You can use the link attribute title to entice users to click on a link, or offer more information on why they should click on a link.
Let’s first take a look at what a ‘link attribute title’ is. You know when you hover your cursor over a link? And a text box then comes up to describe what that link is going to give you? The text inside that box is a ‘link attribute title’.
And it’s important to use this properly in order to improve the experience of your site users.
How should I use this?
Search Engine Journal have put together a set of useful tips.
First of all, don’t just offer the same information. If the link attribute title is the same as the hyperlink text, you’re wasting your time – your readers don’t need to see the same information displayed over and over again.
At best, this is useless. At worst, it can be annoying.
You should instead use the link attribute title to optimise the page – not for Google, but for your site users:
The best question you can ask yourself when optimising is: will this add information to my link or will it just annoy my users with duplication?
Optimise mainly for users, not for search engines
Don’t:
- Overstuff the link title attribute with keywords.
- Duplicate the topic title.
Do:
- Write the link title so that something unique pops up for users.
- Write the link title with users in mind.
The link text has an obligation to communicate one message. The link attribute title doesn’t have that same obligation.
You can use the link attribute title to entice users to click on a link, or offer more information on why they should click on a link. Something unique and useful is the best thing to go for.
Does the use of link attribute title affect search rankings?
In short, no. But it improves user experience, which is just as important.
Search engines will not read the link attribute title, but users will. A spammy SEO keyword-heavy link attribute title is therefore not only a waste of time, but potentially off-putting for your site users.
Ultimately, what matters is accessibility. You should make your links easy to read, easy to use and easy to understand.
Make things look great while focusing on the user experience in order to make sure that your users are happy and elated to be on your website.
This topic also has implications for site accessibility and inclusivity, so it’s important to know how to use link attribute title to account for every single one of your site users. Site who are visually impaired, for example, have different needs to site users who aren’t.
In short, the link attribute title is something you should know about, pay attention to and optimise for. Optimisation is a changing game, and it’s important to stay ahead of the trends.