Anchor text is a key element of an SEO strategy that can significantly affect a website’s visibility and success.
Anchor text refers to the visible, clickable text of a link that connects one page to another. This seemingly small element has a major impact on how search engines rank a page and on the user experience. In this article, we’ll look at the different types of anchor text, their importance, and best practices for using them effectively.
What types of anchor text are there?
- Branded anchor text – includes a brand or website name, for example “Apple” or “Seznam.cz”.
- Exact match anchor text – uses the exact phrase or keyword that matches the target page, e.g., “buy cheap shoes”.
- Partial match anchor text – contains a variation of the keyword, e.g., “shoes for sports activities” for a page about athletic footwear.
- Naked URL – the full URL is used as the anchor text, e.g., “https://www.example.com”.
- Generic anchor text – uses common phrases like “click here”, “this link”, or “more information”.
- LSI (latent semantic indexing) anchor text – uses semantically related words or phrases tied to the target page’s topic.
What does anchor text look like in the source code?
Anchor text in the source code appears as part of the HTML tag that ties text to a destination URL. An example looks like this.
<a href=”https://www.example.com”>anchortext</a>
In this example, “anchortext” is the anchor text itself, serving as a link to the page that opens on click. This method is the basis for creating clickable links on web pages.
How to work with anchor text in SEO?
In SEO, anchor text is a crucial element for proper site optimization because it helps search engines understand the relevance of linked pages. The importance of choosing the right anchor text lies in its influence on how a page ranks for specific keywords. It’s essential that the anchor text be relevant to the content of the linked page. It should fit naturally into the context without feeling forced—something search engines prefer.
For effective SEO, follow these key principles when working with anchor text.
- Diversify anchor texts – to avoid penalties for overusing exact matches.
- Focus on relevant keywords – always with an eye on natural usage and context.
- Use different types of anchor text – including branded, generic, or long phrases so your link profile looks natural.
By consistently applying these techniques, you can significantly improve your site’s organic results in search engines.
Which online marketing disciplines should you study?
To better understand anchor text and use it effectively, it’s key to master the basics of several online marketing disciplines that influence SEO and overall website performance. These areas include keyword analysis, content marketing, quality link building, and search engine optimization (SEO). Knowledge in these areas helps you better understand how anchor text interacts with overall site structure and authority on the web.
- Keyword analysis – for effective anchor text usage, you must understand the queries users search for. Thorough analysis lets you create anchor text that matches search intent and improves page visibility.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – a discipline focused on improving page rankings in search engines. Understanding SEO is essential to see how anchor text affects rankings and how to use it for effective optimization.
- Link building – the process of acquiring quality backlinks. Anchor text plays a critical role here: well‑written anchor text increases the chances of gaining relevant, high‑quality backlinks that influence SEO.
- Content marketing – helps create quality, relevant content that attracts visitors and builds site authority. When creating content, pay attention to how anchor text is used in articles, blogs, and other formats.
Recommended books to deepen your knowledge
- Content Strategy for the Web (Kristina Halvorson) – a book focused on effective content marketing strategy, including creating quality content.
- The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization (Eric Enge) – a comprehensive SEO guide, including techniques for effective anchor text usage.
- Link Building for SEO (Perry Marshall) – a detailed guide to acquiring backlinks and strategically using anchor text.