What is anchor text? Anchor text is the wording included inside a hyperlink. It’s also called link text, and it typically stands out from the rest of the wording on a page — usually blue and underlined. The text you include in your links matters more than you may realize for SEO rankings on search engines.

Anchor text is a basic concept of SEO ranking your website. It gives context for search engines and for readers of what type of webpage the link leads to. For example, if the anchor text in a link leading to a webpage is “chocolate chip cookies,” that shows search engines like Google that you’re linking to a site about chocolate chip cookies. Once this happens a few more times for that site, Google will realize that the site likely discusses chocolate chip cookies.

Using appropriate anchor text will make your links more clickable because it tells the reader exactly where they will be heading. “Chocolate chip cookies” tells much more than vague text like “See more here.” Link text can be the same as an SEO keyphrase, but doing so might confuse readers (and Google) since they’re reading your web page to get that information. One other thing to watch out for: Don’t overstuff your page with links because you want it to read naturally.

Types of anchor text:

  • Exact match. The anchor matches the content of the page you’re linking to exactly. For example, if you’re linking to a page on “gluten-free cookies,” that would also be your anchor text.
  • Phrase match. The anchor includes the keyphrase but isn’t an exact match. You would use something like “best gluten-free cookies” or “easy gluten-free cookies.”
  • Partial match. The anchor includes alternative phrasing to the keyphrase. You might use “gluten-free cookies with chocolate chips.”
  • Branded. The anchor includes a brand name. Maybe you’re talking about re-creating Nabisco’s cookies, so “Nabisco” is your anchor text.
  • Naked URL. The anchor is the URL by itself, which isn’t typically effective.
  • Generic text. The anchor is undescriptive wording, like “Click here for more.” This is also not typically effective and not recommended, as it won’t help your SEO efforts or provide a good user experience.

Creating high-quality content that is also SEO-friendly can be a tall order. Let ClearVoice’s talented team of freelancers help. Talk to a content specialist today about your needs.