When a page brings together multiple destinations, the question is not just which links should go in. It's also which one deserves to appear first.
The most useful answer is: put at the top the link that best combines the current objective of the page with the intention of whoever arrives through that channel. Then use click data to see if this hypothesis works.
Position matters because the first elements receive the most exposure. In an analysis published by Beacons in 2025, the first link had, on average, a higher click rate than the links positioned below. The company itself observes an average drop in performance as the position drops on the page. Because this data comes from one platform and reflects the behavior of its own base, it works better as an indication of trends than as a universal rule.
This changes the logic of the organization. Instead of thinking “which button looks best first?”, the question becomes “which action makes the most sense to offer first for this visit?”.
If you're still deciding why bringing multiple destinations together on a single page, the base article on why bringing your links together on a single page can open up more avenues for your digital presence explains this centralization logic. Here, the focus is on the next step: transforming the order of these links into a decision that can be tested.
1. Start with the purpose of the page, not the number of clicks
Before opening any metrics panel, choose the action that the page should favor at that moment.
A page can have several legitimate destinations: WhatsApp, catalog, portfolio, recent content, form, store, calendar or social networks. But they don't necessarily have the same strategic weight.
If the goal of the month is to capture quote requests, for example, putting a popular post first just because it gets a lot of clicks could take the page away from its primary function. If the priority is to publicize a launch, the temporary destination may occupy the top and then lose that position.
The first link, therefore, does not need to be the historically most clicked destination. It needs to be the most important next step towards the current goal.
A simple way to decide is to ask three questions:
- What action would I like most people to take after arriving here?
- Is this action consistent with what I promised in the profile, post, advertisement or message that brought the visit?
- If the visitor only clicks once before leaving, is this the destination I would prefer them to choose?
If all three answers point to the same link, you already have a strong candidate for the top position.
2. Consider where people are arriving from
The same page can receive people with very different intentions.
Someone arriving after a video about a product probably isn't looking for the same thing as someone coming from an email subscription, a QR Code at an event or a post about a new article.
Therefore, the source of the traffic helps interpret the click.
In Google Analytics 4, for example, the traffic acquisition report shows where sessions came from, using dimensions related to source, medium, and channel. This allows you to separate, when the configuration and traffic identification are appropriate, visits coming from different sources.
Specific platforms may also offer their own information. Linktree's current documentation states that its analytics features track views, clicks, and link performance, while more advanced features may include data on the origin of visits.
In practice, this means that an aggregated result can hide distinct behaviors.
Imagine that the “Book Appointment” link performs modestly in total, but receives many clicks between visits originating from a professional profile. At the same time, “See new content” can dominate traffic coming from a content-focused social network.
In this case, simply concluding that one link is “better” than the other would be reducing the analysis too much. The most useful data is the combination origin + intention + chosen destination.
If your tool doesn't allow you to segment clicks in this way, don't invent precision. Work with what is available and record the limitation.
3. Compare clicks with exposure, not just absolute numbers
“This link had 300 clicks” seems like complete information, but it lacks context.
Was it 300 clicks in 500 page views or 20 thousand? Was the link at the top throughout the entire period? Was there a campaign specifically targeting him? Was it available for the same number of days as the others?
This is why views and clicks should be observed together.
Linktree currently defines its Click Rate metric based on the relationship between clicks and profile views. Beacons also presents views, clicks and CTR metrics on its dashboards. Exact definitions may vary between tools, so the comparison should use the methodology displayed by the platform you actually use.
For an owned page, GA4 can also record clicks on external links through optimized measurement. When the feature is enabled, the click event is collected for links that lead to other domains, with exceptions such as domains configured for cross-domain measurement.
The point is not to pursue an isolated rate. It's about observing whether the behavior is in accordance with the role you assigned to each link.
A secondary link can have an excellent click rate among those interested in it and still remain secondary. A link placed at the top to fulfill the main purpose of the page deserves attention if it receives enough exposure, but almost no one chooses it.
4. Review the order as a test, not as a permanent reform
After choosing your initial priority, allow time to accumulate comparable data and make controlled changes.
Avoid simultaneously changing position, title, appearance, destination and publicity. If everything changes at the same time, it is difficult to know what influenced the result.
A practical cycle can follow this order:
- Define which result you want to favor.
- Choose the link that best represents this result and place it in a prominent position.
- Record date range, views, clicks and, where available, top traffic sources.
- Compare the result with an equivalent period and change one relevant variable at a time.
This precaution also helps to avoid a common interpretation: thinking that a link received more clicks because it was first when, in fact, it may have been placed first precisely because it was the most desired destination.
Beacons found higher average CTR for the first links in its sample, but this type of observational data alone does not demonstrate how much of the difference is driven solely by position.
So the best use of data from your own page is to test hypotheses.
If two destinations are of similar importance, try alternating their position at comparable periods. If the change consistently coincides with a change in behavior, you will have more useful evidence for that specific audience.
First position may change
Choosing the first link shouldn't be a once-and-forgotten decision.
An open agenda may be a priority this week. A release may occupy the top spot the following month. Afterwards, a permanent material can return to the first position.
Linktree, for example, currently maintains a specific feature to highlight a single link with animation, in addition to the possibility of rearranging links. This reinforces the very idea that certain destinations can receive temporary priority depending on the objective.
The order also needs to be reviewed when the source of traffic changes. If a new campaign starts to represent a large part of visits, perhaps the page is receiving people with different expectations than those used to create the original sequence.
The same goes for expired links, closed campaigns and content that is no longer a priority.
What to do when your most important link isn't getting clicks
Low number of clicks does not automatically mean the link should go down.
First, check if there is a problem between promise and destination.
Does the button title clearly explain what will happen after the click? Does the person who arrived at the page have a reason to want that at that moment? Does the destination match the message used to attract the visit?
Clear titles are part of this decision. Linktree's documentation, for example, maintains specific guidelines for editing link titles, precisely because the text presented to the visitor participates in the choice.
If the link represents the main commercial or editorial purpose, the first attempt may be to improve the clarity of the offer or call, not hide it.
On the other hand, if the data repeatedly shows that another destination better matches the audience's predominant intent, insisting on an order just because it seemed logical in planning doesn't help either.
The page needs to balance two things: the path you want to favor and the path the visitor shows they want to follow.
When both coincide, the decision is simple. When they conflict, the data is used to investigate the reason.
A rule of thumb for deciding the top
When there is doubt between two links, prioritize in this order of reasoning: first the objective you want to achieve, then the compatibility of that objective with the origin and intention of the traffic and, finally, the accumulated data that confirms or contradicts your hypothesis.
This way, metrics do not control the page alone. They function as feedback.
A well-organized links page is not a static list of places you exist on the internet. It is a small decision structure. And, precisely for this reason, the order of the elements becomes part of the message.
By reviewing this order with purpose and data rather than aesthetic preference, you stop asking which button “feels” most important and start figuring out which path actually deserves to receive the first click opportunity.
