Anchor text

What is anchor text?

Anchor text is the visible, clickable text of a link, usually blue and underlined. It gives visitors and search engines a hint about what the linked page is about. Both internal links and backlinks have anchor text. Good anchor text describes the destination.

Why is anchor text important?

• Context for Google: the text helps explain what the linked page is about.
• Clear for readers: descriptive links are easier to follow, also for screen readers.
• Risk when overdone: many backlinks with exactly the same keyword as anchor text can look unnatural.

Examples of anchor text

• Descriptive: “our local SEO services”
• Brand name: “Miller Plumbing”
• Bare URL: “www.example.com”
• Too generic: “click here”

How do you use anchor text?

For internal links, choose short, descriptive anchor text that matches the page you link to, and vary it naturally. Do not use exactly the same keyword everywhere. With backlinks you usually do not control the anchor text yourself. You can read more about links under link building.