Guide to linking on the BBC News website

September 2010

2. Overview 7 Newstrackers
3. If you remember nothing else 8 Related stories (see alsos)
4. Inline links 9 Index alsos
5. Inline links – how to, newspaper 10 Related internet links
reviews & See Also link blog 11 Around the BBC
6. Hypers

 BBC MMX
Linking overview

• Links essential to online journalism

• BBC strategy to double outbound links from 10m to 20m a month by 2013

• Links well suit unique selling point for BBC News: our expertise

• We’re also well placed to link to the best of the web without fear or favour

 BBC MMX
If you remember nothing else…

What we used to do…

• Lists of archive news stories

• Homepages only on external websites

• No inline linking in news stories

What we do now – think adding value…

• Avoid news stories and link to useful stuff - analysis, explainers, Q&As, pic galleries etc

• On external websites look beyond homepage to pages of specific relevance

• Inline linking in news stories is OK when it’s to a primary source

 BBC MMX
Inline links

• In news stories inline links must go to primary sources only– eg scientific

journal article or policy report (1 or 2 per story; avoid intro)

• In features inline links should be of direct editorial relevance but don’t have
to be primary sources

• In Q&As and explainers inline links can go to any external or internal

content for ‘further reading’ or adding value

• It must be obvious to the reader which bit is a link, and what it’s
going to. Don’t refer to paywalls or registration; don’t say “click here”.

• The text must be capable of standing alone - the reader shouldn’t

have to click the link to understand the sentence

• When linking externally, deep-link to a directly relevant web page, not

a website homepage

• In blogs different rules can apply – speak to blogs team if in doubt.

 BBC MMX
Inline links – how to, Q&As, newspaper reviews & See Also link blog

• To insert an inline link in CPS V6 highlight the words you want to be the link, hover over them, right click
on your mouse and select ‘inline link’

• Every Q+A should from now on have a final question: "Where can I find more about this on the web?" with
some links to primary sources or helpful sites, or even where appropriate our own content

• In newspaper reviews, the link text should include the newspaper name, the active verb and something
about the story, eg

The Guardian obtained video footage of the incident and has gathered statements from 15 witnesses
who saw Ian Tomlinson before he collapsed. It says their accounts contradict the official version given
by police. The Daily Telegraph says pressure will be mounting to identify and suspend the officer
pending an investigation.

• Reviews of opinion on a particular subject can be put on the See Also blog (
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/seealso/). Contact Clare Spencer.

 BBC MMX
Hypers Hypers

• Maximum 12 links

• Think: What will add most to readers' understanding?

• Analysis, explainer, profile, eyewitness feature, pic gallery
etc, whether in text, video, audio, graphics etc

• Avoid archive news stories that don’t add value

• Top section must be selection of best available content, not

just latest news stories

• Always use mini hyper, which auto-displays top 4 links

• Place as high as possible, preferably so it’s in top screenful

 BBC MMX
Newstracker

• A Newstracker module should go on every news story,

and features if appropriate

• It updates automatically, so even if it shows empty it is worth

leaving on

• To add Newstracker in CPS, go to Extras > Story Promos

panel on right and select “Add News Tracker” button

 BBC MMX
See alsos/ related stories

Related stories (aka see alsos)

• Think: What will add most to readers' understanding?

• Analysis, explainer, profile, eyewitness feature, pic gallery
etc, whether in text, video, audio, graphics etc

• Avoid archive news stories

• Maximum six

• Always use mini see-also box except on smallest stories

• Place as high as possible, preferably so it’s in top screenful
• Takes top 1-3 links (you choose how many) – make sure
they’re good

 BBC MMX
Index alsos

Index alsos

• Best of the best from see alsos

• Normally three maximum

• Go over three only on biggest stories & when picture
deep enough

• Remember, second and third story slots on indexes now

allow display of index alsos

 BBC MMX
Related internet links

Make more of related internet links

• No longer just homepages

• Deep link to directly relevant web pages

• Think further reading and adding value

• Analysis, comment, academia, reports, blogs -
stuff you see and use when writing story

 BBC MMX
Around the BBC

Around the BBC

• Maximum four

• Automatically processed from links selected for see alsos

• Choose most relevant internal non-News sites

 BBC MMX