Why ‘Learn More’ Links Are Hurting Your SEO (and What to Use Instead)

Let’s talk about one of my biggest SEO and overall website pet peeves: “Learn More” links. You’ve seen them. Maybe your website is using them right now. And if that’s the case, I’ve got some news for you—you’re doing yourself a disservice in two major ways.

1. the User Experience Problem

From a user experience (UX) perspective, “Learn More” is generic and unengaging. Think about it—does that phrase actually tell users anything about what they’ll get if they click? Not at all. It’s vague and uninspiring.

Users don’t click links out of curiosity alone; they click because they see value. That’s why I’m a huge proponent of calls to outcome (CTOs)—a more strategic alternative to the traditional call to action (CTA). Unlike a generic CTA like “Learn More,” a CTO explicitly tells users what they’ll gain by clicking.

For example, instead of saying:

• Learn More
• Contact Us
• Get in Touch

Try this:

• Generate More Revenue
• Increase Your Efficiency
• Engage Your Audience

These phrases immediately convey value and give users a compelling reason to take the next step.

2. the SEO Problem

Now, here’s the second issue: SEO.

Search engines, including Google, rely on anchor text—the clickable text of your links—to understand what your pages are about. Google explicitly recommends that anchor text be descriptive and succinct so that both users and search engines can easily understand the destination of the link.

Does “Learn More” do that? Nope. It’s vague, meaningless, and a wasted SEO opportunity.

When you use descriptive anchor text, you’re helping Google—and your users—understand exactly what’s on the next page. This can improve your rankings, increase keyword relevance, and drive more qualified traffic to your site.

Solving the UX and SEO Problem at the Same Time

Here’s the good news: You can easily combine good anchor text with CTOs for the best of both worlds.

Let’s say you’re a company selling RFID tracking hardware. On your RFID hardware page, you have callout boxes for different products—RFID readers, RFID printers, and RFID labels.

Link the title of your callout box using descriptive anchor text like RFID Readers. Then, add a call to outcome at the bottom of the callout box, like Increase Accuracy. 

Now, you’ve got links that work harder for both SEO and user engagement.

It’s Time to Ditch “Learn More”

If your website is littered with “Learn More” links, it’s time for an upgrade.

By replacing them with descriptive anchor text and calls to outcome, you’re creating a better experience for your users and unlocking new SEO opportunities that drive real results.

So, the next time you’re tempted to write “Learn More” on your website, ask yourself: What’s the real outcome users want? Then, make your links work harder by telling them exactly what they’ll get.