A hyperlink is an electronic reference that leads users from one place in a document directly to another resource. This resource can be another web page, a document, an image, a video or even a section within the same page. Hyperlinks are the central element of the Internet, as they connect content with each other and enable non-linear navigation. The term is made up of "hyper" (superordinate, expanding) and "link" (connection).

The most important facts about the hyperlink in brief

A hyperlink is an electronic reference that connects content on the web
Technically, it is implemented with the <a> tag and href attribute
Types: internal, external, backlinks, deep links, anchor links, NoFollow
SEO relevance: internal links improve crawlability, backlinks are key ranking factors
Legal: beware of copyright infringements and hotlinking
Best practice: user relevance, clean structure, regular link checks

Where does the term "hyperlink" come from?

As early as the 1940s, the idea of making information accessible via links rather than in a linear fashion emerged. In 1945, Vannevar Bush presented the "Memex", a theoretical device designed to organise knowledge via associative links. In the 1960s, Ted Nelson took up this idea, coined the term hypertext and developed the concept of a global hypertext system with "Xanadu".

In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee at CERN put these approaches into practice: he combined hypertext with Internet technologies such as TCP and DNS and developed the foundations of HTML, HTTP and the first web browsers. With the publication of the first website in 1991, he laid the foundation for the World Wide Web.

These innovations fundamentally changed the way information was handled. Hyperlinks became the key building block of the Internet, as they allow users to switch seamlessly between different content.

What types of hyperlinks are there?

lead to subpages of the same domain

refer to other websites

Incoming links from external sites, important for SEO

lead directly to specific subpages

jump to sections on the same page

prevent or control the transmission of link power

Why are hyperlinks important for SEO and what guidelines are there?

Hyperlinks form the foundation of SEO. They help search engines to better understand and evaluate content, and they guide users through the website in a targeted manner. A clean internal link structure, high-quality external links and strong backlinks are therefore essential for long-term visibility.

The following points should be considered for sustainable results:

Editorially created links carry more weight than purchased or automatically generated links
Avoid keyword spamming in the anchor text
Set links to thematically relevant, trustworthy sources
Mark sponsored or paid links with rel="sponsored"
Check and correct broken links regularly

How is a hyperlink technically implemented?

Hyperlinks are defined in HTML with the tag, for example:

<a href="https://www.beispielseite.de">Linktext</a>

The href attribute contains the target address.
The anchor text is the clickable text.
Additional attributes such as title, target="_blank" or rel="nofollow" extend the function.

Jump labels (#anker) are also possible to take users directly to a section within a page.

What is the difference between internal and external links?

Internal links refer to subpages within the same domain. They help users to find their way around and support search engines in crawling the website. Good internal linking ensures that important pages receive more visibility and that the link power is distributed sensibly.

External links, on the other hand, lead to content outside your own website. They can increase credibility if reference is made to reputable and thematically relevant sources. Incoming external links - i.e. backlinks - play a particularly important role for SEO, as they are recognised by search engines as recommendations.

How can you analyse hyperlinks?

Tools such as SISTRIX, Ahrefs or SEMrush show:

How many internal and external links a page has
Whether there are follow/no-follow links
Which domains set backlinks
Where broken links are present
Which new link opportunities result from competition analyses

Are there legal aspects to hyperlinks?

Certain legal framework conditions apply when setting links:

Copyright: Anyone who knowingly links to illegal content can be held liable.
Hotlinking: Integrating third-party images or resources without authorisation is problematic.
Advertising: Paid links must be clearly labelled.

What conclusions can be drawn about the hyperlink?

The hyperlink is far more than just a technical detail of the Internet - it is the connecting element that made the World Wide Web possible in the first place. Without links, there would be no networking of information, no simple navigation between websites and no logical structure in digital content.

For users, hyperlinks are an intuitive tool: with one click, they can discover content, delve deeper and move freely through the world of information. For search engines, they are a key signal that determines relevance, authority and visibility. Internal links ensure that content is found and correctly categorised, while backlinks act like recommendations that strengthen trust in a site.

Hyperlinks also play a key role in the practice of online marketing and SEO. Well-planned internal linking improves user guidance and distributes link power in a targeted manner. External links to high-quality sources increase credibility. Backlinks, in turn, are a decisive ranking factor that determines the competitiveness of a website.