The visible, clickable text in a hyperlink that tells both users and search engines what the linked page is about.
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text of a hyperlink. In HTML, it is the text between the <a> and </a> tags. Search engines use anchor text as a signal to understand what the linked page is about. For example, a link with the anchor text "best CRM software" tells Google that the target page is relevant to CRM software comparisons.
Anchor text types include: exact match (the anchor text is the target keyword), partial match (contains the keyword among other words), branded (the company or site name), generic ("click here", "learn more"), and URL (the raw URL as the anchor text).
The anchor text of backlinks influences what keywords a page ranks for. Natural backlink profiles have a diverse mix of anchor text types. Over-optimized anchor text (too many exact-match keyword links) can trigger Google's spam filters, as it suggests manipulative link building.
For internal links, anchor text is an underused optimization opportunity. Using descriptive anchor text for internal links helps Google understand page relationships and topic relevance without the spam risk associated with external link anchor text.
Natural anchor text distribution for a page about email marketing tools:
- "email marketing platforms" (partial match) - "Mailchimp vs ConvertKit comparison" (partial match) - "this review" (generic) - "BrandName" (branded) - "https://example.com/email-tools" (URL)
An unnatural distribution would be 80% of links using "best email marketing tools" as anchor text.
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