Anchor Text: What It Is & Best Practices for SEO (2024)

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When you click a link on any website, the words you click are called "anchor text".

For example, if you see "Click here to learn about dogs" and "Click here" is clickable, those two words are the anchor text.

Search engines like Google pay very close attention to these clickable words because they help understand what the linked page is about.

Let me give you a real example: If you're writing about dog training and you link the words "positive reinforcement techniques" to another page, Google thinks "Aha! This linked page must be about positive reinforcement in dog training."

This helps Google know when to show that page in search results.

The more relevant and descriptive your anchor text is, the better Google can understand your content.

But there's a right and wrong way to do this.

As an SEO agency owner at magicspace.co and co-founder of linkdr.com (our link building tool), I've helped hundreds of websites improve their search rankings through proper anchor text optimization.

In this detailed guide, I'll walk you through exactly how to write anchor text that both Google and your readers will love, sharing the same techniques that have helped our clients achieve consistent SEO success.

I'll show you real examples of good and bad anchor text, explain why certain approaches work better than others, and give you a clear set of rules to follow when adding links to your content in 2024.

1. What is Anchor Text?

Anchor text is the clickable words used to link one web page to another.

It's often highlighted and underlined to make it stand out from the surrounding content.

For example, in the phrase "Check out this great SEO tool“, the words "great SEO tool" would be the anchor text.

Technically, anchor text is created using HTML code. Here's what it looks like:


<a href="<https://linkdr.com>">great SEO tool</a>

The <a> tag defines the hyperlink, the href attribute specifies the URL the link points to, and the text between the opening and closing tags is the anchor text.

Anchor text serves two primary functions:

It tells users what to expect if they click on the link.

It helps search engines understand what the linked page is about.

✅

Good anchor text

Descriptive and relevant.

For example: "Learn more about on-page SEO techniques".

⛔

Bad anchor text

Vague or misleading.

For example: “Click here” doesn't provide any context about the linked content.

2. Types of Anchor Text

Let me explain the different types of anchor text you'll encounter and how to use them effectively for SEO.

The key is creating a natural mix of these different types - I'll show you exactly how.

1️⃣

Exact Match Anchor Text

Using your target keyword exactly as the clickable text.

For example, if you want to rank for "domain explorer", you'd make those exact words clickable: "Check out our domain explorer".

While powerful for SEO, you need to be careful - using too many exact match anchors looks unnatural.

💡 I recommend keeping exact match anchors to 20% or less of your total links.

2️⃣

Partial Match Anchor Text

This is when you include your target keyword along with other descriptive words.

For example, instead of just "domain explorer", you'd write "Use our free domain explorer tool".

Partial match anchors are great because they look more natural while still containing your keywords.

💡 Aim to make these about 30-40% of your anchor texts.

3️⃣

Branded Anchor Text

Branded anchors use company or product names as the clickable text.

For example: "LinkDR helps you analyze backlinks".

These are essential for building brand recognition and creating a natural link profile.

💡 About 20% of your anchors should be branded.

4️⃣

Natural Language Anchors

Rather than using keywords or brand names, these use natural phrases that fit seamlessly into your content.

Instead of "click here", write something descriptive like "learn how to analyze your competitors' backlinks".

💡 These should make up the remaining 20-30% of your anchors.

5️⃣

Image Anchors

When you make an image clickable, the image's alt text becomes the anchor text for SEO purposes.

Always add descriptive alt text to linked images - this helps both SEO and accessibility.

For example, instead of just "logo.jpg", use alt text like "LinkDR backlink analysis dashboard".

3. Why Anchor Text Matters for SEO

When someone links to your page, Google analyzes the words used in that link (anchor text) to understand what your page is about and can affect how well your pages rank for specific keywords.

The anchor text helps determine which keywords your page should rank for.

For example, if many sites link to you with "best coffee beans", Google will associate your page with that topic and may improve your rankings for related searches.

While more relevant anchor text links improve rankings, using too many identical keyword-rich links can trigger penalties.

Instead, aim for natural variety in your anchor text - mix up related phrases rather than repeating the exact same keywords.

Here’s a quote from the paper on which the Google algorithm is based:

Google employs a number of techniques to improve search quality including page rank, anchor text, and proximity information.

4. Anchor Text Best Practices

When writing anchor text, be deliberate and thoughtful in your approach.

Read the target page first to understand its main topic and purpose.

Use natural, descriptive text that flows within your sentences - avoid awkward keyword insertion.

Vary your anchor text when linking to the same page multiple times.

Keep anchor text concise (2-6 words) while still being descriptive.

Ensure anchor text accurately matches the linked content to avoid misleading users.

Make links visually distinct using brand colors or standard underlines, but avoid multi-line anchors.

5. Common Anchor Text Mistakes

Keyword stuffing makes content sound robotic and unnatural.

Generic terms like "click here" waste opportunities to signal relevance to search engines.

Irrelevant anchor text confuses both users and search engines.

Over-optimization occurs when too many anchors use identical keywords.

Excessively long anchor text disrupts readability.

Vague anchors provide no context about the destination.

Consistent anchor text mistakes across a site may trigger ranking penalties.

6. How to Audit Your Anchor Text

Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to export and analyze your backlinks.

Review anchor text distribution - if over 30% use identical text, that's concerning.

For homepages, focus on branded anchors.

For content pages, use varied relevant phrases.

Audit internal links on key pages to ensure anchor text diversity.

Check your anchor text profile quarterly, especially after new content or link building.

7. Future of Anchor Text

Modern search engines better understand natural language and context.

They analyze the surrounding content and user behavior signals.

Focus on writing helpful, descriptive anchors that create accurate expectations.

Prioritize user education over keyword targeting.

Conclusion

Create a spreadsheet listing varied anchor text options for important pages.

Take time to craft natural, descriptive anchors that make sense when read aloud.

Review internal links monthly to maintain anchor text diversity.

Remember: Good anchor text helps users understand what to expect when clicking.

Focus on clear communication rather than trying to manipulate search rankings.

Want to see these principles in action? Visit LinkDR to learn how we implement them.

Anchor Text: What It Is & Best Practices for SEO (2024)

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