What Is Anchor Text?¶

Anchor text is the clickable words in a link.

Simple Example¶

Check out our wireless headphones for great sound
             └─────────────────────┘
             ↑ This is the anchor text

When someone clicks "wireless headphones", they go to that page.

Think of it like a signpost: - Signpost: "Pizza Shop →" tells you where the road leads - Anchor text: "wireless headphones" tells you what the link is about

Anatomy of a Link¶

<a href="/products/headphones">wireless headphones</a>
       └─────────┬──────────┘  └─────────┬─────────┘
            Where it goes      What users see/click
                               (THE ANCHOR TEXT)

Why Does Anchor Text Matter?¶

Anchor text serves THREE purposes:

1. Tells GOOGLE what the linked page is about¶

When 10 pages link to your page with "best pizza recipes", Google understands: "This page must be about pizza recipes"

Result: Better rankings for "pizza recipes"

2. Tells USERS what to expect when they click¶

Result: Better user experience, more clicks

3. Helps SCREEN READERS for visually impaired users¶

Screen readers announce the anchor text out loud.

Result: Better accessibility (and Google rewards this)

Real Impact on Your Business¶

• Better Google rankings for target keywords
• More clicks (users know where they're going)
• Lower bounce rate (users find what they expect)
• Improved accessibility (helps all users)

Types of Anchor Text¶

1. DESCRIPTIVE (Best for SEO)¶

Keyword-rich text that describes the target page.

Examples: - "wireless Bluetooth headphones" - "beginner's guide to SEO" - "chocolate chip cookie recipe" - "emergency plumbing services in Boston"

Why it's good: - Tells Google what the page is about - Users know exactly what they'll find - Includes relevant keywords naturally

2. NAVIGATIONAL (Acceptable)¶

Standard menu/navigation items.

Examples: - "Home" - "About Us" - "Contact" - "Products" - "Blog"

Why it's acceptable: - Standard website navigation - Users expect these terms - Okay in header/footer, but not ideal in content

3. BRANDED (Neutral)¶

Contains your brand or company name.

Examples: - "Acme Corp" - "Nike store" - "Amazon Prime" - "Apple Support"

Why it's neutral: - Natural and expected - Good for brand recognition - Doesn't help SEO for topics, only brand name

4. GENERIC (Bad for SEO)¶

Vague, non-descriptive words.

Examples: - "Click here" - "Read more" - "Learn more" - "Here" - "This page" - "View details"

Why it's bad: - Tells Google nothing about the target page - Doesn't help users understand where they're going - Wastes SEO opportunity - Bad for accessibility

How to Write Great Anchor Text¶

The Before & After Method¶

Example 1: Blog Post Link¶

❌ BEFORE (Generic):
"We wrote a great article about this. Click here to read"

✅ AFTER (Descriptive):
"We wrote a great article about reducing bounce rate"
                         └────────────────────────┘
                         ↑ Clear, descriptive, keyword-rich

Example 2: Product Link¶

❌ BEFORE (Generic):
"Check out our new product here"

✅ AFTER (Descriptive):
"Check out our new wireless noise-canceling headphones"
                     └─────────────────────────────┘
                     ↑ Tells what the product is

Example 3: Service Link¶

❌ BEFORE (Generic):
"Learn more about what we offer"

✅ AFTER (Descriptive):
"Explore our emergency plumbing repair services"
           └──────────────────────────────────┘
           ↑ Specific service mentioned

Example 4: Download Link¶

❌ BEFORE (Generic):
"Download our free guide here"

✅ AFTER (Descriptive):
"Download our free SEO checklist for beginners"
                └──────────────────────────┘
                ↑ Describes what they're getting

Example 5: Internal Content Link¶

❌ BEFORE (Generic):
"For more information on this topic, click this link"

✅ AFTER (Descriptive):
"For more information on keyword research strategies"
                          └─────────────────────────┘
                          ↑ Describes the topic clearly

The 5 Rules of Great Anchor Text¶

Rule 1: BE DESCRIPTIVE¶

Ask yourself: "What will the reader find when they click?"

The anchor should summarize the destination page.

Rule 2: VARY YOUR ANCHORS¶

When linking to the same page multiple times, use different anchors.

Page: /seo-guide/

Why: Looks more natural, covers more keyword variations

Rule 3: KEEP IT CONCISE¶

Ideal length: 2-8 words

Why: Easier to read, cleaner looking, more clickable

Rule 4: USE NATURAL LANGUAGE¶

Anchor text should flow naturally in the sentence.

Rule 5: MATCH THE TARGET PAGE¶

Anchor should reflect what's actually on the target page.

Target page: "Pizza Dough Recipe"

Why: Reduces bounce rate, improves user trust, better SEO

Real-World Examples by Industry¶

E-commerce Store (Selling Electronics)¶

Service Business (Plumbing)¶

Blog / Content Site (Cooking)¶

SaaS Company (Project Management)¶

Common Anchor Text Mistakes¶

Mistake #1: OVERUSING "CLICK HERE"¶

Problem: - "For our pricing, click here" - "To download the guide, click here" - "For support, click here"

Why it's bad: - Tells Google nothing (wastes SEO opportunity) - All links sound the same (confusing) - Screen readers announce "link, click here" x 50 times

Fix: - "View our pricing plans" - "Download the beginner's SEO guide" - "Contact our support team"

Mistake #2: KEYWORD STUFFING¶

Problem: Using the EXACT same keyword anchor 50 times: "best coffee maker" x 50

Why it's bad: - Google may see it as spam (over-optimization) - Looks unnatural and repetitive - Can trigger a ranking penalty

Fix (vary your anchors): - "best coffee maker" - "top-rated coffee machines" - "coffee maker reviews" - "quality drip coffee brewers" - "automatic coffee maker guide"

Rule: Keep any single anchor under 5-7% of total anchors

Mistake #3: USING THE URL AS ANCHOR¶

Problem: "Visit https://example.com/products/category/wireless-headphones"

Why it's bad: - Long, ugly, hard to read - Breaks on mobile screens - Wastes the anchor opportunity

Fix: "Browse our wireless headphones collection"

Note: Sometimes naked URLs are okay in references/citations

Mistake #4: MISLEADING ANCHORS¶

Problem: - Anchor says: "Free download" - Actually links to: Paid product page

Why it's bad: - Users feel tricked (high bounce rate) - Loses trust - Google may penalize deceptive practices

Fix: Make anchor match the actual destination. If it's paid, say "view pricing" not "free"

Mistake #5: FULL SENTENCES AS ANCHORS¶

Problem: "Click here to learn everything you need to know about how to optimize your website for search engines and improve rankings"

Why it's bad: - Too long, hard to read - Dilutes the keyword focus - Looks spammy

Fix: "Learn how to optimize your website for search engines" (10 words max, focus on key phrase)

Quick Anchor Text Audit Checklist¶

Use this to audit your website's anchors:

• [ ] Find all "click here" anchors on your site → Replace with descriptive alternatives
• [ ] Check for repetitive exact-match anchors → If any anchor is >10% of total, diversify it
• [ ] Review your most important pages → What anchors link TO them? Are they descriptive?
• [ ] Audit your blog posts → Replace generic "read more" with specific article titles
• [ ] Check product/service links → Use product names and benefits, not "view" or "learn more"
• [ ] Review call-to-action buttons → Make them specific: "Get Free Quote" vs "Submit"
• [ ] Test with screen reader (optional) → Navigate your site with eyes closed. Do anchors make sense?

Estimated time: 2-4 hours for a 50-page site

Step-by-Step: Fixing Your Anchor Text¶

STEP 1: Export Your Anchor Text Report¶

Use the "Export" button to get a list of all anchors. Sort by generic anchors first.

STEP 2: Identify Priority Pages¶

Look at "Pages Needing Anchor Text Improvement". Focus on pages with: - High traffic potential - Important products/services - More than 50% generic anchors

STEP 3: Create an Anchor Text Plan¶

For each important page, list 5-10 anchor variations.

Example for /services/plumbing/: 1. "emergency plumbing services" 2. "24/7 plumber near me" 3. "residential plumbing repair" 4. "licensed plumbing contractor" 5. "water heater installation services"

STEP 4: Update Your Content¶

Go page by page and replace generic anchors:

• Find: "click here"
• Replace with: Context-appropriate descriptive anchor

Tools: Use Find & Replace in your CMS

STEP 5: Update Templates¶

If you have template-generated anchors (like "Read More" on blog posts), update the template to use: - "Read: [Post Title]" - or "Continue reading [Topic]"

STEP 6: Recrawl & Measure¶

After updating anchors: - Recrawl your site with this tool - Check improved Quality Score - Monitor Google rankings (30-60 days)

What Results to Expect¶

Timeline for Improvements¶

Realistic Expectations¶

Before: Quality Score 45%, many generic anchors After: Quality Score 75-85%, descriptive anchors

SEO Impact: - 10-30% increase in organic traffic (over 3-6 months) - More pages ranking in top 10 for target keywords - Better rankings for long-tail keywords - Improved internal PageRank distribution

User Experience Impact: - Higher click-through rates on internal links - Lower bounce rates (users find what they expect) - More pages per session (easier navigation) - Better accessibility scores

Signs It's Working¶

• Quality Score increases by 20-30 points
• Generic anchor % drops below 10%
• Target pages start ranking for new keywords
• Internal link click rate improves
• Time on site increases

Advanced Tips¶

Once you master the basics:

1. Anchor Text Silos¶

Within topic clusters, use anchors that reinforce the topic:

Pizza Cluster: - "pizza dough recipe" - "homemade pizza tips" - "best pizza ovens"

All anchors contain "pizza" - reinforces topical authority.

2. Co-occurrence Optimization¶

Words near the anchor also matter:

"Looking for the best coffee maker for your kitchen?"
                     └──────────────┘
Surrounding words: "best", "kitchen" add context

3. Entity-Based Anchors¶

Use recognized entities (brands, people, places): - "Apple iPhone 15 review" - "New York City travel guide" - "Nike running shoes comparison"

4. Action-Oriented Anchors for CTAs¶

For conversion-focused links: - "Get your free SEO audit" - "Start your 14-day trial" - "Download the checklist now" - "Schedule a free consultation"