Learn everything you need to know about links and anchor text. Call us at (281) 975-2086 for digital marketing and SEO help.
At Results Digital, one of the most common questions we field from our clients is, “What is an anchor text?” When we develop a customized link-building strategy, the anchor text is a critical aspect.
By using clear, concise, and descriptive anchor text, you can optimize your website to appear higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs) and increase organic traffic. Read on as we answer questions like, “What is link building?” and “Why is anchor text so important for SEO?” in this quick guide to anchor text and SEO.
What Is An Anchor Text, and Why Is it Important?
Anchor text is the official term for the clickable text phrase that appears in a hyperlink. To make it stand out and convey to readers that it’s a clickable link, most web admins change the appearance of the text, usually to a blue color or with an underline. Anchor text should describe the kind of page it links to with a target keyword or phrase so the reader knows where they’ll go if they click the link.
What Are the Different Types of Anchor Text?
Generally speaking, there are about eight types of anchor text, including:
- Branded text (Visit Futon World now)
- Brand and keyword (Try Futon World’s financing calculator)
- Exact match anchor text (i.e., using “metal futons” as keyword and anchor)
- Partial match keywords (i.e., metal futons and dressers)
- Related keywords (mattresses and bedding)
- Naked link (using a URL as the anchor text: www.resultsdigital.io)
- Generic anchor text (click here or view more)
- Images (using a picture as a hyperlink)
The Importance of Anchor Text
The quality and type of anchor text impact user experience and your website’s ranking on search engines, so it’s important to use highly informative and relevant phrasing. After all, readers aren’t the only ones using your anchor text to—indexing bots also use it. Therefore, using generic anchor text (i.e., “click here”) can make it harder for the Google algorithm to evaluate and understand your website.
How Anchor Text Fits into Link Building
Link building is the process of adding links that lead back to your website via other websites. Building quality links from authoritative websites is a critical ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. However, it’s only half the battle.
You also need descriptive and relevant anchor text attached to your links so the indexing bots can quickly evaluate your website and the value of your links. Backlinks with high-quality anchor text boost your page’s SEO.
Call Results Digital Today for All Your SEO and Marketing Needs
At Results Digital, we’re a full-service digital marketing agency. Now that we’ve answered the question “What is an anchor text?” we’re here to tell you that we can cover all your digital marketing needs. If you want to boost your organic SEO or explore other digital marketing and SEO strategies, we have all the answers. Call Results Digital at (281) 975-2086 to book a consultation and learn more about our marketing services.
