Anchor Text
What is Anchor Text?
Anchor text, or link text, is the clickable text of an HTML hyperlink. Its purpose is to explain the content of the linked page or resource to website visitors and search engines.
The term “anchor” comes from the older versions of the HTML specification where the <a> tag (mostly referred to as “hyperlink” these days) was called “anchor.”
When images are used as links, Google processes the image’s alt text as the anchor text of the link.
Example
In this sentence, the blue words are the anchor text.
Types of Anchor Text
SEOs classify the seven primary types of anchor text:
- Exact Match The exact keyword or phrase a target page is trying to rank for.
- Phrase Match A keyword phrase containing the target keyword phrase for a page.
- Partial Match All of the words of the target keyword appear, but not as the exact phrase.
- Branded The name of the brand or company where a target page lives.
- Generic Any random or generic phrases, such as here, click, or this article.
- Image Alt Text The alt text of an image used in a link.
- Naked URL The actual target URL as it appears in a web browser’s address bar.
For more information and examples of each type of anchor text, refer to Google's SEO Starter Guide.
Why is Anchor Text Important?
Anchor text (link text) should provide the context of the linked-to material so that visitors know what to expect when they click on a link. Think of it like a road sign that tells you where you’re going next.
SEO Significance
According to Google, anchor text provides additional context for search engines about the linked page or resource, potentially influencing the overall rankings of the page. Sometimes, a page can be indexed by Google but not yet crawled, based solely on the anchor text and the URL!
Best Practices for Anchor Text
1. Write Anchor Texts That Make Sense Without Surrounding Text
Put yourself in the mind of a site visitor or reader: Isn’t it easier to determine if a link is worth clicking when you can tell where it points to from the anchor text alone?
Generally, exact match or phrase match keywords do the best job of informing readers about a link’s destination, which is why Google and users prefer them.
Example
Recommended: “…learn more from our Keyword Search Guide”
Not recommended: “if you learn more from our keyword research guide”
Not recommended: “learn more about keyword research here”
2. Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Including the keywords you want a linked article to rank for inside your anchor text is generally recommended, but it’s a bad idea to use the exact match phrase for every link.
Google may recognize it as overoptimized. Even if this is unlikely to result in a penalty, Google may decide to ignore these exact match links, costing you the link equity opportunity.
3. Diversify Your Anchor Texts
When linking to your own content and resources, use variations like synonyms and describe your content from different angles in the anchor texts (where you can control this).
Example
If you’re linking to that Keyword Search Guide mentioned earlier, you might opt for anchor text like "SEO Keyword Guide" or rephrase it as “discover how to do keyword research.”
Lastly, for outgoing links, never use the same anchor text in links on the same page. Search engines like Google could view this as spammy behavior, so the best practice is to diversify your anchor text while still providing useful context about where the link is pointing.
FAQs
Is Anchor Text a Ranking Factor?
Yes, most likely. According to John Mueller from Google, anchor text does provide some context about the linked page. As a result, it does matter for SEO. Google analyzes anchor texts because keyword-rich anchors are mentioned in the “Link schemes” section of their Quality Guidelines.
Do Image Links Have an Anchor Text?
Yes, image alt texts are considered to be anchor texts for their images (if they’re present, of course).
For more detailed information on anchor text and best practices, refer to authoritative sources such as Moz's Anchor Text Guide and Google's SEO Starter Guide.