How to Fix: Descriptive link text

Descriptive link text sits in the Accessibility (WCAG) category, and it is a high-priority issue that should be addressed soon — it has a significant impact on both accessibility and SEO. It is also one of the rare fixes that improves your site for humans, screen readers, and search engines at the same time, with no trade-off.

What this check is actually looking for

The check flags link text that describes nothing — “click here,” “read more,” “learn more,” “this link,” a bare URL. WCAG 2.4.4 (Link Purpose) says the purpose of a link should be clear from its text alone. The reason is concrete: screen reader users routinely pull up a list of every link on a page and tab through it out of context. A page full of “click here” reads as “click here, click here, click here” — useless.

So the check wants anchor text that says where the link goes: “read our WooCommerce speed guide,” not “read more.”

Why it matters for SEO

This is one of the cleanest overlaps between accessibility and SEO there is:

• Anchor text is a ranking signal. Google uses the words inside a link to understand what the destination page is about — for both your internal links and the ones pointing out. “Click here” tells it nothing; a descriptive phrase passes real context.
• Internal linking gets smarter. Descriptive internal anchors help Google map your site’s topics and distribute relevance to the right pages.
• Accessibility is a quality signal. Sites that are genuinely usable tend to align with what Google rewards, and you avoid the legal and reputational risk of an inaccessible site.
• Better UX, measurably. Everyone — not just screen reader users — decides whether to click based on the link text. Clear links get clicked.

How to fix this in WordPress

Difficulty Level: EASY – This fix is straightforward and can typically be completed by anyone with basic WordPress knowledge.

Estimated Time: varies

1. Find the offenders. Search your content for “click here,” “read more,” “here,” “this,” and bare URLs used as link text. An accessibility scanner will list them for you across the whole site.
2. Rewrite each anchor to describe its destination. The test: read the link text alone, with the surrounding sentence hidden. If you cannot tell where it goes, rewrite it.
3. Watch your theme’s “Read More” links. Archive and blog templates often hard-code “Read More” on every excerpt. Either make it read “Read more about [post title]” or add screen-reader-only text that names the post.
4. Keep it natural, not stuffed. Descriptive does not mean cramming keywords — “download the 2026 pricing PDF” is perfect; “cheap WordPress hosting best deals click” is spam.
5. Set the standard going forward. Brief anyone who writes for the site: no naked “click here,” ever. Fixing the habit is cheaper than fixing the archive.

Recommended Tools & Plugins

• An accessibility checker (WAVE, axe DevTools, or an a11y plugin) – Lists non-descriptive links site-wide.
• Yoast SEO / Rank Math – Help you keep internal anchor text meaningful and consistent.
• Google Search Console – Free tool to monitor your site’s search presence.
• Screen reader (NVDA / VoiceOver) – Tab the link list yourself; it is the fastest reality check.
• SEO Roadmap – Complete SEO audit and action plan tool.

What I would watch out for

• Do not over-correct into keyword-stuffed anchors — that trades one problem for a spammier one.
• Do not forget templated links (Read More, pagination, “next post”) — they repeat on every page and are easy to miss.
• Avoid identical anchor text pointing to different destinations; it confuses both users and crawlers.
• Re-run the accessibility scan and the audit after your pass to confirm the offenders are gone.

This guide is part of the SEO Roadmap knowledge base – your complete resource for WordPress SEO optimization.