchor text is the visible clickable text in a link. Good anchor text clearly tells users and search engines what they will see on the page it links to.
Can links be images or buttons?
Yes. Links can wrap around images or styled buttons, not only text. As long as you can click it and go to another URL, it is a link.
Do broken links hurt a website?
Yes. Broken links that lead to missing pages can annoy users and send bad signals to search engines. It is best to fix or remove broken links regularly.
