Let’s Learn About Anchor Text and How to Improve Your Link Text.
When it comes to website optimization, both for search engines and human users, every detail matters—including the words you choose for your anchor text. Whether you’re running a personal blog, managing an e-commerce site, or working on SEO for a corporate website, understanding and optimizing anchor text can significantly enhance your content’s value.
In this post, we’ll explore:
- What anchor text is
- Different types of anchor text
- Why anchor text is important
- Best practices to improve your link text
What Is Anchor Text?
It is the clickable text in a hyperlink. It usually appears as blue, underlined text (though styles can vary), and it tells users what they can expect when they click the link.
Example:
In the sentence “Check out our guide on how to grow your blog traffic,” the words “how to grow your blog traffic” are the anchor text.
Types of Anchor Text
Understanding the types of anchor text can help you create a more strategic linking strategy:
- Exact Match
It uses the exact keyword you’re targeting.
Example: “digital marketing” linking to a page about digital marketing. - Partial Match
Includes a variation or subset of the target keyword.
Example: “tips for digital marketers” linking to the same page. - Branded
Uses the brand’s name as anchor text.
Example: “OpenAI” linking to https://www.openai.com. - Generic
Uses non-descriptive text like “click here” or “read more.”
Example: “Click here for more info.” - Naked URL
The URL itself is used as the anchor.
Example: https://example.com - Image Anchor
When an image is used as a link, the anchor text is pulled from the image’s ALT attribute.
Why Anchor Text Matters
🔍 SEO
Search engines use it to understand the context of the linked page. When done right, it can:
- Improve your rankings for specific keywords
- Help search engines crawl your site more effectively
- Strengthen internal linking structure
👥 User Experience
Clear and relevant anchor text helps users:
- Know where the link will take them
- Navigate your content more easily
- Trust the content and continue exploring
♿ Accessibility
For screen readers and accessibility tools, descriptive anchor text:
- Enhances navigation
- Provides context for visually impaired users
- Complies with accessibility standards (WCAG)
How to Improve Your Anchor Text
Here are proven strategies to write better anchor text:
1. Be Descriptive and Specific
Avoid vague terms like “click here” or “this page.” Instead, describe exactly what the user will find.
Bad: Click here
Better: Download the free SEO checklist
2. Use Keywords Strategically (But Naturally)
Incorporate keywords where relevant, but avoid keyword stuffing or sounding forced.
Tip: Use variations and synonyms instead of repeating the same keyword in every link.
3. Keep It Concise
Anchor text should be short and to the point—generally 1–5 words is ideal.
4. Match the Link Destination
It should accurately reflect the content it links to. Misleading anchor text creates a poor user experience and can harm SEO.
5. Avoid Over-Optimization
Using exact match anchor text too often can raise red flags with Google. Aim for a natural mix of anchor types.
6. Use Internal Links Thoughtfully
Link to other relevant pages on your site with meaningful text. This improves site structure and helps search engines understand the relationship between pages.
7. Make Links Accessible
Use descriptive anchor text that makes sense even out of context. Screen readers often jump from link to link, so each link should stand on its own.
Examples of Improved Anchor Text
| Original Text | Improved Version |
|---|---|
| Click here | Download our beginner’s guide to SEO |
| Read more | Learn more about organic search strategies |
| This post | Explore our latest post on content marketing trends |
Conclusion
Anchor text is a small detail with big impact. Writing effective link text improves not just your SEO performance, but also accessibility and overall user experience. Keep it clear, relevant, and contextually appropriate—and you’ll turn every link into a valuable asset.
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