In the simplest terms, anchor text is the visible, clickable text you see in a hyperlink. It’s that familiar blue, often underlined text that whisks you from one webpage to another. But it’s more than just a navigational tool; it provides vital context to both your visitors and search engines about what’s on the other side of that click.
Understanding Anchor Text in Modern SEO
Think of anchor text as a digital signpost. For users, it sets a clear expectation, telling them exactly what they’ll find when they click the link. For search engines like Google, it’s a powerful clue that helps them understand a page’s topic, which is a key part of the search engine indexing process.
For instance, a link with the anchor text "Cambridgeshire SEO services" sends a crystal-clear signal that the destination page is all about SEO services in Cambridgeshire. Simple, right?
This concept is absolutely fundamental to mastering organic search engine optimisation. Back in the day, anchor text was one of the heaviest-hitting ranking factors. But its role has evolved quite a bit since then.
If you were to peek at the HTML, here’s what anchor text looks like:
The words between the <a> tags—in this case, "Anchor text"—are what your visitors see and click on.
The game changed completely after Google’s Penguin update in 2012. This update was designed to penalise websites that were over-stuffing their anchor text with keywords in a manipulative way. The focus shifted from keyword cramming to building a link profile that looks natural, relevant, and diverse.
This trend is only getting stronger. By 2025, it's projected that only 12% of top-ranking UK websites will use exact-match anchor text for more than 5% of their backlinks.
Today, a smart anchor text strategy isn’t about forcing keywords into links. It’s about creating a natural, contextually relevant experience that builds trust with both people and search engines, guiding them smoothly across the web.
The Different Types of Anchor Text You Need to Know
To build a backlink profile that Google trusts, you need to think like a human, not a robot. That means using a healthy mix of different anchor text types. Each one serves a different purpose, and relying too heavily on just one type is a major red flag for search engines.
A varied approach tells Google that your links are natural and earned, not manipulated. The goal is to create a profile that looks like people are linking to you because your content is genuinely useful. That means blending in everything from your brand name to plain old URLs.
This infographic breaks down how anchor text acts as the bridge between a user on one site and the content on another.
As you can see, the anchor text is the critical link that connects what a user reads to where they go next.
Key Anchor Text Categories
Let's dive into the main types you'll be working with. A natural-looking link profile will feature a bit of everything, but you’ll often find that branded and naked links make up the bulk of it.
-
Exact-Match: This is when the anchor text is the exact keyword you want the page to rank for. For example, a link with the text "Cambridgeshire SEO agency" pointing to a page offering that service. These are powerful, but handle them with care—overdo it, and you're asking for a penalty.
-
Partial-Match: A slightly more natural-looking variation. This anchor includes your target keyword within a longer phrase, like "our SEO services in Cambridgeshire". It’s a much safer way to build relevance around your topic.
-
Branded: Simple and effective. The anchor text is just your brand name, like "Bare Digital". These are non-negotiable for building brand authority and should make up a huge chunk of your backlink profile.
A well-diversified anchor text profile is your best defence against algorithm updates. Aim for a mix where branded anchors constitute over 50%, with exact-match anchors kept to a minimum—often under 2%.
Comparing Anchor Text Types and Their SEO Impact
To get a clearer picture, let's compare the most common anchor text types and see where they fit into a smart SEO strategy. Each has a role to play in building a balanced, trustworthy profile that search engines will reward.
| Anchor Text Type | Example | Primary SEO Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Exact-Match | "Cambridgeshire SEO agency" | Directly targets a primary keyword. High impact but also high risk. |
| Partial-Match | "our SEO services in Cambridgeshire" | Builds topical relevance in a more natural way than exact-match. |
| Branded | "Bare Digital" | Builds brand authority and trust. The safest and most common type. |
| Naked URL | "https://www.bare-digital.com" | Looks completely natural, as this is how many people share links. |
| Generic | "click here" | Offers little direct keyword value but is essential for a natural profile. |
| Image | Alt text of a linked image | Provides context for images and passes relevance (if alt text is descriptive). |
A healthy backlink profile isn't about chasing one type of anchor; it's about creating a blend that looks organic and focuses on providing value to the user.
Other Common Anchor Types
Beyond the main keyword-focused anchors, a few other types are vital for rounding out your profile and keeping things looking natural.
-
Naked URL: Exactly what it sounds like—the link is the raw URL itself, like https://www.bare-digital.com. These are incredibly common in the real world and signal a very natural link.
-
Generic: These are the common, non-descriptive phrases you see everywhere. Think "click here", "read more", or "find out more". While they don’t pass much keyword-specific value, they’re a normal part of how the web works, so you need them in your mix.
-
Image Anchors: When you link an image, Google uses its alt text as the anchor text. This is a massive reason why writing descriptive, relevant alt text is a non-negotiable for both accessibility and SEO.
Why Anchor Text Is a Critical Ranking Signal
So, why does Google get so hung up on a few clickable words? Simply put, search engines use anchor text as a powerful clue to figure out what a page is all about, often before their crawlers even get there. Think of it as a recommendation passed from one website to another.
When another website links to you, the anchor text they choose acts as a vote of confidence. A link from a reputable site with the anchor text "best artisan coffee in Cambridge" sends a clear signal to Google that your page is a strong contender for that topic. This passes on not just authority (often called 'link juice'), but crucial topical relevance too.
This whole process is a cornerstone of off-page SEO. Earning relevant anchor text from high-authority external sites is a major goal when you set out to learn how to build backlinks, as it directly impacts your page's chances of ranking for specific search terms.
Shaping Your Site Structure
But the power of anchor text isn't just about what other sites do—it's also a vital tool for your own internal linking strategy. By using descriptive anchors for links within your own site, you guide both users and search engines through your content much more effectively.
Strategic internal anchor text creates a clear roadmap for search engine crawlers. It helps them understand the hierarchy of your content, identify your most important pages, and see how different topics on your site are related to one another.
For instance, linking from a blog post about "brewing techniques" to your main "coffee beans" product page with that exact anchor text reinforces the connection between the two. This helps you build out clear content hubs, spreading authority across your site and steering users towards your key conversion pages.
Anchor Text Best Practices for SEO Success
Alright, let's move from the what to the how. A modern anchor text strategy is all about creating a profile that looks natural and trustworthy. The old days of hammering the same keyword over and over are long gone. Today, it’s about relevance, diversity, and putting the user first.
Think about it this way: if every single link pointing to your page on "garden furniture" uses that exact phrase, it’s a massive red flag for search engines. It just doesn't look natural. A genuine link profile is varied and doesn't feel engineered.
The trick is to make sure every link makes sense in its context. The anchor should flow with the surrounding text and give an honest preview of where the click will take someone. This approach builds trust with both your readers and search engines.
Maintaining a Natural Profile
To get that natural look, you need a healthy mix of anchor text types. While there’s no magic formula, a strong profile for a UK business often leans heavily on branded anchors. This builds brand recognition and just looks more organic to Google.
Here’s a quick checklist to keep your strategy balanced:
- Prioritise Relevance: This is the golden rule. The anchor text must be directly relevant to the page it links to. A link saying “seasonal gardening tips” shouldn’t land on a sales page. Simple as that.
- Diversify Your Anchors: Use a good mix of branded, partial-match, naked URL, and generic anchors. Relying too much on one type, especially exact-match, just screams manipulation.
- Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Never force keywords into anchor text where they don’t fit. Natural language is always the winner in the long run.
Building a strong anchor text profile is a core piece of the wider SEO puzzle. Good anchor text works hand-in-hand with other on-page SEO best practices, ensuring your entire page sends consistent, high-quality signals to Google. To see how this fits into a bigger picture, check out these excellent Ecommerce SEO Best Practices.
Optimising Your Internal Linking with Anchor Text
While most SEO talk revolves around backlinks, one of your most powerful and overlooked assets is right under your nose: your website's internal links. When used strategically, anchor text doesn't just improve your site's architecture—it actively guides users and tells search engines exactly which pages you value most.
Think of it like building channels to direct authority. You can use descriptive anchor text to funnel link equity from a high-traffic blog post over to a high-priority service or product page. This simple action helps build topical relevance and can give your key pages a serious boost in ranking potential.
A quick audit of your internal links often uncovers some easy wins. The first thing to do is hunt down all those generic anchors like "click here" or "read more". They offer practically zero SEO value and are a missed opportunity. Swap them out for keyword-focused phrases that actually describe where the link is going.
A well-structured internal linking strategy acts like a central nervous system for your website, ensuring that authority and relevance flow logically to the pages that matter most for your business goals.
Fixing Generic Anchors: A Practical Case Study
Replacing vague anchor text isn't just a theoretical best practice; it has a real-world impact. Take the case study from Edge of the Web, a UK-based SEO agency, who worked with a local blinds supplier. They updated generic ‘Continue Reading’ links to use the actual article titles as anchor text.
The results were staggering. The business saw an 88% increase in traffic to that section of the site, with some pages getting a traffic boost of over 500%. You can read more about their success in their internal linking case study.
This really hammers home the direct connection between clear internal anchors and better performance. To learn more about building a powerful site structure from the ground up, check out our detailed guide on internal linking best practices.
Common Anchor Text Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Getting anchor text right is one of those subtle SEO skills that separates the pros from the amateurs. When you get it wrong, you don’t just miss out on ranking boosts—you can actively sabotage your own efforts and even land in Google’s bad books.
Let's walk through some of the most common blunders I see all the time and, more importantly, how you can sidestep them.
Over-Optimisation and Generic Anchors
One of the biggest red flags for search engines is over-optimisation. This is what happens when you get a little too enthusiastic and stuff every link with the exact same keyword you want to rank for. It looks completely unnatural, and Google’s algorithms are specifically tuned to spot this kind of thing as a manipulative tactic. The result? A penalty that tanks your rankings.
Just as damaging, though in a different way, is the reliance on generic, lazy anchors.
Links like "click here" or "read more" are massive missed opportunities. They give search engines (and your readers) zero clues about where that link is headed. Think of it as putting a blank signpost on a motorway—it’s just not helpful.
A good rule of thumb is to treat every link like a promise. The anchor text should set a clear and accurate expectation for what the user will find when they click. If it’s misleading, you’ll not only lose their trust but also send your bounce rate through the roof.
To build a solid, penalty-proof link profile, you need to clean up these common errors. Here’s a simple checklist to follow:
- Ditch the Keyword Stuffing: Don't try to cram keywords into places they don't fit. Your anchor text should always flow naturally within the sentence. If it sounds clunky or forced when you read it aloud, change it.
- Swap Out Generic Phrases: Take some time to audit your internal links. Hunt down every "find out more" or "click here" and replace them with something descriptive. Instead of "read more," try something like "explore our SEO services." It’s a small change that makes a huge difference.
- Check for Relevancy: Make it a habit to double-check that every link actually points to a page that’s directly related to the anchor text. This simple step builds credibility with both your visitors and the search engines that crawl your site.
Of course. Here is the rewritten section, crafted to sound like it was written by an experienced human expert, following all your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anchor Text
Once you get the hang of what anchor text is and how it works for SEO, a few practical questions almost always pop up. Here are some straightforward answers to the queries I hear most often, so you can manage your link-building with a bit more confidence.
What Is a Good Anchor Text Ratio?
This is the million-pound question, but the honest answer is there’s no single “perfect” ratio. A natural-looking link profile changes from one industry to the next and even evolves over time. The best approach is always a healthy, defensive mix. Your goal is to avoid creating obvious, clunky patterns that scream "I'm trying to manipulate search engines!"
For a typical UK business website, a good benchmark to aim for looks something like this:
- Branded anchors: 50%+
- Naked URLs: 10-20%
- Partial-Match/Topic anchors: 10-15%
- Generic anchors: ~5%
- Exact-Match anchors: 1-2%
The real takeaway here is that your anchor text profile should look like it was created by humans, for humans. Keep it diverse, with a heavy emphasis on your brand name to build authority and trust.
Can I Change the Anchor Text of an External Link?
You can only directly change the anchor text on websites you own and control—think of your internal links. When it comes to external links (backlinks) pointing to your site from someone else's, your only option is to get in touch with the website owner and politely ask them to update it.
This is a pretty common thing to do if you’re trying to clean up a really irrelevant anchor or update an old brand name, but success is never a sure thing. Honestly, it’s much more effective to focus your energy on what you can control: your internal linking strategy and creating fantastic content that earns natural, relevant links from day one.
How Do I Check My Website's Anchor Text Profile?
To get a proper look at your anchor text distribution, you’ll need to use some specialised SEO tools. Platforms like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz are the go-to choices here, as they all offer detailed backlink analysis reports.
These tools crawl the web, gather data on all the links pointing to your site, and then present you with a complete breakdown of the anchor text being used. This lets you see the distribution of different anchor types at a glance, which is absolutely essential for spotting any potential over-optimisation issues and tracking how your profile changes over time.
Ready to build an anchor text strategy that drives real results? Bare Digital offers expert SEO services to boost your rankings and traffic. Get your free SEO Health Check today and receive a custom proposal within 24 hours.
