Anchor Text

Anchor Text: The Words That Tell the Story

Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. If you link to a page using the words blue running shoes, you are telling search engines that the target page is likely about blue running shoes. It is one of the strongest external signals for ranking.

Types of anchor text

• Exact Match: The exact keyword you want to rank for (risky if overused).
• Partial Match: Contains the keyword but looks more natural ("check out our running shoes").
• Branded: Linking with the company name ("TwoSquares").
• Generic: "Click here," "Read more" (provides zero SEO context, avoid these internally).

Best practices

• Internal Links: Be descriptive. Use anchor text to help Google understand what the destination page is about.
• External Links (Backlinks): You want a natural mix. If 100% of your backlinks say "best seo agency london," you look like you bought them.
• Relevance: The text should match the intent of the user. Don't trick people into clicking.

Think of anchor text as a signpost. Good signposts are clear, honest, and helpful. Bad ones are confusing or manipulative.