Anchor Text

Detailed explanation

Anchor text is the string of text a link is attached to — for example, the words “learn about ROAS” in a sentence that links to a ROAS glossary entry. Search engines read anchor text as a hint about the topic and relevance of the destination page, which is why it factors into both internal linking strategy and the value passed by inbound links from other sites.

Anchor text comes in several types: exact-match (the precise target keyword), partial-match (a variation), branded (the company or site name), naked URL, and generic (“click here,” “read more”). A natural link profile mixes these types; a backlink profile dominated by exact-match commercial anchor text is a classic signal of manipulative link building and has been a target of Google's spam algorithms since Penguin. The safer approach, especially for internal links, is descriptive anchor text that reads naturally in the sentence rather than being stuffed with a target keyword.

For “what is anchor text” or “anchor text best practices” searches, this entry is a starting point. See Internal Link and Inbound Link for how anchor text choices play out in each context.