Write Helpful “Signpost” Text

Readers use “signpost” text to know what they want to read — and what they don’t.

These are a few common patterns that readers use to orient themselves on a webpage and determine what content is worth reading (versus skimming). Readers often use these “signposts” to make educated guesses about whether or not the answer to their question is on a page.

Page Names (Titles and H1 headings)

Together, these three elements compose a page’s name:

• H1 heading (first heading on a page)
• Page title (what shows up on search engine results pages)
• Navigation labels on your site

All three of these should match (or nearly match) to reduce confusion and orient a reader within a site.

Subtle distinctions may exist between these three names. For example, you may use a shorter variation for a navigation label than the H1 heading and title. You may also consider adjusting your page’s title to be more search-engine friendly.

Here are some examples:

• Example 1
  • H1 heading: Visit Texas A&M University
  • Page title: Visit Texas A&M University
  • Navigation label: Visit Texas A&M
• Example 2
  • H1 heading: Admissions
  • Page title: Admission to Texas A&M University
  • Navigation label: Admissions

Page Introductions

Webpages often have a short paragraph below the H1 heading, commonly referred to as a page introduction or page intro. Page intros can be very useful for readers as supporting information to help determine whether or not the page has relevant information.

Page intros should make it clear what content to expect on a page, but they don’t need to literally be a summary.

Page intros also provide an opportunity to include keywords to help search engines know (and show) what content is on a page.

Here are example page intros from the two earlier examples:

Signpost	Example 1	Example 2
H1 Heading	Visit Texas A&M University	Admissions
Subhead (optional)		Join the Aggie Family
Page Intro	A campus visit is the best way for prospective Texas A&M University students to learn what being an Aggie is all about. You’ll really get a feel for Aggie student life on a weekday during the fall or spring semester when the campus is bustling with activity.	Howdy! We’re looking for students with the curiosity, character and determination to change the world. Here at Texas A&M University, you’ll learn, serve and lead in a unique campus community where you’ll form meaningful, lasting connections. Find out how to join one of the largest, most vibrant campuses in the country and learn what it means to be an Aggie.

Headings/Subheadings

Headings and subheadings are incredibly helpful to organize web content into smaller, more digestible pieces. Strategic headings optimize the reading experience and help page visitors find the information they are interested in quickly and effectively.

When writing headings:

• Clearly demonstrate what a section is about
• Don’t write clickbait
• Write headlines to stand alone
• Help readers skip sections

Links

Links are the backbone of the World Wide Web — without them, how would you get from one page to another? As such, link text is incredibly important for both the user experience and accessibility of a page.

Link text should be descriptive enough that a user has a good idea of the information they will find if they click on that link. This means the words that are linked need to be specific; users (who are probably skimming) shouldn’t have to read the surrounding text to have a good idea of where a link will take them.

When writing link text:

• Help readers find information
• Link the descriptive words
• Avoid generic link text such as “click here.”

Learn more about writing accessible and effective link text