7 Anchor Text Best Practices in 2024 Makes You a Pro!
If you are making a strategy for link building, anchor text is the key component and the most important thing to do in the right way. Now you have so many questions what is anchor text? why is it important for SEO? What are the types of anchor text? What are anchor text best practices? Here at OutreachKart, we use a lot of link-building strategies.
In this article, we will show you what will work and what should we avoid.
Let’s start, We will cover…
- what an anchor text is
- importance of anchor text in SEO
- types of anchor text
- best practices for anchor text
Start reading the article with the meaning of the anchor text…
What is Anchor Text?
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink that guides users from one page to another. It plays a crucial role in SEO by signalling the relevancy and authority of the linked content.
Example: In this sentence, the blue words (click here) are the anchor text.
A high-quality anchor text has two major effects:
☝️It links two pages naturally.
✌️It provides an additional source to the reader that may increase their reading experience.
Why is Anchor Text Important for SEO?
In simple terms, anchor text provides context to both users and search engines. It indicates what the linked content is about, helping users decide whether to click the link and giving search engines clues about the relevance of the content.
When it comes to relevancy, if the referenced content is not related to the topic at hand, it can create a bad user experience and potentially harm your SEO. Google may lower the website’s ranking because irrelevant links don’t add value for users and can be seen as manipulative or spammy. Therefore, using relevant anchor text is crucial for maintaining both user satisfaction and search engine credibility.
Types of Anchor Text
There are mainly 7 types of anchor text, which you should understand to optimize your SEO strategies.
Let’s start…
1️⃣Exact Match
The exact match anchor text is the exact keyword you want to rank for. While it can help improve your site’s ranking, it can also lead to penalties from Google if overused.
Example of exact match anchor text
- white-hat link-building
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2️⃣Partial Match
Partial match anchor text combines the target keyword with additional words to create a more attractive and descriptive one. This can help to make the anchor text more natural and contextually relevant.
Example of partial match anchor text
- actionable white-hat link-building strategies
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- white-hat link-building strategy guide from OutreachKart
- the ultimate strategy for white-hat link building in 2024
3️⃣Branded
Branded anchor text is an anchor text that directly refers to the brand name. It helps to build brand reputation and trust among the users or readers.
Example of branded anchor text
- OutreachKart
- OutreachKart.com
4️⃣Naked Link
Naked link is simply the URL of the targeted site without any anchor text. For example, www.outreachkart.com
5️⃣Generic
A generic word can be used as an anchor text, like “Click Here”, “Know More” or “Read More”. These types of generic words can be used for CALL-TO-ACTION.
More examples of generic anchor texts
- Website
- Info
- Click to show more
- Visit this page
- Learn more
6️⃣Images
Google will anchor a clickable image you include on a web page using the ALT description.
7️⃣Natural
Natural anchor text is a type of anchor text that shows naturally within the content and refers to what people are searching for or to the targeted page.
Examples of natural anchor text
- visit our website
- here is the complete guide
- to find more information, click here
OutreachKart’s Guide to Anchor Text Best Practices
Here, OutreachKart will guide you through the best anchor text practices. Before proceeding, always keep these practices in mind when developing link-building strategies.
Now, we are going to read 6 best practices for making you a pro in anchor text strategy.
✅Competitor Analysis
The first and most important strategy to analyze is your competitor’s approach. Start by searching the relevant keyword on Google and opening the top-ranked article. Examine the type of anchor text they are using in their content.
✅Keep it Natural
When you open any article, the anchor text should always look natural, like the anchor text meant to be in the content. Don’t over-optimise the anchor text; it can lower your rank in SERP.
If you are an SEO executive, you should avoid keyword stuffing in anchor texts. This outdated practice can have negative impacts and is no longer effective. Instead, focus on creating relevant, high-quality anchor texts that enhance the user experience and align with modern SEO best practices.
✅Variety Of Anchor Text
Using a variety of anchor texts is crucial for an effective link-building strategy. Incorporate different types of anchor texts, such as branded, partial match, and more, to give your content a natural and high-quality appearance.
Always prioritize quality over quantity. Ensure that your anchor texts sound conversational and avoid overusing the same ones. Continuously monitor your results to optimize your strategy.
✅Content Relevancy
The content surrounding the anchor text should be relevant, as this helps both Google and users understand its context. Additionally, the linked page should also be related to the anchor text to maintain relevancy and improve the user experience.
✅Consider Page Type
When planning your link-building strategy, always check the relevancy of the page linked to the anchor text. This is crucial because different pages require different types of anchor text. For example, a service page might need branded anchors, while internal links benefit from descriptive anchor text to help users and search engines understand the link’s context.
✅Anchor Text Ratio
The last and most important thing should be the anchor text ratio. OutreachKart took hours of research to find out this ratio that we are going to reveal to you. If you want to be successful in link building, you should follow these ratios as per the page types.
👉 Homepage & Service Page
- 80%–95% Branded and Natural Anchor Text
- 10% Partial Match Anchors
- 5% Exact Match Anchors
- 5% Naked URL
👉 Inner Pages
- 30%–40% Branded or Natural Anchor Text
- 50%–60% Partial Match
- 10% random, e.g. This guide
- 5% Naked URL
- 5% Exact Match
Let’s Sum It Up
All told, anchor text is essential for SEO since it provides context to users and search engines. Understanding the different types of anchor text and adhering to basic practices will help you develop effective link-building strategies.
We hope all your questions are answered. If you still have inquiries, feel free to contact us or mention them in the comments below. Our SEO experts are here to assist you.
FAQs
What is the Difference Between Keyword and Anchor Text?
There is a significant difference between anchor text and keywords. Anchor text directs users to another page or site, while a keyword is a search term that readers type into the Google search engine.
Which Tools Are Used for Anchor Text Optimization?
To optimize the anchor text, you can use different paid tools like Ahrefs, Majestic etc.
Is Anchor Text Effects the Google Ranking?
The answer is Yes! This helps Google analyze the page content and can influence the page’s rank for queries.
What is the Most Commonly Used Anchor Text?
Generic anchor texts, such as “click here” or “learn more,” are commonly used keywords that don’t describe the content of the linked page.