What is anchor text and how to optimize it for SEO to maximize your performance?
Anchor text optimization is crucial in your backlinking strategy and overall optimization process. They are used for adding benefits to search engines and allow the users to define a linked-to-page.
Before the Penguin update in 2012, Google used anchor tags as a mode to examine the websites and check whether they were relevant or not.
However, today anchor texts provide a perfect way for search engines to punish spammy or over-optimized websites.
The very reason, why you need to bother about your anchor text SEO is that it plays a vital role till backlinks maintain their essential role in determining SEO ranking.
In this article, I will discuss what is anchor text, its different types, and how you can optimize/ distribute them for a good backlink profile.
What is Anchor Text in SEO?
Before we talk about anchor text optimization we must first need to understand what it actually means.
Anchor text is a clickable hyperlinked text that takes the user to another web page or website on the internet. In simple words, it is the text that is clickable in a hyperlink.
For example, “Google is an indication of anchor text”. In this example, Google works as a clickable text.
An anchor text can be created easily using HTML code.
To create an anchor text you need to use <a href=http://www.yoursite.com>Your Site Anchor Text</a>.
Different Types of Anchor Texts
Anchor text Optimization is not a simple thing.
In order to efficiently use anchor text, one should have a proper understanding of several anchor text types. This allows a site master to make a link profile containing a number of natural anchors.
Some of the various categories of anchor text are as follows:
1. Basic Anchors: These anchors are nothing but the general type of anchors like “go here” or “click here”.
An example of this would be, “Click here to know about different link-building resources”, in this Click Here is the common anchor.
2. Anchors based on Brand Name: This type of anchor uses the name of a brand as text. Generally, brand-based anchors are the most harmless to utilize.
Most brands and renowned sites make use of this type of anchor text.
3. Naked Link Anchors: This type of anchor text redirects a user to a particular site through the use of an URL.
For example, https://www.google.com or google.com are both naked link anchors.
4. Keyword + Brand Anchor: This type of anchor text is based on using the target keywords and brand anchors together.
Using such anchors is harmless and is an operational method for building a solid anchor profile.
5. Image Anchors: Employing anchors based on images sufficiently expands your site’s anchor profile. As its name implies these anchors make use of images.
While using image anchors, search engines read the “alt” and if space is left blank, then the search engine considers it as a “noText” anchor.
6. LSI Anchors: Latent Semantic Indexing basically refers to different variants of the main keyword.
For example, if your main keyword is “Car repair service” then LSI keywords must be “car repair mechanic” or “car maintenance service” etc.
There are many different ways to find LSI keywords.
7. Anchor Text with partial match: A partial match is the incomplete occurrence of keywords in the anchor text.
For example, “know more about dog collars” is an anchor text with a partial match.
8. Long Anchors: This is merely the same as the anchors with an incomplete match. The only difference between partial and long-tail anchors is that they are much longer.
“Link building is an essential part of SEO” is an example of long-tail anchors.
9. Exact Match: These types of anchors are considered important types of anchor texts.
They can either play a very vital role in determining your ranking or sometimes these anchors are the reason for your site getting penalized.
The exact anchors are anchors that match perfectly with the target keyword. As an example, your target/main keyword is “SEO techniques” and the anchor text is also “SEO techniques”.
How to Do Anchor Text Optimization Effectively?
There are many arguments on whether anchor text plays any importance in current days.
However, different data-driven analysis proves that it does influence the SERP ranking significantly.
Anchor text Optimization is the riskiest task for many users.
In order to enhance proper anchor text distribution, you can follow the below tips:
Keep the Anchor Text Relevant
If you want your anchor text to work as per your need, it should match the site content that you have placed them into.
If your site content is relevant to the target keyword, then your site will get a better ranking.
For example, if the target keyword of your site is “Baby toys” then your call of action should be an article that is relevant to baby toys.
If your main keyword targets a specific region then writing for that specific region is better, rather than writing a general article.
Do Not Link to Toxic Sites
Sites that have a higher amount of authority gain more advantages for search engine optimization.
Hence, be aware of the websites where you build your backlinks.
This is because they play an important role in determining your site’s search engine ranking.
Also, the co-citation principle plays a vital role.
While doing anchor text SEO, make sure that you do not link to spam or toxic websites. You should focus on authoritative and healthy websites that are appropriate to your blogging niche.
Always track your backlinks using simple excel or with a good SEO tool like SEMrush.
Hand Out Various Types of Anchor Text
The anchor distribution can both make and break your SEO ranking.
So you have to concentrate more on this area.
Your search engine ranking is greatly affected if you use only a specific type of anchor text.
All types of anchor texts must be used and maintained/ distributed correctly.
More importance is given to anchor text based on brands or unique anchor text.
Appropriate Guest Posts
Most marketers think that using guest posting is no more useful but they are efficient to construct a wealthy profile.
Writing for wealthy domains that is domains with dual tire links will offer you the expected results.
At the time of starting guest posts campaigns, a person should always aim to achieve 30+ DA.
Using particle match anchors or LSI anchors for such posts is also a best practice.
Anchor Text Optimization for SEO: Conclusion
While building backlinks, it is important to track the website anchors that you have used. Else, you might move further without having knowledge about where you are heading.
You have to be systematic and organized to ensure that you are not over-optimizing your website.
This can be done by tracking anchors using an excel sheet or using tools like SEO Powersuite, and SEMrush to keep a track of your backlinks.
So, what do you think about anchor text Optimization in 2022? Please feel free to share if you have any other tips for anchor text optimization for SEO boost.