Anchor Text and Its Types
Most marketers are aware that link-building is one of the most essential aspects of SEO for any website. However, it’s important to note that the words used to create these links are equally crucial. These words, known in technical terms as hyperlinks, are referred to as Anchor Text. Google places significant value on this text or phrase.
In the past, some webmasters and SEO specialists would manipulate Google’s algorithms by excessively using keywords, a practice known as Keyword Stuffing, to achieve higher rankings on search results. For this purpose, Google made intelligent updates to its algorithms, closely monitoring the frequency of keyword usage.
With the introduction of the Penguin algorithm, anchor texts have become a critical component of SEO strategies. This article delves into the concept of Anchor Texts, discussing their usage and examining different aspects.
What is Anchor Text?
SEO is a complex topic comprised of numerous intricate details. Crafting accurate anchor texts is one small but vital part of the SEO process. An anchor is the text you click on to navigate from one point on the internet to a designated destination. In essence, this text acts as a bridge that connects the source and the target.
Anchor texts can link to web pages or even initiate the download of a file. It’s essential to click only on anchor texts you trust. Typically, anchor texts are blue and underlined.
The keywords used in anchor texts assist search engines in determining the ranking of a page. Links without specific keywords, commonly seen in various web pages, are referred to as Naked URLs.
The Importance of Anchor Text in SEO
Links, in general, hold immense value for SEO. For instance, internal links provide search engines with insight into your website’s structure. Anchor texts used in links help search engines understand the context of your link-building efforts. When linking to another location, Google uses the anchor text to comprehend the topic of the linked page. Additionally, it informs users about the content they can expect upon clicking the link, making it crucial for the page content to align closely with the anchor text. This emphasizes the importance of anchor texts and link-building for a website’s SEO.
With the Penguin algorithm, Google penalizes websites that excessively optimize their content, indicating that manipulating anchor texts can increase the risk of penalties.
Natural vs. Unnatural Anchor Texts
You may wonder how Google distinguishes between natural and unnatural or overly optimized anchor texts. Keep in mind that using appropriate anchor texts can ensure the success of your SEO campaign, while improper usage may nullify all your efforts.
Let’s say your keyword is “website SEO.” If you repeatedly use this exact phrase in your anchor texts, Google may issue a penalty, as overusing the keyword in anchor texts is deemed manipulation and unnatural. To make your usage appear more natural, consider incorporating synonyms or variations of your keyword within the anchor text.
Types of Anchor Text
When discussing Google and its algorithms, simplicity isn’t an option, as Google employs sophisticated methods to deliver the best content to users. Consequently, Anchor Texts can be categorized into seven distinct types:
Generic Anchor Text
Generic anchor texts do not include any specific words or phrases related to keywords. Instead, the reader must rely on the surrounding text to understand what the link contains. At first glance, generic anchor texts might seem spammy, but they are actually highly effective. These texts typically indicate an action and encourage the user to take it. Examples of generic anchor texts include:
- Click here
- Read more
- Download here
- Learn more
- This page
Branded Anchor Text
This type of anchor text incorporates brand names and is an excellent tool for promoting brand awareness while also reducing spam risks. However, excessive use of branded anchor texts may lead to penalties from Google. Examples of branded anchor texts include:
- TURBOMAKE
- TURBOMAKE Digital Marketing Manager
Partial Match Anchor Text
Partial match anchor texts combine the keyword phrase with additional generic or random anchor words. For instance, in the phrase link-building strategies, the words link-building are used as the anchor text.
Naked Link Anchor Text
A naked link anchor text refers to a URL or address directly copied from the browser menu into the text, making it clickable. Though not visually appealing, Google favors this type of anchor text because it significantly reduces the likelihood of keyword stuffing or spam. Example: www.turbomake.com
Image Anchor Text
You’ve likely heard of the importance of ALT tags for images. Google recognizes this attribute of images as anchor text. Using image ALT tags effectively can enhance your website’s SEO and distinguish your images from others. ALT text can be descriptive, for examples:
- Ways to optimize a website for SEO
- TURBOMAKE link-building strategy guide
Conceptual Anchor Text (LSI Anchors)
Conceptual anchor texts, or LSI keywords, are essentially synonyms of primary keywords. Google often considers many words to be interchangeable, making them a practical and effective tool for anchor text usage. Examples:
- How to create anchor text
- Best practices for anchor text creation
- Building anchor text
How to Use Anchor Texts for Website SEO
In 2019, Google introduced the BERT algorithm, emphasizing its focus on natural language usage. This means that Google also pays attention to the words surrounding a link to differentiate between natural and unnatural links. Essentially, rather than just reading the anchor text, Google now analyzes the entire sentence around it to determine logical relevance.
Exact Match Link Text
This type of anchor text targets the primary keyword directly. Examples of exact match anchor texts include:
- Secondhand books
- Conversion rate optimization
- Link-building in SEO
In external link-building, many believe that using exact match anchor texts help achieve desired outcomes more quickly and yield the best results from Ad reportage.
However, Google also values user experience, preferring content that thoroughly answers users’ questions. Therefore, to make anchor texts more effective for SEO, it’s crucial to focus on user experience and appropriately integrate anchor texts within your content.
Anchor Text Optimization Strategies
To avoid over-optimizing your anchor texts and reduce the risk of penalties from Google, while still benefiting from their advantages, consider the following optimization strategies:
- Stay true to your content’s main topic. The more you align keywords with the central theme, the better your results.
- Use a variety of anchor text types. Repeatedly using the same anchor text or linking only to your brand name will alert Google, potentially leading to warnings.
- Intelligently diversify anchor text usage. For example: 20–40% branded anchor texts, 30–40% partial match anchor texts,20–40% other anchor text types
- Incorporate ALT Text in your content. ALT text not only enhances user experience but also helps Google’s bots understand what the image represents. Additionally, it serves as an anchor text for SEO purposes.
- Pay attention to the surrounding content. Choose sentences that are contextually relevant to the anchor text. Overusing a single word or linking entire sentences can result in penalties from Google.
Where Should You Place Anchor Texts in Your Content?
As mentioned earlier, user experience is of utmost importance to Google. For anchor texts to perform better, place them within the main body of your content, ideally in areas where readers may seek additional information. Don’t forget that anchor texts supported by their embedded links, contribute to your website’s link-building efforts, so be sure to follow proper link-building guidelines.
Conclusion
Anchor texts are a crucial factor in the SEO of your website. They help Google distinguish fraudulent websites from others and inform readers where they can find more information about a specific word or topic. Therefore, it is essential to use these words correctly to ensure your website’s integrity remains intact.
In this article, we discussed the various types of anchor texts and provided general guidelines for creating them. By following these rules and recommendations, you can significantly improve your website’s SEO.
