The present invention provides single-stranded and double-stranded oligonucleotides comprising at least one aralkyl ligand that improves the pharmacokinetic properties of the oligonucleotides. The aralkyl ligands of the present invention include naproxen, ibuprofen and derivatives thereof. The present invention also provides methods for modulating gene expression using the modified oligonucleotide compounds and compositions comprising those modified oligonucleotides.