Q and A: Does a link need to be underlined to be search engine friendly?

Dear Kalena...

I overheard a client state that in order for a link to be "search-friendly" it needs to be underlined. Now call me crazy, but I always thought that the visual format mattered little to search engines and that they are concerned with the markup. Who's right?

Adam

Kalena's Answer:

Dear Adam

You are right. Search engines will find a link on your page whether it is visually underlined or not because they index the code, not the visual aspects.

What your client may have been referring to is site usability. Research has shown that people are used to links being underlined and instinctively recognize words that are underlined as links to other pages. Therefore, usability experts recommend that you underline all links in your web pages and don't use underlines for headings or word emphasis as it can cause confusion.

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