Anchor text is a tool used by website creators. This tool allows a link to be placed within text of a web page. Anchor text can often be recognized as a blue and underlined portion of text, sometimes a phrase, sometimes just one word. Anchor text can be clicked on by the visitor who will then be taken to a different page within the website or a different website altogether.

Anchor text is also an important tool when it comes to SEO (search engine optimization). When used smartly, anchor text should relate to the current page as well as the page the link leads to. This will increase odds that your web page ranks higher in the search engines. A common mistake that is used when placing anchor texts is using phrases such as “click here” or “read more here.” These phrases are not specific enough to prompt the visitor to click on it or have search engine algorisms pick it up. Using anchor texts should benefit both by using keywords that both will notice. For example, if your web page is discussing health, you want anchor text that tells the reader where they are about to go. If you want to lead them to nutrition resources, use words that relate to the topic such as “vitamins,” “minerals, or “nutrient dense foods.” Your visitors will have no question about where they are being sent if they click on the anchor text.

Anchor text can be of any length, but it’s a good idea to keep them as condensed as possible. As mentioned above, a word or a short phrase will do the trick. Knowing keywords that rank higher in search engine algorithms is also beneficial when using this tool. As a website creator, you want to use keywords that relate to your topic and not manipulate your anchor text to attempt to get more views to your page or to the web page you send visitors to.

Anchor texts come a number of different forms including:

• Exact-match anchor text: This type of anchor text includes words that mirror the page the visitor is being linked to. An example of exact-match anchor text would be “shoes” when the web page a visitor os being linked to is shoe related.
• Branded anchor text: This type of anchor text uses a brand name such as “Nike” or “Apple.”
• Partial-match anchor text: This type of anchor text spins a keyword slightly so that it is still related, but with a variation. An example would be “dating on a dime,” that links to a page about dating.

Other types of anchor text include images, which uses the “ALT” tag, generic anchor text, which uses a phrase such as “click here,” and naked anchor text, which uses the URL to the page being linked instead of a word or phrase.

When used correctly, anchor text can help draw new and returning visitors to your web page and help you to rank higher in the search engines.