Anchor text is the clickable, visible text in a hyperlink. It’s usually underlined or highlighted and tells both users and search engines what the page you are linking to is about. Anchor text is a simple but powerful part of any link, whether it’s an internal link on your website or a backlink from another site.
Think of it as a small description of the page you are linking to. A search engine uses this text as a signal to understand the context and topic of the linked page. This is why using the right anchor text can be a vital part of your SEO strategy.
Why Is Anchor Text Important for SEO?
Anchor text is a crucial ranking factor. It’s a signal to a search engine that a page is trustworthy and authoritative. Here’s why it’s so important:
- It Provides Context: Anchor text helps search engines understand what a page is about. When a lot of different websites link to your page with the same anchor text, it tells a search engine that your page is a relevant and authoritative resource for that topic.
- It Improves User Experience: Anchor text helps a user decide whether they want to click on a link. A descriptive anchor text that tells a user what they will find on the next page is a great way to improve the user experience.
- It Boosts Your Rankings: When used correctly, anchor text can help your page rank for specific keywords. The more pages that use a keyword as anchor text to link to your page, the higher your page will rank for that keyword.
A professional platform Clickrank can help you with this. The platform can analyze your website and provide a list of anchor texts that are being used to link to your website.
Types of Anchor Text
There are a few different types of anchor text that you should be aware of.
Exact Match
This is when the anchor text is the exact keyword you want to rank for. For example, if you want to rank for “buy hiking gear,” the anchor text would be “buy hiking gear.” While this can be a powerful signal, you should use it sparingly. If too many of your links have the same anchor text, it can look unnatural to a search engine and lead to a penalty.
Partial Match
This is when the anchor text includes your target keyword along with other words. For example, “learn how to buy hiking gear.” This is a great way to get a natural-looking anchor text profile.
Branded
This is when you use your brand name as the anchor text. For example, “Clickrank.ai.” This is a great way to build your brand’s authority and is a very common type of anchor text.
Naked URL
This is when the anchor text is the URL itself. For example, “https://www.clickrank.ai.” This is a common and natural-looking anchor text that you should have in your backlink profile.
Generic
This is when you use a non-descriptive phrase as the anchor text, like “click here” or “read more.” This type of anchor text has a low SEO value, but it is a natural part of a backlink profile.
Image
When an image is used as a link, the anchor text is the image’s alt text. This is a great reason to always use descriptive alt text on your images. Our free AI Image Alt Text Generator can help you write a good description for your images, which is also a great way to improve your SEO.
Anchor Text Best Practices
Make It Natural
The most important rule of anchor text is to make it look natural. The best way to do this is to use a variety of anchor texts. A good backlink profile should have a healthy mix of branded, naked, generic, and keyword-rich anchor texts.
Keep It Concise and Relevant
Your anchor text should be concise and relevant to the page you are linking to. It should be a few words that give a clear idea of what the user will find on the next page.
Don’t Over-Optimize
You should never over-optimize your anchor text. This is a black-hat SEO tactic that can lead to a penalty. You should always write for people, not for search engines.
