Anchor text refers to the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. It provides contextual relevance about the page that the link is pointing to. Anchor text plays a crucial role in search engine optimization (SEO) for the following reasons:
- Relevance signal: Search engines like Google use anchor text to understand the content and relevance of the linked page. Descriptive anchor text gives search engines better context about the target page, which can positively influence its ranking for related queries.
- Keyword targeting: Carefully selecting relevant keywords or phrases as the anchor text can help reinforce the topical relevance of the linked page for those terms. This can improve the page’s chances of ranking higher for those targeted keywords.
- Link equity/authority transfer: Links from high-quality, authoritative websites pass along some of their own authority or “link equity” to the linked pages. Using descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text can help solidify the topic relevance and improve the flow of link equity.
- User experience: Anchor text also provides a better user experience by giving visitors clear information about where the link will take them, setting the right expectations before they click.
However, it’s important to use anchor text naturally and avoid over-optimization, as search engines can detect patterns of excessive or manipulative anchor text usage, which could lead to penalties. The best practice is to use descriptive, relevant, and diverse anchor text that accurately represents the content of the linked pages.
In summary, anchor text is a significant on-page and off-page SEO factor that helps search engines understand the context and relevance of linked pages, while also improving the user experience for visitors.
