Quick Tip – Links that Open in a New Window
One of the most valuable factors in how your website and/or blog are ranked on search engines is the amount of time visitors spend on it. It is important to keep visitors on your website for as long as possible. There can be a number of reasons why people may leave your website early, from visual design to content (both topics to be covered later); however there is often a hidden culprit that might be taking traffic away from your website without you even being aware of it: Links opening in the same window.
Why is this problematic? Firstly, when someone clicks on the link, it will load the new website, replacing yours. This means that you’ve not only lost the visitor, but the amount of time they’ve spent on your website will be cut short; both of these results work against your optimization goals. How can you avoid this? Luckily there is a simple solution that will not only avoid having your website be replaced when someone clicks on a link. Here’s how it’s done...
Rule of Thumb: When you’re creating a link, you need to establish that it opens in a New Window. Conveniently this option is located on the same screen, known as the Insert Hyperlink Window, as where you’ll input the actual link itself.
Take a look at the Insert Hyperlink window:
Now when a visitor clicks the link, it will not only load the destination website, but it will also keep your website open. This option is important to use, especially when you’re linking from your homepage. Typically visitors will arrive at your homepage, and if they see a link that interests them, such as to your Facebook or Twitter profile, they might click it before going any further within your original website. That counts as a “bounce,” which means the visitor left your website after loading only 1 page. Bounces negatively impact your search ranking. By using this often overlooked optimization method, you’ll reduce the number of bounces, and help improve your search ranking by keeping visitors staying longer on your website.
Stay tuned for more quick and easy search engine optimization tips!
Authored By: Bryan Coughlin, Client Relations