You probably already know that links are a powerful ranking factor. But, you might be wondering what anchor text is and how it can improve user experience and boost your ranking.
To have a better understanding of anchor text, you need to know what it is, its uses, and what the common types of anchor text are. Here is a list of the most common types of anchor text that you have probably encountered while blogging. But first:
What is an Anchor Text
Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink. SEO best practices dictate that anchor text be relevant to the page you’re linking to, rather than using generic text. Blue, underlined anchor text is the most common, as it’s the standard on the web, though it’s possible to change the color and underlining through HTML code. Keywords in anchor text are one of many signals search engines use to determine the topic of a web page.
For example, if you had a page about SEO basics:
Bad Anchor Text Example: Click Here!
Examples of good anchor text: Click here to learn more about SEO; SEO basics, what is SEO?; learn SEO.
Types of anchor text
There are 5 different types of anchor text (and one type of anchor that isn’t text at all).
URL Anchors
URL anchors (also known as naked URLs or naked links) are exactly what the name suggests.
There is no attempt to hide the URL from the reader. You can manually copy/paste the displayed link text into a new browser tab, or even type it in manually. Result? The correct page will open.
Example: https://www.enjoyminder.com
In HTML code, anchor text appears between <a> tags:
<a href=”https://www.enjoyminder.com”>Enjoy Minder</a>
Generic anchor text
Generic anchor text makes some attempt to obscure the URL, with an obvious or marginally less basic call to action.
Example: Click on this link
This link takes you to the same page as the anchor URL example shown above.
Branded anchor text
Branded anchor text cloaks the URL with something that tells the reader about you (or your brand).
Because the resulting page will do exactly that. It won’t necessarily be about the reader, nor will it address the reader’s goals. It won’t be overtly a sales page or a sign-up page.
Example: EnjoyMinder
This achieves the same result as the generic and branded links mentioned above.
They are ideal when:
- The link takes the reader to a video
- When you want to break up text-heavy content to give it some visual texture
Exact match anchor text
Exact match anchor text takes the reader to a page that discusses the exact keyword string used in the anchor.
If a link that shows “10 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand on Social Media” takes you to a page titled “10 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand on Social Media” where it talks precisely about that, it is an exact match.
Partial match anchor text
If, on the other hand, the clickable text is:
“Build Your Personal Brand on Social Media,” “Your Personal Brand on Social Media,” or some subtle variation of the title and content of the linked page, is partial match anchor text.
(This type of anchor text is also sometimes known as phrase match anchor text.)
Image anchors
Image anchors are completely non-textual.
The anchor is an image, but you click on it like you would on a text hyperlink. For example:
This achieves the same result as the generic and branded links mentioned above. They are ideal when:
- The link takes the reader to a video
- When you want to break up text-heavy content to give it some visual texture.
Natural anchor text vs unnatural anchor text
When web users link to your site, you’ll inevitably receive anchor texts that don’t help identify the topic of your web page. However, like naked URLs, these are natural occurrences and are not frowned upon by search engines.
On the other hand, a lack of naked URLs, excessive use of anchor text, and/or a high number of backlinks with targeted anchor text are signs of unnatural anchor text distribution. Search engines like Google may penalize websites that focus on manipulating anchor text when the user experience is compromised.
To get natural anchor text links to your website, create good content and the links and anchor text should come naturally.
