How do you choose your link color?

[jefuchs]

I've been experimenting with different link colors on my ads and I've seen a lot of people doing the same. Some recommend making the color stand out, while others try to make it match the color of the other links on the page.

This morning I read an article that said Amazon.com had spent a lot of money researching which colors people are likely to click. They use a specific blue on their links. It's #003399.

I changed the color on my ads today. Who knows. It might make a difference.

[Sanenet]

Text coloured 003399 and with an underline is the "traditional" hyperlink. Ask any of your nontechie friends (who use the net, obviously) to describe a link, and that's probably the description you get.

[pmkpmk]

Jacob Nielsen, self-declared useability guru, claims that sticking with blue (if not THE blue than at least a blueish tone) and - wherever possible - with underline gives you the biggest success rate since surfers are used to it.

[jenkers]

on my main Adsense site the website scheme is blue and white (also with a little red in the logo). I originally ran the adsense so they blended exactly with the site.

However, I then changed the Adsense title/link to RED so it completely stood out against the page (I want my visitors to easily discern what are and are not advertisements).

CTR went up 2-300% and has remained at this level consistently (aside from the odd 'normal' fluctuations).

so... go figure...don't get blinkered...try different combos. I've read of people on here getting excellent results by rotating the colours.

[jefuchs]

Sanenet

Not really true. It's a different blue than the generic link blue. The Adsense default is #0000FF. Which is the traditional bright blue. The Amazon blue is grayer.

I've also tried red, which got immediate results, but then quickly dropped off to low levels.