In the grand scheme of search engine optimization (SEO), anchor text may seem like a small detail, but the words you choose to hyperlink can influence rankings, reinforce topical relevance, and improve the overall user experience. When implemented correctly, anchor text can help connect your pages in meaningful ways, providing value to both readers and search engines.
What is Anchor Text?
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. It’s the part of a link that users see and interact with, and it tells both readers and search engines what to expect when they click. For example, in the sentence “Learn more about JumpFly’s SEO program,” the phrase “JumpFly’s SEO program” is the anchor text.
How Anchor Text Impacts SEO
Anchor text plays a critical role in how search engines understand, evaluate, and rank your content. At its core, anchor text provides context about the destination page.
When multiple links point to a page using descriptive, relevant anchor text, search engines gain a clearer understanding of what that page is about and which keywords it should be associated with. When linking internally, anchor text can also help establish site structure. Thoughtfully placed internal links guide search engine crawlers to important pages, ultimately distributing link authority and reinforcing keyword themes across your site.
Anchor text also affects user behavior, which indirectly supports SEO performance. Clear, descriptive anchors provide clarity and encourage clicks, leading to stronger engagement signals. In contrast, vague or misleading anchor text can frustrate users and increase bounce rates.
Types of Anchor Text
Not all anchor text is created equal. The words you choose to link can send very different signals to search engines and users, so it’s important to understand the main types of anchor text. Below are some of the most common types of anchor text you’ll encounter, along with examples of how each is typically used.
- Exact-match anchors – These links use the exact keyword or keyphrase the target page is trying to rank for. (Internal Linking)
- Partial-match anchors – The anchor text describes the subject of the page with a variation of the keyword. (the benefits of linking internally)
- Branded anchors – Links that use a brand name as the anchor text, often linking to the brand’s homepage. (JumpFly)
- Naked URLs – Rather than using anchor text, these links just use a webpage’s exact URL. (https://www.jumpfly.com/)
- Image Links – Images on your website can be linked to other web pages, much like anchor text. When used in combination with alt text (alternative attributes in the image tag), it can send a very small relevance signal to search engines, primarily benefitting image search performance.
- Generic anchors – Phrases like “click here” and “learn more” can be used as anchor text, but are less impactful compared to the above methods.
Anchor Text Best Practices
Anchor text best practices go beyond simply choosing the right keywords. The way links are written and placed can influence how search engines interpret your content and how users navigate your site. By following some of the anchor text guidelines below, you can create a linking strategy that supports SEO goals while enhancing the user experience.
1. Prioritize Relevance
When choosing anchor text, try to focus on the context of the linked page. When anchor text aligns naturally with the topic of the destination page, it strengthens topical relevance and makes your linking strategy feel organic rather than optimized for search engines alone.
2. Optimize Internal Linking First
Internal links are where you have the most control, making them the best place to focus anchor text optimization. Strategic internal anchor text helps search engines crawl your site more effectively and distribute link authority to important pages.
3. Keep Anchor Text Concise
Effective anchor text is short, clear, and to the point. Long or overly detailed anchor phrases can dilute the main message and make links harder to scan. Try to use just enough words to describe the destination page accurately without adding unnecessary filler. Concise anchor text improves readability and enhances the user experience.
4. Vary Your Anchor Text
Try to vary your anchor text by mixing exact-match and partial-match anchors. Anchor text variation helps reinforce topics from multiple angles, strengthening relevance without relying too heavily on a single keyword phrase.
5. Make the Links Visibly Clickable
Users should be able to easily recognize anchor text as a clickable link. Clear visual cues, such as color changes and underlining, will help improve usability and boost engagement. If links blend too closely with surrounding text, users may overlook them entirely.
6. Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Search engines are adept at identifying unnatural linking patterns, and excessive use of a specific keyword in your anchors may appear manipulative. Instead of repeating the same keyword phrase, use natural language and contextual variations.
7. Ensure Readability
Anchor text should be easy to read and understand within the flow of your content. Avoid awkward phrasing, excessive capitalization, or linking entire sentences. Well-written anchor text should blend seamlessly into the surrounding copy and should still make sense when read out of context.
Performing an Anchor Text Audit
Even if you always take care to add a few links to new pages as they go up on your site, it’s still a good idea to revisit your linking strategy regularly. An anchor text audit allows you to evaluate how anchor text is being used across your site and identify opportunities to improve relevance. Here is a summary of the process:
- Start by crawling your site to extract internal links and their anchor text.
- Look at which pages are being linked to, how often, and what anchor text is being used. If you notice any patterns, such as repeated exact-match anchors or an overuse of generic phrases like “click here,” these may be your prime candidates for optimization.
- Next, assess relevance. Anchor text should accurately describe the destination page and fit naturally within the surrounding content. Flag any anchors that feel misleading, outdated, or overly optimized. These can confuse users and dilute the SEO value of the link.
- Finally, you may also want to take the opportunity to add new internal links and anchors to pages that may not have existed before. Adding internal links may not be your top priority when bringing a new page live, but now is a great time to fill in any gaps.
Small Links, Big SEO Impact
As your website grows, so does the importance of maintaining a clean, strategic linking structure. Anchor text helps search engines understand your content, strengthens internal linking, and guides users to the pages that matter most. By focusing on relevance and clarity, you can turn simple links into powerful signals that support both rankings and usability.
Anchor text may be a small part of your overall SEO strategy, but its impact is anything but minor.
