Anchor text
The visible, clickable words of a link, which give search engines context about the destination page.
In depth
What it really means
Anchor text is the clickable text of a link. It gives readers and search engines a clue about what the linked page is about, so descriptive anchors help both usability and relevance signals.
This applies to internal links and backlinks. Natural, descriptive anchors beat generic click here or exact-match spam.
Best practices
- Use descriptive anchors that name the destination topic.
- Avoid generic anchors like click here.
- Keep anchor text natural, not stuffed with exact keywords.
- Vary anchors rather than repeating one phrase.
- Make internal-link anchors point clearly at the target topic.
FAQs
What is anchor text?
The visible, clickable words of a link, which give context about the destination page.
Does anchor text affect SEO?
Yes. Descriptive anchors help search engines understand what the linked page is about.
What is good anchor text?
Natural, descriptive text that names the destination topic, rather than generic click here or stuffed keywords.
Can over-optimized anchors hurt?
Yes. Unnatural, exact-match anchor spam, especially on backlinks, can look manipulative.
Does this apply to internal links?
Absolutely. Descriptive internal anchors help both readers and search engines navigate your topics.
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