Anchor Text: What it is, how to use it, why it is essential
By now you probably know that link building is one of the (many) critical factors for improving your visibility in search results. But did you also know that the keywords inserted in your links matter as much as the links themselves? The anchor text of the link is a key factor in determining the page rank.
What’s the difference between different types of anchor text? When is it okay to use exact match anchors and when is it okay to use exact match anchors? If you want to optimize your backlinks for search, how do you find the right mix of anchor text for your link portfolio to improve your rankings without incurring a penalty from Google?
What is anchor text?
Let’s start with the basics.
Anchor text is the visible, clickable phrase in a link that connects one web page to another. It often looks different from the text around it because it’s a different color or format.
Now that we’ve established what anchor text is, let’s dive into the details of how it impacts SEO.
What is SEO anchor text?
Google has always used anchor words to interpret the content of linked pages. Google’s founders even devoted an entire section to the meaning of anchor text in the paper they wrote at Stanford University introducing their concept for a large-scale web search engine.
“Link text is treated specially in our search engine. Most search engines associate the text of a link with the page where the link is located. We also associate it with the page that the link points to.”
Since the inception of Google, the search engine has valued a landing page based on the content of the anchor text within a link. In other words, anchor text in backlinks plays a critical role in search engine results page (SERP) rankings.
What is an anchor text profile?
An anchor text profile, sometimes called an anchor text portfolio, summarizes all of your backlinks and their associated anchor text. It is important to review your anchor text profile to ensure that your backlink anchors are not overly SEO optimized.
8 Anchor Text Examples
Since anchor text is such an important part of building backlinks, let’s take a closer look at the different types and how they work.
1. Branded Anchor Text
A branded anchor text includes your brand name or a variation of it. Branded anchor text is a great way to build brand recognition and is an important part of a balanced backlink portfolio, but it doesn’t count toward page rank.
Branded Anchor Text Examples:
- Nike –> Nike.com
- Ikea –> Ikea.com
2. Exact Match Text Anchors
Exact match anchor text includes the primary keyword of the landing page. By definition, exact match anchor text contributes the most value to a page’s position in the SERPs.
Note that the copy in the exact match examples below is the same as the branded anchor examples above. What has changed is the link position and therefore the anchor text itself.
Exact match anchor examples:
Running shoes –> Nike.com
Living room furniture –> Ikea.com
3. Partial match anchor text
Partial match anchor text — you guessed it — includes your keyword and other words that aren’t entirely relevant.
Partial match anchor examples:
- Shop Nike running shoes here
- Ikea’s fall living room furniture designs
Partial match anchors retain SEO value even if they don’t exactly match your target keyword. Because they contain your keyword, they still create an association between your keyword and your page.
Here are some partial match keyword anchor examples from our portfolio:
Partial match keyword anchor text examples.
4. Related Anchor Text
Related anchor text is similar to exact match anchors, with the notable exception that it does not contain the targeted keyword phrase at all. Instead, it contains words that are semantically related to your keywords. Simply put, related anchor text is conceptually similar to the keyword phrase.
Related Anchor Examples:
- Athletic Shoes –> Nike.com
- Comfortable Sofas –>Ikea.com
Related anchors have SEO value because they help Google crawlers better understand what your links are about. They also contribute to the diversity of your link profile.
5. Naked Anchor Text
Naked anchors literally “strip out” any extra words and offer only the URL itself as a clickable link on the page. You will often see naked links in data citations or other attributions for reference materials.
Examples of naked anchors:
https://www.ikea.com
https://www.nike.com
Naked links do not create an association between a keyword and a landing page, but they still provide link equity from the referring page and have the added benefit of diversifying your anchor text portfolio.
6. Brand and Keyword Anchor Text
Brand and keyword anchor text could combine a brand name with exact or partial match keywords. While no one (except Google) knows exactly how much weight each type of anchor text carries, we know that keywords matter. We also know that over-optimizing for keywords in anchor text is a bad thing.
It stands to reason that including your brand name with a keyword in anchor text creates a strong association between the two while also transferring equity from the referring domain and adding some diversity to your link portfolio.
Examples of brand and keyword anchors:
- Nike running shoes
- Ikea living room furniture
7. Image Anchors
Image anchors occur when an external website adds a backlink to your page from an image.
You may have heard that adding alt text to your images is an important part of on-page SEO best practices. But did you know that alt text has a role to play in off-page SEO, too? If another website features one of your images (for example, a chart or infographic) and links to that image on your site, Google will read the image alt text for context and treat it as anchor text.
Image anchors offer the added benefit of diversifying your backlink portfolio.
8. Generic anchor text
Generic anchor text uses words like “website,” “about,” “link,” or phrases like “click here,” “read more,” “visit this page” to link to another website.
It’s virtually impossible to know what you can expect to find on the landing page just by looking at the anchor text itself.
Examples of generic anchors:
- Click here
- Learn more
- Learn more
These anchors have no keywords or topical relevance and offer no direct benefit to your page’s ranking in the SERPs. So, why would an SEO strategist recommend using generic anchor text?
Because it occurs so frequently across the Internet, Google associates generic anchor text with organic editorial placement and readily passes link equity from the referring site. Generic anchor text is a critical component of a well-balanced anchor text portfolio.
What is over-optimization of anchor text?
Over-optimization of anchor text occurs when too many inbound links closely match your preferred keywords. A backlink strategy that manipulates anchor text to improve SERP rankings without regard for user experience violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
Having a balanced backlink portfolio helps you avoid even the appearance of link manipulation.
Link Building Done Right
Building high-quality links that drive value in search results requires a high-level strategy focused on improving the user experience and making the Internet a better place for all of us. Building a balanced anchor text portfolio is an important part of the process, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
There are no “quick fixes” to building great links. It just takes experience, strategy, and time. If you find yourself lacking any of these three things, you may want to consider engaging a partner to help get your site the attention it deserves. Contact one of our consultants for a free initial audit and discover the benefits of an SEO strategy created specifically for your business.
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