Why You Shouldn’t Forget About Optimizing Anchor Texts & What the Best Practices Are

Are you looking to improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO)? Well, you’re in luck! In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for optimizing your website’s anchor text. It is an important part of SEO, so be sure to follow these tips to see improved rankings and better traffic.

What Is Anchor Text?

Anchor text (also called link text) is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. It is the part of a link that appears on a web page as blue, underlined text. When someone clicks on anchor text, they are taken to the URL that is specified in the hyperlink.

For example, if we have the following link:

<a href=”https://example.com/”>This is anchor text</a>

The “This is anchor text” part would be the anchor text. When clicked, it would take the user to https://example.com/.

Why Is Anchor Text Important?

Anchor text is important because it tells search engines what the linked-to page is about. It is one of many factors that search engines use to determine the relevancy and authority of a website.

If you are optimizing your website for certain keywords, you will want to use those keywords as anchor text whenever possible. This will tell search engines that the linked-to page is relevant to those keywords. In turn, this can help improve your website’s ranking for those keywords.

Types of Anchor Text

There are many different types of anchor text, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of anchor text.

Exact Match Anchor Text

Exact match anchor text is when the anchor text contains the exact keyword that you are trying to rank for. For example, if you are trying to rank for the keyword “dog toys,” your anchor text could be “dog toys.”

This type of anchor text can be very effective, but it can also be abused. If you use too much exact match anchor text, it can look spammy to search engines and hurt your ranking.

Partial Match Anchor Text

Partial match anchor text is similar to exact match anchor text, but it contains only a portion of the keyword. For example, if you are trying to rank for the keyword “dog toys,” your partial match anchor text could be “toys for dogs.”

Partial match anchor text is less likely to be abused than exact match anchor text, but it is also less effective. It can still be a good choice for your website’s SEO, though.

Branded Anchor Text

Branded anchor text is when the anchor text contains the name of your website or brand. For example, if your website is called “Example,” your branded anchor text could be “Example.”

Branded anchor text is a good way to build brand awareness and improve your website’s SEO. It can also help you rank for your brand name, which can be valuable in its own right.

Generic Anchor Text

Generic anchor text is when the anchor text does not contain any keywords. It could be something like “click here” or “read more.”

Generic anchor text is often used when the linked-to page is not particularly relevant to the page it is on. It can still be useful for SEO, though, as it can help improve the click-through rate (CTR) of your links.

Naked Link Anchor Text

Naked link anchor text is when the anchor text is just the URL of the linked-to page. For example, if the linked-to page has the URL “https://example.com/dog-toys/,” the naked link anchor text would be “https://example.com/dog-toys/.”

Naked link anchor text is not very common, but it can be useful in some situations. It can help improve CTR and make your links more user-friendly.

Optimizing Anchor Text: SEO Best Practices

Now that you know about the different types of anchor text, let’s take a look at some best practices for anchor text optimization.

Use Keywords Strategically

When you are using keywords in your anchor text, it is important to use them strategically. Don’t stuff your anchor text with keywords just for the sake of it. This will only hurt your website’s SEO.

Instead, use keywords judiciously and only when they are relevant. This will help you avoid keyword stuffing and improve your website’s ranking.

Diversify Your Anchor Text

Don’t use the same anchor text over and over again. This can look spammy to search engines and hurt your ranking. Instead, try to use a variety of different anchor texts. This will help you avoid keyword stuffing and improve your website’s ranking.

Use Natural Language

Natural anchor text should sound natural when you read them. It flows smoothly and doesn’t look like it is stuffed with keywords. Natural anchor texts are important because they can help improve your website’s CTR. This, in turn, can help improve your website’s ranking.

Monitor Your Anchor Text

Monitoring your anchor text is important for two reasons. First, it can help you spot any potential problems with your anchor text strategy. Second, it can help you track your progress over time.

There are a few different ways to monitor your anchor text. One way is to use Google Analytics. Another way is to use a tool like Ahrefs.

Check Your Backlink Profile

Your backlink profile is the collection of all the backlinks pointing to your website. It is important to check your backlink profile from time to time to make sure that you are getting high-quality backlinks. Make sure that anchor text is relevant and that the backlinks are coming from high-quality websites.

How NOT to Use Anchor Text (Link Text)

Now that you know how to use anchor text, let’s take a look at how NOT to use it.

Don’t Overdo It

As with anything, it is important not to overdo it with your anchor text strategy. This can lead to keyword stuffing and other problems that can hurt your website’s SEO. Google may also penalize you if you are excessive with your anchor text usage.

Don’t Use Irrelevant Keywords

It is important to use relevant keywords in your anchor text. Don’t use keywords just for the sake of it. Google uses a number of factors to determine the relevance of a keyword, so using irrelevant keywords will only hurt your website’s ranking.

Don’t Use Exact Match Keywords Everywhere

Exact match keywords are when you use a keyword that is exactly the same as your target keyword. For example, if your target keyword is “dog toys,” using the exact match keyword “dog toys” in your anchor text every single time would be considered over-optimization.

Google has said that they may penalize websites that use exact match keywords excessively. So, it is important to use them sparingly.

The Importance of Anchor Text in Link Building

Anchor text is important for two reasons. First, it can help improve your website’s ranking in search engines. Second, it can help improve your website’s CTR.

Both of these things are important for link building. Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your website. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your website will rank in search engines.

Even the highest-quality backlinks won’t help your website if people don’t click on them. That’s where anchor text comes in. By using relevant and natural anchor text, you can improve your website’s CTR. This will help you get more traffic from your backlinks and improve your website’s ranking.