Anchor Text

Definition

Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. It appears as highlighted (usually blue and underlined) text that users click to navigate to another page. Search engines use anchor text as a signal to understand what the linked page is about. Types of anchor text: exact-match (uses the target keyword), partial-match (includes the keyword with other words), branded (uses the brand name), generic ('click here', 'learn more'), naked URL (the raw URL), and image anchor (alt text of a linked image). Best practices for internal linking: use descriptive, keyword-relevant anchor text; vary your anchor text naturally; avoid over-optimization with the same exact-match anchor repeatedly; and never use generic phrases like 'click here' when a descriptive alternative exists.