Say Where It Goes, Not What It Is

I was sitting in a coffee shop last Tuesday, scrolling through a brand’s Linktree, when I felt that familiar twitch in my eye. They had spent hundreds of dollars on a custom theme and professional photography, but their call-to-action was just a series of vague, “aesthetic” words like Explore or Discover. It’s the same mistake I see every single week: people treat their bio links like a mood board instead of a tool. If you want to actually move the needle, you need to stop decorating and start learning how to write link labels people click. When you hide your value behind “clever” phrasing, you aren’t being creative; you’re just being unclear.

I’m not here to give you a lecture on “synergistic engagement” or some high-level growth hacking theory that falls apart the moment someone tries to load your page on a spotty train connection. Instead, I’m going to show you the practical, slightly boring mechanics of what actually works. We are going to focus on clarity over cleverness, ensuring your visitors know exactly what they’re getting before they even tap the screen. No fluff, no jargon—just the straightforward rules for writing labels that actually convert.

Ditch the Decoration for Real Anchor Text Optimization

I’ve spent way too many hours staring at “Read More” or “Click Here” buttons that lead absolutely nowhere useful. When you use generic phrasing, you aren’t being subtle; you’re being invisible. People don’t skim pages to find mystery boxes; they scan for answers. If your link text doesn’t tell me exactly what is waiting for me on the next page, I’m going to keep scrolling. This isn’t just a design preference; it’s fundamental anchor text optimization. If I’m clicking a link about a pricing guide, I want to see the words “View our pricing guide,” not a tiny blue underline that says “info.”

When I look at my “evidence” folder of bad landing pages, the pattern is always the same: people prioritize aesthetics over clarity. They want a clean, minimalist look, so they use single words or icons. But from a conversion rate optimization copywriting perspective, that’s a massive mistake. You are essentially asking your audience to gamble their time. Instead of being decorative, make your links work for you by using descriptive hyperlink text that sets a clear expectation. If the link promises a specific outcome, the click becomes a logical next step rather than a leap of faith.

Why Descriptive Hyperlink Text Is Your Only Real Asset

When I’m scrolling through a bio link on a spotty mobile connection, I have zero patience for ambiguity. If a link says “More Info,” my brain treats it like digital noise. I don’t know if I’m about to read a long-form essay or be hit with a high-pressure sales pitch. This is where most people fail: they treat their links like aesthetic ornaments rather than functional tools. In reality, descriptive hyperlink text acts as a mental bridge. It tells the visitor exactly what the destination looks like before they commit to the tap, which is the single most effective way of improving click through rate without needing a massive ad budget.

Think of your links as the signposts in a crowded station. If the sign just says “Exit,” but the exit is actually a staircase to a different platform, people get frustrated and stop moving. The same applies to your landing page. When you prioritize anchor text optimization, you aren’t just helping search engines; you are respecting the user’s time. A link that says “Download my Pricing Guide” is infinitely more valuable than “Click Here” because it sets an expectation. If you want to see actual results, you have to stop treating your links like decoration and start treating them like the critical navigation tools they are.

Five rules for labels that actually get clicked

• Stop using “Click Here” or “Read More.” It’s lazy, it’s bad for accessibility, and it tells me absolutely nothing about where I’m going. If the link is for a recipe, the label should say “Get the sourdough recipe,” not “Click here for more info.”
• Keep the label short enough to scan but long enough to explain. I’ve seen people try to turn entire paragraphs into blue underlined text. That’s not a link; that’s a distraction. Aim for a punchy phrase that acts like a signpost.
• Match the label to the destination. If my link says “Download the Pricing Guide” and it opens a generic “About Us” page, I’m leaving immediately. The promise of the text has to be the reality of the page.
• Write for the person on a slow connection. Most people are scrolling on their phones with terrible signal. If your link text is vague, they won’t bother waiting for the page to load because they aren’t sure if it’s worth the data.
• Test your links by reading them out of context. If I saw your link label sitting alone in a list without the surrounding paragraph, would I still know what I was clicking on? If the answer is no, your label isn’t doing its job.

The Bottom Line

If your link label is just “click here” or “read more,” you’re wasting space and losing clicks; tell people exactly what is on the other side of that tap.

Treat every link as a promise—if the label says “Download the Guide,” the very first thing they see on the next page better be that guide.

Prioritize clarity over cleverness every single time, because a user on a spotty mobile connection isn’t going to solve a riddle just to find your contact form.

Stop Guessing and Start Labeling

At the end of the day, writing link labels isn’t some complex psychological puzzle; it’s just about being helpful. We’ve covered why you need to ditch those vague “click here” buttons, why descriptive anchor text is the backbone of a page that actually functions, and why you should stop treating your links like decorative elements rather than functional tools. If you can look at your link and tell me exactly what is going to happen when I tap it—without me having to guess—you’ve already done more than 90% of the people currently cluttering up my feed. It comes down to one simple rule: if it isn’t descriptive, it’s broken.

I know it feels faster to just throw a generic button on a landing page and call it a day, but that’s how you lose people before they even get to your offer. Every time you choose a clear, purposeful label over a “pretty” but empty one, you are respecting your visitor’s time and their limited data connection. Don’t build pages that require a manual to navigate; build pages that work the moment they load. Go back through your current bio or landing page right now, find the three weakest links, and fix them. You’ll likely see the difference in your numbers faster than you think.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can a link label actually be before it starts looking messy on a mobile screen?

Keep it under five words. Once you hit that limit, you aren’t writing a label anymore; you’re writing a sentence. On a mobile screen—especially if someone is scrolling through a bio on a shaky connection—long links turn into messy, multi-line blocks that people instinctively skip. If it wraps to a second or third line, it loses its visual hierarchy and looks like a mistake. Be punchy. If it doesn’t fit on one line, it’s too long.

If I'm linking to a product, should I use the exact product name or something more action-oriented?

If you’re linking to a product, use the product name—but don’t let it stand alone. A naked product name like “Hydrating Serum” is fine for a catalog, but on a bio page, it’s passive. I prefer combining the two: “Get the Hydrating Serum.” You give the user the exact context of what they’re clicking, while the verb provides the nudge. It’s not about being flashy; it’s about removing the guesswork.

Is it okay to use emojis in link labels, or does that just add more digital clutter?

Emojis are fine, but only if they earn their keep. If a single 🚀 helps a user instantly identify a “Launch” button, keep it. But if you’re peppering every link with sparkles just because they look “on brand,” you’re just adding noise. I’ve seen too many pages where the icon actually distracts from the text. My rule is simple: if the emoji doesn’t clarify the action, it’s just more digital clutter. Delete it.

How do I handle links that need to go to a different website without making the user feel like they're being redirected?

Don’t try to hide it; just be honest about it. If you’re sending someone from your bio to a third-party shop or a guest blog, tell them. Use a small icon or a quick parenthetical like “(opens in new tab)” or “(external site).” It sounds nitpicky, but nothing kills trust faster than a user clicking a link and suddenly feeling like they’ve been hijacked by a different brand. Clarity beats seamlessness every time.