Anchor text is the text on a web page that represents a link. Anchor text represents the content of the linked page and can affect user convenience and SEO evaluation.

Optimizing anchor text is one of the easy ways to improve the quality of a website.

There are several rules for properly setting anchor text, so this article explains basic concepts, usage, importance, and precautions. Web managers should refer to this article and take action promptly.

What is Anchor Text? 

Anchor text is the text set with a link described in HTML. Clicking here will take you to the relevant linked page. Considering SEO for all internal and external links can have a significant impact, making it an important strategy.

Links are set up as follows

<a href=”https://www.sample-text.com/”>Sample Text (this is the anchor text)</a>

When receiving external links, having target keywords in the anchor text makes it easier to appear in the top results for those keywords. Also, when linking within the site, use HTML anchor tags (A tags) as shown below to achieve SEO effectiveness, although there are several methods such as JavaScript or event handlers.

Types of Anchor Text 

There are various types of anchor texts. Here, we’ll organize the representative ones.

URL Direct Type 

This method involves directly describing the URL of the linked page on the page itself. While the link is immediately recognizable, long URLs may reduce visibility.

https://example.com/

Keyword-Inclusive Type 

This refers to anchor text containing keywords that represent the content of the linked page. For example, if you’re linking to a page titled “Choosing the Right Car,” you would use anchor text containing keywords like this:

Introducing the right way to choose a four-wheeled vehicle.

Related Keyword-Inclusive Type 

These include related keywords but use longer phrases. For instance, when linking to a page titled “Choosing the Right Car,” you might use anchor text containing related keywords like this.

Buying a Car!? Explaining the Right Way to Choose Based on Your Budget.

Clickbait Type 

Clickbait anchor text includes exaggerated expressions aimed at prompting users to click. Since the wording of the anchor text differs from the actual page content, it’s an inappropriate method with low credibility and unsuitability for the medium to long term.

For example, such anchor text might be used like this.

Shocking Truth! Choosing a New Car That Saves You Over 1 Million Yen—Secrets No One Knows!

These are the types of anchor text.

Importance of Anchor Text 

Using anchor text correctly is crucial for enhancing the quality of a web page. It not only improves user convenience but also contributes to better SEO evaluation. Here, we’ll explain the importance of anchor text.

Impact on Usability

Optimizing anchor text not only affects SEO but also enhances usability by encouraging site navigation and displaying table of contents and internal links in search results.

The diagram above shows the display of Tokyo SEO Maker in search results, with about three links to pages within the site shown below the snippet (also known as description). This allows users to directly navigate to the desired information from the search results.

Effects in SEO

When search engines navigate through a page, they also try to examine the linked pages. They determine if the text of the link matches the content of the linked page. If it does, they can properly recognize the page.

Furthermore, search engines evaluate the keywords in the anchor text of links to the destination page, which ultimately affects search rankings. This applies to both internal and external links.

For internal links, page titles are mainly used, while for external links, the site name is often used together. This is because including keywords in the site name is said to have SEO benefits for the entire site.

Examples Demonstrating SEO Effects of Anchor Text

The following are famous examples that have a significant impact on SEO.

The image shows the search results for “exit” on Google, with Yahoo! JAPAN appearing in the first place.

Looking at the title and the site itself, it’s unlikely that Yahoo! JAPAN is targeting the term “exit.” While the monthly search volume for “exit” is around 8,000, it’s not entirely logical to assume that people searching for “exit” are looking for Yahoo. Nevertheless, Yahoo! JAPAN appears in the top position.

This is because on various sites, links such as “back,” “exit,” and “LEAVE” point to Yahoo! JAPAN, giving users the option to continue or go back. Although the wording differs, they have the same meaning, leading to Yahoo! JAPAN being considered the exit point.

By optimizing anchor text and gathering links in this manner, significant SEO benefits can be expected.

Optimization Methods for Anchor Text

While prioritizing user experience is crucial for anchor text, from an SEO perspective, the following four factors are important:

-Including the content of the linked page

-Incorporating keywords

-Keeping it concise

-Using alt for image links

Including the Content of the Linked Page

It’s considered unfriendly if users can’t understand the content until they click and transition to the page. Therefore, the text should allow users to imagine the content of the linked page at a glance.

Incorporating Keywords

As mentioned in the previous example of SEO effects, the choice of keywords for the link can affect search rankings. Thus, it’s recommended to include the target keywords of the destination page whenever possible. Internal links often use page titles because they are often optimized for SEO and contain keywords.

Keeping it Concise

While fulfilling the requirements of including the content of the linked page and keywords, making the entire sentence the anchor text is not ideal. Linking excessively long sentences not only encourages accidental clicks but also hinders search engines from understanding the content of the linked page.

Using Alt for Image Links

Depending on the site’s design, clicking on images may lead to page transitions. Since search engines cannot understand the content of images, it’s necessary to use HTML tags and the alt attribute as follows.

<img src=”/sample/image.jpg” alt=”Description of the linked content here” />

Search engines can process the alt attribute within the tag similar to anchor text.

Points to Consider for Anchor Text Optimization

Optimizing anchor text is crucial for improving usability. However, there are some points to consider, so please proceed with caution and keep the following in mind.

Keywords are not always necessary if the meaning is the same.

While it’s effective to include target keywords in anchor text, Google’s language understanding capabilities have greatly improved. With updates like the Hummingbird and BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers), Google can now understand context and intent. Therefore, achieving SEO effectiveness is possible even without including keywords (search queries) by using words with the same meaning.

Being too fixated on keywords can lead to penalties, and from a usability standpoint, having all link text match exactly is not desirable. Every website is created for users, so the text should assist users in navigating easily.

Avoid using abstract expressions

The content of anchor text should signify the content of the linked page; otherwise, SEO effectiveness won’t be achieved. 

However, many sites use abstract expressions for internal links, such as “click here,” “continue here,” “details here,” “home,” or “top.” While these may be ideal for users, they are weak in terms of SEO effectiveness.

Though the extent of its effectiveness is unclear, some SEO companies suggest including keywords even in the “return to top of page” link found at the bottom of a page.

Diversification

Considering the content so far, it’s evident that linking with anchor text can improve the search ranking of linked pages. However, excessively using keywords in links is not recommended.

In the past, many SEO companies employed a tactic of creating numerous satellite sites and linking them all with the same anchor text (self-links).

Google’s accuracy is exceptionally high, and currently, this method not only doesn’t work but can also result in penalties.

Self-linking is not recommended in the first place, but even with natural links, various patterns in anchor text are considered natural. Therefore, anchor text containing keywords you particularly want to rank for is likely to have a positive impact on search rankings.

Latest Trends and Future Prospects of Anchor Text

Here, we’ll discuss the latest trends in anchor text and provide insights into future prospects. Please utilize this information to enhance the quality of your website.

Impact of Voice Search Proliferation

With the widespread use of smartphones and smart speakers, there’s a growing focus on voice search. Anchor text plays a crucial role in voice search as well, and optimization for it will be increasingly important. Specifically, making anchor text more concise and natural, and aligning it with search intent, are essential.

AB Testing

Anchor text also influences click-through rates and conversions. Therefore, conducting AB testing to change anchor text to the optimal version is necessary.

Tailoring to the Target Audience

It’s crucial to tailor anchor text to suit the users. For example, for websites targeting a younger demographic, using casual phrases is advisable. Use expressions that are easily understandable to your website’s users.

Using Icons and Buttons

You can make anchor text stand out by using icons, buttons, and other elements. Please ensure they align with the overall design of your website.

Common Questions About Anchor Text (Q&A)

Here, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions about anchor text.

Q: Why is anchor text important? 

A: Proper use of anchor text is crucial because it makes it easier for users to understand the content. Additionally, it can have a positive impact on SEO.

Q: What keywords should be included in the text? 

A: It’s desirable to include keywords that reflect the content of the linked page. However, avoid stuffing keywords forcibly, as it can confuse users.

Q: What is the optimal length for the text? 

A: There’s no definitive length for anchor text. However, since many users browse websites on mobile devices like smartphones, it’s easy to keep it concise and understandable. Overly long text can lead to accidental taps.

Q: Can I set the link to open in a new window? 

A: Yes, it’s possible. By using the HTML tag “target=”_blank”, the link will open in a new window.

Summary

Anchor text is essential for improving the quality of web pages. By using appropriate anchor text, users can better understand the content of linked pages, and search engines can evaluate them correctly. Please use this article to improve your company’s website.

Author Profile

International Web Consultant Paveena Suphawet

A trilingual professional in English, Thai, and Japanese, she has numerous achievements in international SEO. She studied the latest IT technologies at Assumption International University, Thailand, and majored in International Business at the University of Greenwich, UK. Following her tenure at ExxonMobil’s Thai branch, she became a key member of Admano from its establishment.

Return to the top of Japan SEO