What is Anchor Text?
Anchor Text Definition
Anchor text, also known as a link title or link label, is the clickable phrase or keyword that embeds a hyperlink within it. It can link internally or externally. It often stands out from the rest of the text as underlined and blue.
An example of an anchor text is shown below:
<a href="http://www.growhackscale.com">Growth Enablement for Revenue Teams</a>
In the example above, "Growth Enablement for Revenue Teams" is the anchor text.
What are the Different Types of Anchor Text?
There are a variety of different types of anchor text, some of these include:
1. Generic Anchors
Generic anchors refer to anchor text that is often a CTA (Call to Action) rather than a keyword or phrase.
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2. Branded Anchors
This refers to anchor text that includes the name of a brand.
My absolute favourite place to visit for inspiration is Pinterest.
3. Image Anchors
This is used for linked images, and is where the image alt text acts as the anchor text.
4. Partial Match Anchors
This is where the anchor text included doesn’t target the keyword exactly but is closely related.
To get help with organisation you should use a social media scheduling tool.
Here, rather than using the tool’s name, we used a generic phrase but would have linked to the tool itself anyway.
5. Exact Match Anchors
This type of anchor text utilises only the target primary keyword or keyword phrase.
Check out some cheap flights to Paris to bring costs down.
6. Naked URLs
This type includes the URL itself exposed within the text.
Visit our blog [www.growhackscale.com/blog] to learn more!
Why is Anchor Text Important?
Anchor text is important because it enables Google crawlers to understand the context of a link. It also helps determine which pages should rank for certain keywords in SERPs.
How to Optimise Anchor Text for SEO
There are a few best practices that you should adhere to when it comes to anchor text.
1. Keep it Concise
Anchor text should be to the point and concise. Long-winded superfluous text is unnecessary and should be avoided. Instead think about what will entice a visitor to click on the link.
Try to avoid using the naked URL as the anchor text and don’t use generic anchor text, neither are valuable and can look messy.
2. Keep an Eye on Keyword Density
While it is important to embed keywords within your anchor text where possible, the Penguin algorithm has intensified focus on keyword density. Over-optimised anchor text appears unnatural and may even get you flagged up.
It is best to keep keyword density low, and avoid lots of exact match anchor text.
3. Ensure it is Relevant
Google is always seeking to provide the best user experience possible, which is why relevancy is essential for anchor text. Misleading anchor text can confuse bots and users, and lead to a fall in ranking.
Therefore, make sure that your anchor text is related to the content that it is linking to!
In addition to this, don’t link out to low-quality or spammy websites.
How Can We Help?
We’re sure you’ve got this down - but if you need help with anything else regarding your SEO, then contact us today.
We’ll book you in for a free strategy session - and if you like what you see then we can get you in touch with a team that will implement it all for you too!
In the meantime, keep an eye on our blog for the latest in SEO info.
