Anchor text is the visible and clickable text part of a link. It is the word or phrase users see on a web page when a link points to another page. For example, if the phrase “SEO guide” takes the user to a page about SEO when clicked, “SEO guide” is the anchor text of that link. Google describes anchor text as the visible text of a link that helps both users and Google understand something about the page being linked to.
Anchor text should not be considered only an off-page SEO technique. It can be important in backlinks from external websites, but it is also important in internal linking. Links from a blog post to a relevant category page, from a product page to a guide, or from a service page to a case study help users navigate within the website more easily. They can also help search engines understand the relationship between pages.
The SEO value of anchor text comes from the context it provides. Before clicking a link, users want to understand where that link will take them. Search engines may also evaluate the link text and its surrounding context as an additional signal about the linked page. For this reason, descriptive and natural anchor texts are usually better than generic phrases such as “click here.” Google also states that good anchor text should be descriptive, reasonably concise and relevant to both the page it appears on and the page it links to.
In HTML, anchor text usually appears inside the <a> element. For example, in <a href="https://example.com/seo-guide">SEO guide</a>, the visible anchor text is “SEO guide.” For a link to be crawlable, it is important for the anchor text to be placed inside an <a> element that Google can access. Empty links, links that depend on inaccessible JavaScript or links that do not provide meaningful information can be weak for both user experience and SEO.
Good anchor text should be short, descriptive and natural. It should give users a clear idea of the content of the page being linked to. For example, “detailed technical SEO guide” is more descriptive than “here.” However, being descriptive does not mean keyword stuffing. Repeating the same keyword in the same way across many links, especially in external backlinks, can look unnatural. Anchor texts should fit the context, flow naturally and support the user journey.
There are different types of anchor text. Exact match anchor text uses the target keyword of the linked page directly as the link text. For example, linking the phrase “digital marketing” to a digital marketing services page can be considered exact match. This type of anchor text should be used carefully. It can be useful when it fits naturally into the content, but excessive or manipulative use can create a spam-like pattern.
Partial match anchor text uses the target keyword as part of a broader phrase. For example, linking “detailed information about SEO techniques” to an SEO page is a partial match anchor. This structure often creates a more natural usage. It gives users more context and allows the link to fit more smoothly within the text. Partial match anchor text is frequently used in content marketing and internal blog linking.
Branded anchor text uses the brand name as the link text. Examples include “Nike,” “Apple,” “Kriko,” “Google Search Central” or “Moneo.” Branded links are especially important for brand awareness, digital PR, citation and natural backlink profiles. A brand being linked with its own name is usually considered natural. However, using brand names together with commercial keywords in a repeated and artificial way should still be evaluated carefully.
A naked URL is when the URL itself is used as the anchor text. For example, linking https://example.com/blog directly is a naked URL usage. This type of link can appear in citations, technical documentation, references or simple sharing contexts. It may not always be the most readable option for users, but naked URLs can naturally appear in backlink profiles.
Generic anchor text consists of phrases such as “click here,” “read more,” “here” or “this link.” These phrases can be used in some situations, but more descriptive alternatives are usually better for SEO and user experience. Generic link texts often fail to explain where the link will take the user. Google also lists phrases such as “click here” and “read more” among poor examples of anchor text.
For image links, the anchor text logic works differently. When an image is used as a link, the image’s alt text can function as anchor text. For this reason, linked images should have short, descriptive and contextually relevant alt text. Google states that alt text can be useful as anchor text when an image is used as a link. However, alt text should not be turned into keyword stuffing; it should be written with users and accessibility in mind.
When building an anchor text strategy, focusing only on keywords is not the right approach. The page the link comes from, the content of the linked page, the position of the link in the text, whether the user actually needs that link and whether the link feels natural should all be evaluated together. For example, linking from a “how to choose running shoes” guide to a “running shoe models” category page can be meaningful. However, adding a link from an unrelated piece of content just to place a keyword does not provide real value to the user.
In internal linking, anchor text is also important for information architecture and user journeys. Users should be able to move easily from one piece of content to another relevant page, category, product or service page. These links help users reach more valuable content within the site and can make important pages more visible within the site structure. However, adding links to every sentence, overlinking or repeatedly linking to the same page with the same text does not create a natural experience.
Anchor text in external links and backlinks is a more sensitive topic. In backlinks from other websites, the anchor text profile is expected to show natural variety. Receiving many backlinks with exact match commercial keywords can look manipulative. For this reason, a healthier backlink profile usually includes branded phrases, naked URLs, natural in-sentence links and descriptive but not exaggerated anchor texts. Google states that regular trusted links do not need a special rel attribute, but sponsored, advertising or user-generated links should use the appropriate rel values.
Accessibility is another important consideration in anchor text optimization. People using screen readers may navigate a page through its links and need to understand where each link leads. Phrases such as “click here” can lose meaning when removed from their surrounding context. Descriptive anchor texts such as “review the SEO checklist” or “read the product return policy” are stronger for both accessibility and user experience.
In summary, anchor text is the visible and clickable text part of a link. It tells users where the link leads and provides search engines with context about the linked page. There are different types, including exact match, partial match, branded, naked URL, generic anchor text and image link alt text. Successful anchor text usage should be descriptive, natural, concise, relevant and user-focused. When used correctly, it improves internal navigation, clarifies the relationship between pages and supports SEO efforts.
