What Is Anchor Text?

LECTURE NOTES
What Is Anchor Text?

Anchor text is the text that is used to represent a link.

So, if you look at this graphic, you'll see that the bit on the left, is the actual webpage
people will be taken to when they click on a link.

Source

The bit on the right represents the anchor text. This is what people will actually see when
they're looking at a link on a webpage.

Why Is It Important in SEO?

Anchor text is important in SEO because it helps Google figure out what a certain webpage
is about.

Now, above we mentioned that someone could technically use a really random phrase as
their anchor text.

However, in most cases, people don't really do this, and they tend to use a phrase or some
kind of wording that is relevant to the page they're actually linking to (something we're
going to look at later on in the video).

It is this very fact that allows Google to use anchor text to figure out what a certain
page/website is about.
 What Is Anchor Text?

LECTURE NOTES
Different Types of Anchor Text

#1. Exact Match Anchor Text

Exact match anchor text is anchor text that matches the precise keyword you'd like a
certain page to rank for.

#2. Partial Match Anchor Text

Partial match anchor text is a link that contains the keyword you want to rank for, alongside
another related keyword/phrase.

This kind of keyword is often used in a paragraph when someone is trying to describe
something.

#3, Related Keyword Anchor Text

"Related keyword" anchor text is anchor text that is related to your niche/business but
doesn't really focus on any of the keywords you're trying to target.
#4, Branded Anchor Text

Branded anchor text is anchor text that uses the brand name of a website/business.

Here's a good example of some branded anchor text that we managed to get for a client,
after securing a link for them on forbes.com

Source

If you'd like to learn how to get links like this, you should check out this video
{annotation:HARO Link Building: Get Backlinks With HARO (Fast)!)
 What Is Anchor Text?

LECTURE NOTES
#5. Branded "Plus Keyword" Anchor Text

This kind of anchor text includes the brand name of a business alongside a relevant
keyword.

#6. Naked Anchor Text

Naked anchor text is basically just anchor text that showcases the actual link, without any
kind of editing.

#7. Generic Anchor Text

Generic anchor text links are links that contain random phrases.

A lot of the time, these phrases are often a call to action, such as 'click here' or even
something like 'visit this site to learn more.'
#8. Image Anchor Text

This is essentially just a 'linked' image that people can click on. So, if someone clicks on
this image, it will take them to a certain webpage

Are there any rules you need to follow?

Google will keep a close eye on your backlink profile and they will tend to analyze the
anchor text you're using.

If it skews too much in one direction, meaning if there's an overabundance of one type of
anchor text, it might trigger some red flags. Google might then penalize your website, and
so you could lose rankings.

Will Anchor Text Be Important in the Future?

As mentioned, anchor text is one of those things that is often manipulated by a lot of
people so that they can achieve high rankings very quickly.

If you'd like some advice on how you can land "natural links" check out this video
{annotation:8 POWERFUL SEO Link Building Strategies For 2022}.