Hi Chris,

Why don’t you tell us exactly how one makes a link linkable? Do you mean HREF it? How about providing clear instructions for authors who don’t know what that is? Maybe you can refer them to your article that covers the basics?

I for one, was under the (perhaps false) impression that at this particular site, you’re not supposed to HREF your website link because it’s done automatically in the Author Resource Box.

I submit to other sites, and I work hard creating HTML tags throughout my articles… only to find that they’re stripped out after I click submit! Now, if no one tells me this, how am I supposed to know? Every site is different. I have no idea if linkable links are still going to be linkable after they get picked up elsewhere. It’s all a big mystery to me, and probably a lot of others. Please help us solve the mystery.

Thanks
-Dina

[Reply]

First, for EzineArticles.com, we prefer that authors put a valid URL in the resource box and let our system auto-format it for them. This is the fastest way for us to ensure that the code will not be screwed up and we can approve the article in 1/10th the time it takes us to stop and either correct bad HREF code, problem status or reject the article.

Refresher on what a valid vs. invalid URL is:
http://blog.EzineArticles.com/archives/2005/04/valid_urls.html

Restated: Don’t send in code but rather put a valid URL in the resource box and let us auto format it for you with HREF code.

Second, there should be ZERO mystery when submitting to us because when you see the PREVIEW before you submit your article to us, that is EXACTLY how your article will look on our public site. If you don’t see a URL of yours as an active link in the preview, it will not be an active link on the website.

The real reason I brought this issue to the table is because too many authors are putting in 1-3 anchored text links only in the resource box and are skipping the valid URL all together. This gives them an advantage from our site directly, but zero advantage when their article hits distribution unless the webmaster or ezine publisher does the right thing and finds a way to give you a link back in their reprint.

For those who want more tips on how to do the actual HREF code for either a valid URL active link or an anchored text link, read this article:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Essential-HTML-Skills-For-Article-Authors—7-Tips&id=7185

[Reply]

Can I recap? I want to make sure I get it.

An ANCHORED TEXT LINK is coded with an HTML tag that begins with < A HREF. What it is: Text (any statement you want) that will take you to a website (that you specify) if you click it.

ANCHORED TEXT LINKS do not translate well when articles are picked up from your site.

A VALID URL LINK is a website address (such as EzineArticles.com) with an http:// in front of it. If you type one of these into your Resource Box, EzineArticles.com will automatically make it clickable for you.

VALID URL LINKS translate well when articles are picked up by other websites from your site.

Is that it?

[[NOTE FROM CHRIS KNIGHT: Yes, Dina…You got it right. :-] Just be sure that your valid full URL with http:// is in the resource box and our system will autoformat it for you.]]

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