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Have you ever clicked on a link within a text and been taken to exactly the content you were looking for? That little piece of text that you clicked on is what we call anchor text. It sounds simple, but this element plays a crucial role in building an effective SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy.
Let's understand more about what it is, how it works and how you can use anchor text to improve your website's SEO.
What is anchor text?
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. It usually appears underlined and in a different color from the rest of the text, standing out as a point of interaction for the reader. For example, in a sentence like “Visit our [product page](https://example.com/products) for more information”, where “product page” is the anchor text.
This type of resource is vital for the SEO because it provides context to search engines about the landing page content. When used correctly, it can help increase a page's relevance for a specific keyword, thereby improving its ranking in search results. Additionally, anchor text influences the user experience by intuitively guiding them through the website content.
Links with good anchor texts, coming from reliable and relevant sites, serve as a vote of confidence for Google. Thus, when the engine analyzes a website's link profile, the algorithms consider the quality of the anchor texts as an indicator of the page's authority and trustworthiness.
Types of Anchor Text
Generic anchor text
This type uses common phrases like “click here” or “learn more”. Although it is easy to implement, it does not provide enough context for search engines and is less effective for SEO.
Therefore, they are more often used as CTAs (calls to action, or calls to action), having another function of drawing the user's attention. Therefore, they work better on buttons.
Exact match anchor text
This type uses exactly the target keyword you want to rank for. For example, if you want to rank for “SEO best practices”, the anchor text would be exactly “SEO best practices”. This type can be very powerful, but should be used with caution to avoid over-optimization.
Partial match anchor text
Here, the keyword is included within a more natural phrase. For example, “Tips for implementing best SEO practices” contains the keyword within a larger context, providing a more fluid read.
Branded anchor text
This type uses the brand or company name as anchor text, such as “Visit Amazon”. This helps build brand authority and is useful for brand SEO.
URL anchor text
When the URL itself is used as anchor text, such as “https://example.com”. This type is less common in texts written for readers, but may appear in references or citations.
How to Use Anchor Text Effectively
Use relevant keywords
Keywords are the foundation of SEO, and anchor texts are no exception. Use keywords relevant to the theme of the page to which the link leads, but avoid excess (keyword stuffing), which can be penalized by Google.
Imagine a website about cooking recipes. Anchor text like “Learn delicious recipes” is relevant but generic. Instead, text like “Discover quick and easy chocolate cake recipes” is more specific and contains keywords that users are likely to search for.
Vary the types
Avoid using the same anchor text repeatedly, as this may appear artificial to search engines. Therefore, vary the formatting and use different types, such as:
- Keywords: “Discover SEO tips for beginners”
- Phrases: “Learn how to create high-quality content”
- Questions: “Do you want to increase your website traffic?”
- Tag: “Visit [Company Name]’s blog”
- Images: Use images with descriptive alt text
This variety demonstrates naturalness and context to the algorithms, as well as making your links more attractive to users.
Keep the text concise and descriptive
Your anchor texts should be concise and descriptive, giving the reader an accurate idea of what they will find when they click the link. So, avoid long texts and entire paragraphs, as this can be tiring and impair readability.
In this sense, instead of using “Click here to read more about SEO”, use “Optimize your website with the best SEO techniques”. This phrase is more informative and arouses the user’s interest in finding out more.
Use internal and external links
Internal links connect different pages on your own website, helping users navigate and explore your content more easily. Use relevant anchor texts for internal links, guiding the user naturally through your website.
On the other hand, external links direct to pages on other websites. So, use them sparingly and choose reliable and relevant sites for your niche. Anchor texts for external links should also be informative and descriptive.
Avoid generic texts like “click here”
Generic texts like “click here” do not provide any useful information to the user and can be considered spam by search engines. Therefore, avoid using them and opt for more descriptive texts that convey the value of the content to be accessed.
Imagine a link with the anchor text “Click here to download the free e-book”. This sentence is vague and says nothing about the content of the e-book. On the other hand, a text like “Download the free digital marketing e-book here” is more informative and attracts audiences interested in the topic.
Optimize for mobile devices
With internet usage on mobile devices growing, it's crucial to optimize your anchor texts for this experience. Therefore, use short and readable texts, avoid links that are too close together and make navigation on the cell phone screen easier.
Monitor and analyze the performance of your links
Use SEO tools to monitor the performance of your links, including click-through rate (CTR) and the relevance of anchor texts. Analyze the data and make adjustments whenever necessary to optimize your results.
Impact of Anchor Text on User Experience
Well-crafted anchor text not only improves SEO, but also user experience. It acts as a guide, helping readers navigate the site intuitively. Clear and relevant links can reduce bounce rate and increase dwell time on the site.
The role of anchor text in different types of content
Blogs and articles
In blogs and articles, anchor text can be used to link to related posts, providing the reader with additional, relevant content, increasing user retention.
Product Pages
For product pages, use anchor text to direct customers to category pages, detailed product descriptions, or checkout pages, improving the purchasing journey.
Internal vs. internal links external
Internal links help keep users on your site longer, while external links can demonstrate authority and provide additional value to the user. Both are essential for a balanced SEO strategy.
Tools for Anchor Text Analysis
There are several tools that can help with anchor text analysis and optimization, such as Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMrush, among others. These tools let you monitor which anchor texts are working, where the problems are, and how to adjust your strategy.
Conclusion
Anchor text, despite seeming like a small detail, has a significant impact on website optimization and user experience. Using a strategic and careful approach, you can leverage this element to guide your readers, increase the relevance of your content, and ultimately improve your website's SEO.
So the next time you're creating content, pay special attention to your anchor text – it could be the differentiator you've been looking for.
Image: Freepik
Marcel Castilho is a specialist in digital marketing, neuromarketing, neuroscience, mindfulness and positive psychology. In addition to being an advertiser, he also has a Master's degree in Neurolinguistic Programming. He is the founder and owner of Vero Comunicação and also the digital agency Vero Contents.
