One of the terms thrown around a lot in SEO is anchor text. When you click on a link, it can take you to another page. The link itself is a signal that Google pays attention to. All of the links on the web form an interconnected map for Google’s algorithm. Now, I made that up just for this post – I’m not sure if that’s a great way to describe it, but it helps me explain it.
Whether a link on the American Kennel Club (AKC) website, for example, links to another page on their own website or links to a page on your website, search engines evaluate and attribute value to these backlinks in a number of different ways.
- Is it an authoritative page that is linking to yours?
- Is the content on that page topically similar to your page?
Just to be clear, there are other signals that Google and other search engines are looking for as well.
What is Anchor Text?
Anchor text is the actual words within the link itself. So, if the AKC website is linking to your website using anchor text like “dog food,” this is going to provide context for the search engine and can even help you rank for that term and other similar keywords.
I think you can see how possibly 10 other websites that talk about dogs and are linking to your dog food product page with anchor texts like “dog food,” “best dog food,” and “healthy food for your dog” could help search engines understand the focus of your page.
Now, if there is a link on their site that links to another page on their own website using the anchor text “click here,” it may provide other value for the link, like I mentioned before, but as for the anchor text, most pages are not trying to rank for the term “click here.”
So, while the link still provides SEO value, the anchor text could have been more relevant in providing the context and being better descriptive of the page it is linking to. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with that anchor text – not all links are intended to have SEO value. “Click here” can be a great call to action and help users navigate the site better.
The Role of Alt Text in Image Links
There are also other ways to click on a link to get to a website. Although it has decreased in popularity, some websites will make their images clickable. But how can an image have anchor text? HTML provides an attribute called alt text, and if you’re using an image, let’s say a logo, Google will use the alt text of the image as the anchor text – that is, if you’ve added alt text to your images.
Improving Your Anchor Text
Now you have a better understanding of how anchor text can help the receiving pages on your website improve their rankings. Whether they’re links from another website or from other pages on your own website, you can improve the signals by improving the anchor text.
To sum up:
- Use descriptive and relevant anchor text to provide context for search engines.
- Ensure that the content of the linking page is topically similar to the linked page.
- Use alt text for clickable images to provide anchor text value.
- Avoid using generic phrases like “click here” as anchor text when possible, unless it’s for navigational purposes.
Anchor text is a small but powerful element in the SEO toolkit. By strategically using it, you can enhance your website’s visibility and ranking potential.