Opening external links in a new browser tab leads to more time spent on your site and improved engagement. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll provide key data, actionable solutions, and expert insights on implementing this best practice for outbound links in WordPress.
Why New Tabs Improve User Experience
Driving users away from your content can severely hurt engagement. Here are some key statistics:
- Pages with outbound links have average bounce rate of 26%, versus 57% for pages with no external links (Moz)
- Opening links in new tabs leads to 48% more pages per session (Neil Patel)
By keeping visitors on your site even when they access external links, you benefit from:
- Increased time on page and site
- More pages viewed per visit
- Higher chance of social shares, comments, signups
- Continued access to original content
Now let‘s explore some WordPress-specific solutions…
Using the Block Editor
The block editor is used by over 96% of sites as of 2023 according to Google Analytics data:
| Year | Block Editor Usage |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 67% |
| 2022 | 87% |
| 2023 | 96% |
Here are step-by-step instructions for toggling the new tab setting on a link in the latest version of WordPress:
- Select link text
- Click link button or CTRL+K to open toolbar
- Enter URL
- Toggle "Open in new tab" on
- Advanced: add nofollow etc.
Bulk updating existing links to open in new tabs is also possible via the Link Library.
Classic Editor Tips
For the remaining sites still using the legacy classic editor, here is how to handle links:
First add the link via the link button, then expand options to check "Open in a new tab". Adjust other link settings as needed for security and SEO.
Going forward I‘d suggest migrating to block editor for access to newer features and speed improvements.
HTML Code Method
Hard coding links in HTML can be necessary in some cases:
<a href="https://URL" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link Text</a> Typically this is only required in the Text tab of block editor or editing theme files manually.
Next, let‘s explore how to update menu links…
Navigation Menu Options
Implementing new tabs for outbound menu links improves the overall site navigation UX.
To update, go to Appearance > Menus:
For classic themes, enable Link Target in Screen Options.
For block themes, select the Navigation block then toggle links to open in new tabs.
I suggest updating your menu links in bulk for maximum benefit.
Plugin Automation
Leveraging a lightweight plugin like Open External Links in New Window can save time. It automatically handles opening outbound links in tabs across your site.
The benefit over manual edits is speed and convenience, but potential downsides are conflicts with other plugins or performance overhead. Evaluate carefully.
Conclusion
You now have 5 solid techniques to implement external links in new tabs, boosting engagement through improved user experience. For the best results, I recommend combining the block editor and menu methods.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
