Anchor Text
Quick Definition
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text of a hyperlink. Search engines use anchor text to understand the topic of the linked page. A natural anchor text profile includes a mix of branded, exact-match, and generic anchors.
Why It Matters
Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink. It tells both users and Google what the linked page is about. Manipulating anchor text used to be a common SEO tactic, but Google now penalizes unnatural patterns. Understanding anchor text best practices is essential for link building, internal linking, and content creation.
Real-World Example
In the sentence "Read our complete guide to keyword research," the words "keyword research" would be the anchor text if they are hyperlinked. This tells Google the linked page is about keyword research. Compare that to anchor text like "click here" -- which tells Google nothing about the destination page.
Signal Connection
Relevance -- anchor text acts as a relevance signal, telling Google what the linked page is about. Descriptive, natural anchor text strengthens the topical relevance of the destination page.
Pro Tip
When building internal links, use descriptive anchor text that includes relevant keywords naturally. But vary your anchor text -- do not use the exact same phrase every time. A healthy mix includes exact keywords, partial matches, brand mentions, and natural phrases.
Common Mistake
Using the same exact-match anchor text for every link pointing to a page. If every backlink to your page says "best SEO tools" it looks manipulative to Google. Natural link profiles have diverse anchor text including brand names, URLs, and varied phrases.
Test Your Knowledge
Which is the best example of descriptive anchor text?
Show Answer
Answer: C. "Technical SEO checklist for beginners"
"Technical SEO checklist for beginners" is descriptive anchor text because it tells both users and search engines exactly what the linked page is about. "Click here" and "Read more" are generic and waste a linking opportunity. A raw URL is functional but not descriptive.