Links as content

[Dcrux]

Take two examples...

Find out which tutoring program is right for your child.

Find out which tutoring program is right for your child.

The use of link creates completely different expectations. The first link might be appropriate for a directory page of links to programs with generic descriptions. Such a destination page would not work for the second link. For the second link the user wants a way to make the decision of one program over the others. Program rankings, application charts, or other tools for making a decision would be right.

The way you set up something as simple as link text will guide the expectation the user has.

[Faglork]

That's what Nielsen would call "microcontent":
http://tinyurl.com/cffyg

What it boils down to is that every piece of text on your pages has to be carefully constructed. Yes, I'd chose the verb "constructed" instead of "written". There are a lot of decisions going on: Which synonyms to use, which spelling, which phrase ... all depending on your target group, your chosen keywords, your linking strategy, your whatever.

It can be a tedious task, especially with link texts. And especially in German language which leans towards long sentence constructs ;-)

Sometimes you need to rewrite a paragraph just to make that link phrase fit nicely in. And the text still has to flow naturally, has to make sense, has to appeal to your visitors.

Does anybody actually write down guidelines for microcontent? It would be nice to have them spelled out, so that you can judge your work against them. It would make things easier to keep "in line".

This is what makes the construction of a website expensive: care about the details. Anybody can whip up Photoshop, "design" a "website" and slam some brochure texts into it. You get what you pay for.

Greetings form Germany,
faglork

[Dcrux]

There are several unsatisfying sites on the subject of microcontent. Since we are opening up the topic, I suppose it would be a good idea to mention sparklines (http://www.webproworld.com/posting.php?mode=reply&t=60145), wordlike inline dataglyphs design to provide more context than a data point. For example a medical reading is merely a point in time, without trendline context mistakes can be made.

BitWorking has a Sparkline Generator (http://bitworking.org/projects/sparklines/).

Essentially, what hypertext and sparklines do is modify the text. Rather than inflection as part of speech, they modify a sentence with metadata or information scent (http://www.usabilityfirst.com/glossary/main.cgi?function=display_term&term_id=271).

[kgun]

Is there something you may call
- magnetic content ?
- magnetic KW's ?
- magnetic links ?

Can anybody make it? Can anybody copy it?

Have you heard the song that is steadily repeated in your head?

[MarcieZoob]

In regard to SEO, a good point to mention is the WEIGHT text has in a link in regard to keyword density. "Click Here" or "More" gives significance to those words, which dilutes everything you're striving for on that page.

Choose link text wisely, for visitors and for your keyword density overall.