Anchor text
What is anchor text?
Anchor text is the visible, clickable words of a hyperlink. It gives both readers and search engines a strong hint about what the linked page contains.
Why it matters
Anchor types include exact match, partial match, branded, naked URL, and generic ('click here'). A natural backlink profile is dominated by branded and generic anchors, with exact-match anchors kept low.
Over-optimised anchor text — the same commercial keyword repeated across many external links — is one of the clearest spam patterns search engines look for.
Related terms
- Anchor text ratio
Anchor text ratio is the distribution of anchor types across your backlink profile. A safe profile is usually 40–60% bra…
- Contextual link
A contextual link is a backlink placed inside the body copy of an article, surrounded by relevant text, rather than in a…
- Over-optimisation
Over-optimisation is pushing SEO tactics past the point of naturalness — repeated exact-match anchors, keyword stuffing,…
Cite this definition
Guest Post Website. “Anchor text.” Guest Posting & SEO Glossary. https://guestpostwebsite.com/glossary/anchor-text