Anchor text is the visible text that appears highlighted in a link, that can be clicked on in order to open a web page. In short, the clickable text in a hyperlink.
How Search Engines Use Anchor Text in SEO
Search engines use the anchor text of a link in order to help define the nature and relevancy of the page that it’s linking to. If your web page has a lot of back-links with anchors such as “residential construction”, “commercial construction” or “construction”, search engines will be able to recognize and understand that the page is about home construction. An important factor of anchor text is to use your keywords when building internal links.
Best SEO Practices Using Anchor Text
Keep Anchor Texts Relevant
In order for anchor texts to work in your favor, they’ll need to be relevant to the content that they are placed in. Having a anchor text of “dog training classes” link to a web page about the importance of flossing your teeth, will have a negative effect on your search rankings.
Use Different Types of Anchors
When creating anchors, use different types of combinations. Use the brand name, keywords, generic and long-tail anchors throughout the content.
Don’t Link to Toxic Sites
The sites that you link to plays a significant role in how search engines rank your site. Don’t link to spammy websites just to try to get more back-links.
Follow Google’s Penguin Update
With Google’s Penguin update, it penalizes any site that buys links or obtains them through link networks. These link networks are designed primarily to boost Google rankings.
Examples of Useful Generic Anchor Text
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