What?

The humble hyperlink – make it work harder for you.

Why?

Using advanced links is a really quick and easy way to add extra functionality without having to learn some fancy programming language – and you can use it anywhere your readers are connected to the web.

How?

Here are a couple of ways you can add more exciting links:

1. Use a link to start a simple Google search

You can probably work out how to do this with other search engines but it’s really easy with Google. If you want to encourage your readers to do a Google search, rather than just a flat link to the homepage, you can give them a helping hand in your link:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=android+tablet

As you can see, if you just add /search?q= and then the words you want to search for separated with the plus sign, the link will do the rest! Easy stuff.
However, you don’t have to stop there.

2. Refine your search

You’ve probably used the Google advanced search but you can also add these extra elements into your hyperlink. Try these ones out for size:

a) Use your link to define terminology in your writing – a constantly updated glossary:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=define:android

Of course you would just link the actual word to the Google search, not include the whole, ugly link.

b) Use your link to search your own website with Google:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=social+media+site:mulryne.com

c) Use your link to search live twitter hashtag updates

http://www.google.com/search?tbs=mbl:1&q=%23lamejokes

This one has a couple of extra confusing bits in it so here’s a quick screencast to explain what’s going on:

Maybe someone else can contribute a few ways of getting hyperlinks to do things in other sites. That would be great. In the meantime, steal these techniques and have a go at using more exciting hyperlinks in your own blog posts, webpages, documents and presentations.

Enjoy!