Everyone in business wants their web content to gain more visibility in searches relevant to their product or service. Finessing the anchor text is one of the things that helps in achieving this. Anchor text optimization boosts your website’s overall SEO and helps in taking your website to the top of search engine rankings. But what is anchor text in SEO?
Anchor text is the clickable text displayed as a hyperlink on a webpage. It’s usually underlined and in a different color, indicating that users can click on it to be directed to another webpage. This text helps search engines and users appreciate the linked content and its context, making it a crucial factor in SEO.
Here’s a comprehensive guide on using anchor text in SEO to improve your website’s ranking and drive more organic traffic to your website. It starts with simple definitions, progressing to practical tactics and tips for optimization.
What Is Anchor Text
As we just agreed, anchor text is the clickable text you read that, when clicked, redirects you to a hyperlinked web page. It’s also called link text, link label, or link title. Essentially, the visible part of a hyperlink provides context for the linked page.
Types of Anchor Text
There are different types of anchor text used in SEO, and understanding these variations can help you create effective strategies for link building, internal linking, and anchor texts. Here are some common types:
- Exact-match anchor text is an exact match of the targeted keyword phrase used as the anchor text. For example, if you are linking to a page about “best SEO practices,” your anchor text would be “best SEO practices.”
- Partial-match anchor text includes variations of the targeted keyword phrase. Per our previous example, partial-match anchor text could include phrases like “top SEO tips” or “SEO best practices.”
- Branded anchor text is when you use a brand’s name as the anchor text to a hyperlink, i.e., “Google” or “Nike.” It helps create more brand awareness and benefits larger companies with well-known brands.
- Naked URLs simply use the URL itself as a clickable link. For instance, https://www.example.com.
- Generic anchor text is using non-specific phrases like “click here” or “learn more.” While this type of anchor text may not be as targeted, it can still be useful for diversifying your link profile and making your content more accessible to users.
Why Is Anchor Text Important in SEO?
Picture yourself reading an informative post on a niche topic. You come across a hyperlink trying to redirect you to a page about the subject. Which one would be more convincing to click on?
- “Click here for more information.”
- “Pick up some SEO tips here.”
The second one is more relevant and informative, right? That’s because the anchor text used in the second option provides context and lets you know what to expect on the linked page.
Search engines always work towards improving user experience. So, search bots crawl through your content every time you publish something new. Anchor text helps these bots understand the context of your page and how it relates to other pages on the web.
Moreover, when search engines see the relevant anchor text, they are more likely to rank your page higher in search results for that particular keyword phrase. So, anchor text is an essential element of on-page SEO.
Best Practices for Using Anchor Text in SEO
The way we use anchor text has changed over the decades we’ve been using the internet. However, some best practices remain consistent.
1. Use Natural Language
Always produce quality, useful content for your users, not search engines. Don’t try to apply all SEO techniques in every sentence.
It’s better to use language naturally and incorporate anchor texts where relevant. Otherwise, it can come across as keyword stuffing, harming your SEO efforts.
2. Keep It Relevant
As an example, how would a pharmacy website benefit from a backlink on a fashion blog? It wouldn’t. Ensure that the anchor text is relevant to the linked page. The relevancy of your content and links can significantly improve your SEO.
As for relevance, also check what’s being linked to your pages. If you notice any irrelevant or spammy links, it’s best to disavow them.
3. Use Keywords, but Don’t Overdo It
Keywords are essential for SEO, but too many can do more harm than good. Do some keyword research so the phrases you use are relevant for your target users, but don’t stuff it full of multiple keywords just to rank higher.
Doing so can actually lead to a penalty from search engines. How? Learn here: The Basics of Backlink Building.
4. Vary Your Anchor Text
As we specified earlier, there are various anchor text types. Repeatedly relying on one type may harm your site, coming off as unnatural and spammy.
Instead, vary your anchor texts by using different variations of your keywords or even synonyms.
5. Avoid Generic Anchor Text
Remember, context is everything in SEO, and this includes anchor text. Though it should be short, it needs to be as descriptive as possible. Try to avoid generic phrases like ‘click here’ or ‘read more.’
Instead, use descriptive phrases that accurately reflect the content you’re linking to. For example, ‘The best skincare products‘ or ‘five natural remedies for headaches.’
6. Use Nofollow Links When Appropriate
The distinction between nofollow and dofollow links helps search engines to tell when you’re endorsing vs. just referencing a web page. Nofollow links help you to reference pages without vouching for them.
They’re useful when linking to sponsored content or third-party websites that may not align with your brand values.
They help maintain the credibility and relevance of your website’s backlinks. They also show Google you’re not trying to manipulate rankings by linking to low-quality or spammy sites.
Learn more about the differences between dofollow vs. nofollow links.
7. Don’t Forget About Internal Linking
External backlinking is part of off-page SEO, but there’s also internal linking, which is arguably a hybrid of on-page and off-page SEO
Internal links are instrumental when you want to establish content structure and hierarchy while pointing users to closely related topics or products within your website.
They also keep users actively engaged on your site, lowering bounce rates and increasing page views. Always use internal links strategically within your content, using relevant anchor text.
8. Keep Track of Your Links
As you continue building backlinks, keeping track of them is crucial. You need to know which keywords you use as anchor text to avoid overusing them.
You also need to know the type of links you’re using (nofollow or dofollow) and the quality of the sites you’re linking to and from. This information can help improve your backlinking strategy over time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with Anchor Text
Now that you have a better understanding of how to effectively use anchor text, here are some common mistakes to avoid:
- Recycling an anchor text phrase for many backlinks can look unnatural and be seen as spam by search engines.
- Failing to vary keywords in your anchor text- it’s important to vary your anchor text and not solely focus on one keyword or phrase.
- Creating low-quality backlinks with irrelevant or spammy websites – Always go for backlinks from publishers with high domain keyword authority, as low-authority backlinks can harm your website’s SEO.
- Ignoring internal links within your content – We already discussed this; you may be missing out on potential SEO benefits and user engagement by neglecting internal links.
- Failing to track and monitor your backlinks – keeping track of your backlinks can help you adjust and improve your strategy over time.
Leverage Anchor Text to Boost SEO and User Engagement
Using anchor text effectively can greatly benefit your website’s SEO and user engagement. I hope you know why SEO is important for your website by now and you’re ready to implement these tips for anchor text optimization.
Remember to consider your audience when choosing your anchor text, and always prioritize quality over quantity regarding backlinks.
Additionally, while a strong backlinking strategy can help boost SEO, always do it with user engagement in mind. Your website visitors should find value when you direct them to a third-party site.
