Anchor Text

The clickable text displayed in a hyperlink. An important SEO signal that tells search engines about the linked page's content.

Nov 27, 2025 · About 1 min read

SEO

Anchor text is the clickable text portion of an HTML link (<a> tag). In "<a href='...'>this text</a>," "this text" is the anchor text.

Anchor text is a key signal search engines use to understand the linked page's content. A page linked with the anchor text "how to use shortened URLs" is recognized by Google as relevant to the keywords "shortened URLs" and "how to use."

There are six main types of anchor text: exact match (the target keyword itself), partial match (a natural phrase containing the keyword), branded (site or company name), naked URL (https://example.com), generic ("click here," "learn more"), and image link (the image's alt text serves as anchor text).

A key consideration with shortened URLs and anchor text: pasting a shortened URL as plain text makes the anchor text a meaningless string like "https://miji.be/abc123." From an SEO standpoint, even when using shortened URLs, wrapping them in an HTML link with meaningful anchor text is preferable.

The main pitfall in anchor text optimization is overusing the same keyword. Since Google's Penguin update, unnatural anchor text patterns are flagged as spam. A natural link profile contains a balanced mix of branded, naked URL, generic, and keyword-containing anchor texts. You can find related books on Amazon.

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Related Terms

Link Juice

The SEO value and authority passed from one page to another through a hyperlink. A concept representing the worth of backlinks.

Domain Authority

A numerical score representing a domain's trustworthiness and authority in search engines. Backlink quality and quantity are the primary factors.

SEO-Friendly URL

A URL structure designed to be easily understood by both search engines and human users.

Noindex

A directive that tells search engines not to include a specific page in their search results index.

Canonical URL

The preferred version of a web page's URL that search engines should index when multiple URLs serve the same content.

Alt Text

Text that describes the content of an image. Displayed as a fallback when the image cannot load and read aloud by screen readers for accessibility.

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FAQ

Is "click here" bad anchor text?

From an SEO perspective, yes. "Click here" tells search engines nothing about the linked page. Descriptive text like "guide to creating shortened URLs" is ideal because it communicates the destination's content.

Can over-optimizing anchor text lead to penalties?

Yes. An unnaturally high concentration of the same keyword in anchor text can be flagged as spam by Google's Penguin algorithm. Maintain variety in your anchor text to keep a natural link profile.

What serves as anchor text for image links?

When an image is used as a link, its alt text functions as the anchor text. Always set appropriate alt text on image links so the destination's content is communicated to search engines.

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