Anchor Text

Anchor text is the visible text users click when following a link. It gives context about the destination page.

Useful anchor text is descriptive, natural, and supported by the surrounding copy. It should help readers understand where the link goes.

Common anchor types

• Branded anchors.
• URL anchors.
• Descriptive anchors.
• Partial-match anchors.
• Exact-match anchors.
• Generic anchors such as “learn more.”
• Image links using alt text.

There is no universal perfect anchor text ratio. A natural profile usually includes a mix.

Why context matters

The same anchor can be useful or risky depending on the source page, surrounding sentence, placement, and destination. Repeated exact-match commercial anchors from unrelated or low-quality sources are a stronger warning sign than one isolated anchor.

For internal links, descriptive anchors help clarify which page owns a topic. For backlinks, anchor text should reflect how a real third party would naturally reference the page.