Anchor Text
The visible, clickable text in a hyperlink that provides context about the content of the linked page.
Anchor text is the clickable text portion of a hyperlink that users see on a webpage. It plays a crucial role in SEO as it helps search engines understand the context and relevance of the linked page.
Search engines like Google use anchor text as a ranking signal to determine what a page is about. When multiple sites link to a page using similar anchor text, it signals to search engines that the page is relevant for those keywords.
There are several types of anchor text: exact match (using the target keyword), partial match (including the keyword with other words), branded (using the brand name), generic (like "click here"), and naked URLs (displaying the actual URL).
Best practices for anchor text include using descriptive, relevant text that accurately represents the linked content, avoiding over-optimization with exact match keywords, and maintaining a natural link profile with varied anchor text.