The Sneaky Little Email Trick That Makes People Click (Use Their Name in Your Links)

You know what happens when someone shows you a group photo?

You immediately look for yourself.

Doesn't matter if there are 50 people in the picture. Doesn't matter if you're in the back row. Your eyes scan the photo until you find your face.

It's not vanity. It's just human nature. We're wired to pay attention to ourselves.

And here's the cool part: you can use this exact same psychological trigger in your emails.

Here's a quick question: which link are you more likely to click?

Option A: "Click here to download your guide"

Option B: "Sarah's guide is ready - grab it here"

If you're Sarah, you're clicking Option B every single time.

Why? Because seeing your name makes it feel more relevant to you. Even though you know everyone else got the same guide with their own name, there's something about seeing your name that catches your attention.

Same reason you look for yourself in that group photo.

And here's the thing: it takes about 30 seconds to set up.

How This Actually Works

You know those merge fields you use to personalize emails? The ones that turn "Hey [first_name] into "Hey Daniel"?

You can use those same merge fields inside your link text.

Instead of writing:

Click here to grab your free session

You write:

[first.name]'s free session is waiting here

When Daniel gets that email, he sees: "Daniel's free session is waiting here"

When Hunter gets it, she sees: "Hunter's free session is waiting here"

Same link. Same email. But the text is personalized to each person.

Why This Works (The Psychology Part)

Remember that group photo thing? That's called selective attention, and it happens with names too.

People are way more likely to click something that has their name on it. It's the same reason you stop scrolling when you see your name mentioned in a social media post, even though you know it might be nothing.

Our brains are wired to pay attention when we see our own name. Psychologists call it the "cocktail party effect"—even in a noisy room full of conversations, you'll hear someone say your name from across the space.

So when someone sees their name in a link, even if they know it's automated, there's still that little moment of "oh, this is for me."

And that's enough to get the click. Just like you can't help but look for yourself in that photo.

The Playful Example (Thanks, Daniel Throssell)

There's a brilliant copywriter in Australia named Daniel Throssell who does this hilariously. He'll sometimes send out emails with a subject lines like:

"Chris Thompson’s embarrassing situation”

And when I open it, there might be a sentence that says:

“I need to tell you all about something that CHRIS THOMPSON really wants to keep secret. But unfortunately for him, I’m about to spill the beans.”

He’ll then reveal something that applies equally to every reader, and eventually explain that he used a merge field to trick us. It’s a playful and hilarious example of how to use psychology in emails. We all open the email because of the merge field in the subject line.

How to Set This Up in Pykthos (It's Stupid Easy)

If you're using the Pykthos platform (which runs on GoHighLevel), here's how you do it:

1. Write where you want the name to go in your link text

2. Click the merge field button (looks like a little tag icon)

3. Select the first name field from the dropdown

4. Finish your text: "[First.Name]'s custom download is ready"

5. Attach your actual link to that text like you normally would

That's it. Now every person who gets that email sees their own name in the link text.

Where to Use This

This works great for:

• Download links - "Maria's free meditation audio is ready"

• Booking links - "David - grab your complimentary session spot here"

• Resource pages - "Jennifer - your hypnosis toolkit is waiting"

• Follow-up emails - "Hey Alex, I noticed you checked out the booking page..."

Basically anywhere you want to catch someone's attention by using their name in a natural way.

The One Warning

Don't overdo it. If every single link in your email is personalized like this, it starts to feel gimmicky. Use it strategically—once per email is plenty.

And obviously, make sure your merge fields are working correctly. Nothing kills the magic faster than an email that says "[[FirstName]]'s download link" because the field didn't populate properly. Always send yourself a test email first.

The Bottom Line

This is one of those tiny tweaks that takes almost no time to implement but can genuinely improve your click rates.

People pay attention when they see their name. It's not about tricking anyone—everyone knows it's an automated email. But using someone's name in your link text is just smart, natural personalization that makes your message more relevant to each reader.

So next time you're writing an email with a call-to-action link (that's marketing speak for "the thing you want them to click"), try adding their name to the link text in a natural way.

It's a small thing. But small things add up.

Want help building email systems that actually convert? Inside Pykthos Mastermind, we teach practitioners exactly how to use tactics like this (plus automation, AI, and smart follow-up sequences) to turn more leads into paying clients.Check it out here and see if it's a fit for your practice.