The Link: Make an Effort to Make Them.
The Benefits May Surprise You.

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

An online devotional for writers

A Word From The Word

Do good and share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. (Hebrews 13:16, NLT)

A Word For Writers

A link is clickable text. A contextual link on your web pages or blog posts leads readers to related information. (Here’s an example of a contextual link – a link that is a natural part of your content.)

A contextual link allows you to stay on point as you write. You can use it to refer to a related topic.

But you needn’t expand upon that rabbit trail because you give your readers the option to learn more on her own. They simply click the link.

It can be tempting not to include links because they take effort to create. You need to find related pages on your site and then add the snippet of code for the link right when you’re in the middle of publishing. Adding links can slow you down.

And what about linking to a related page outside of your site? Horrors! You’re inviting the reader to click away from your site …

… to learn more. To offer resources that could be helpful. To share what you know.

Just as you have information that can help your reader, the first Hebrew Christians had information about the Messiah. It took more than effort to share that information with others. For some, it meant persecution or even death.

But what does God say? “Do good and to share … These are the sacrifices that please God.” 

Which would you rather do: choose convenience – or please God?

Me, too. So go ahead. Take some time to create links, even those that lead readers away from your site. You’ll please God. And it’s not really a sacrifice but a benefit, because this is your readers will think: “He shares what he knows. I want to keep reading his content.”

A Wise Word

Offer links to help your readers learn more.

A Word To Pray

Loving Father,

I confess that I can be selfish. Forgive me for putting convenience ahead of my readers’ benefit. Help me to make an effort on their behalf.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

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