On-page SEO · Beginner

Anchor text

Anchor text is the clickable text of a link. It tells readers and search engines what the linked page is about, so descriptive anchors like "trail running shoes" are more useful than "click here".

By Thryv StudioUpdated

Category
On-page SEO
Level
Beginner
Example
"answer engine optimization" in a link to the AEO page
Risk
Over-optimized exact-match anchors in backlinks

What is anchor text?

In <a href="/guides/aeo">what AEO is</a>, the anchor text is "what AEO is". Search engines have used anchor text as a relevance signal since the earliest link-based ranking.

Best practices

  1. Describe the destination in natural words.
  2. Vary anchors a little rather than repeating one exact phrase everywhere.
  3. For image links, the image's alt text acts as the anchor.
  4. Avoid "click here", "read more" and bare URLs where a description fits.

Frequently asked questions

Can anchor text hurt?

Large numbers of external links with identical keyword anchors can look manipulative. Internal anchors are rarely a problem when they read naturally.

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