What is anchor text?
Anchor text refers to the visible, clickable words in a hyperlink. It provides context to both users and search engines about the linked page's content.
Key points
- Anchor text is the clickable, visible text of a hyperlink.
- It helps search engines understand the content of the linked page.
- Descriptive anchor text improves user experience and website navigation.
- Varying anchor text naturally is important for SEO and avoiding over-optimization.
When you click on a link on a website, the words you click are called anchor text. Think of it as the label for a door that leads to another room. Instead of just saying "click here," a good label tells you what's behind the door. In the world of websites, this label is crucial for helping people understand where a link will take them.
Anchor text is more than just a clickable phrase. It's a signal to search engines like Google about the topic of the page being linked to. When many links point to a page using similar, descriptive anchor text, it helps search engines understand what that page is about, which can help it show up in search results for relevant terms.
Using anchor text effectively is a simple yet powerful way to improve your website's organization and its visibility online. It's a small detail that makes a big difference for both your visitors and your search engine rankings.
Why anchor text matters
Anchor text plays a vital role in how search engines understand and rank web pages, and it also significantly impacts user experience. Here's why it's so important:
- SEO relevance: Search engines look at the anchor text of incoming links to understand the topic of the linked page. If many relevant links with descriptive anchor text point to your page about "healthy recipes," search engines get a stronger signal that your page is indeed about healthy recipes. This helps your page rank higher for those search terms.
- User experience: Good anchor text makes it easy for users to navigate your website. When the clickable text clearly describes what's on the other side of the link, users can make informed decisions about whether to click. This improves their experience and can lead to them spending more time on your site.
- Website navigation: For internal links (links within your own website), descriptive anchor text helps users find related content more easily. It guides them through your site's structure, ensuring they can access information they need without guesswork.
Best practices for using anchor text
To make sure your anchor text is working for you, follow these simple guidelines:
Be descriptive and relevant
Always use words that accurately describe the content of the page you are linking to. Instead of "click here," use phrases like "learn more about content marketing strategies" if the link goes to a page on that topic.
Avoid generic phrases
Phrases like "read more," "click here," or "this page" don't give any context to search engines or users. They are missed opportunities to provide valuable information.
Keep it concise
Anchor text should be brief and to the point, usually just a few words. It should be easy to read and quickly convey the linked content's essence.
Vary your anchor text
While you want to be descriptive, don't use the exact same anchor text for every link pointing to the same page. This can look unnatural to search engines. Use variations that are still relevant to the topic. For example, if you're linking to a page about "digital marketing tips," you might also use "effective digital marketing strategies" or "online marketing advice."
Prioritize user experience
Always remember that you're writing for people first. The anchor text should make sense in the context of the surrounding sentence or paragraph and entice users to click if they are interested.
How to improve your anchor text strategy
Improving your anchor text strategy involves a bit of review and thoughtful planning:
Audit existing links
Go through your website and check the anchor text on your internal links. Are they descriptive? Do they use generic phrases? Update any generic or unhelpful anchor text to be more informative.
Research keywords
Before creating new content or links, think about the main keywords you want a page to rank for. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your anchor text where appropriate, but remember to vary them.
Focus on natural language
The best anchor text often sounds like a natural part of the sentence. Don't force keywords into your anchor text if it makes the sentence awkward or hard to read.
Create a content plan
As you plan new content, also plan your internal linking strategy. Think about which pages you want to link to and what anchor text you will use to guide users and search engines.
By paying attention to your anchor text, you can make your website more user-friendly and give search engines clearer signals about your content. This small effort can lead to better visibility and a more engaged audience.
Real-world examples
Internal blog linking
On a blog post about email marketing, a link to a detailed guide on creating email lists uses the anchor text "how to build an effective email list." This clearly tells the user and search engines what the linked page is about.
External backlink
A guest post on an industry website links back to your company's page on SEO tools. The anchor text used is "best SEO tools for small businesses." This specific phrase signals to search engines the relevance of your page to that topic.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using generic anchor text like "click here" or "read more," which provides no context.
- Over-optimizing by using the exact same keyword-rich anchor text repeatedly for all links to one page, which can seem unnatural to search engines.
- Using anchor text that doesn't accurately describe the linked page's content, misleading users and search engines.