An anchor text is the underlined word which is clickable and hyperlinked in the given content. It is generally blue in color. It links two web pages. The other web page includes relevant information about the topic. It is helpful in determining the rank of the page while browsing on search engines. It is also known as link label or link title.
The anchor text serves dual purpose – providing information to the user and the search engine. The link title briefs what the page is about and is mostly relevant to the topic discussed. However, sometimes the link title page diverts from the theme being discussed. As the topic becomes irrelevant to the main page, this may lead to loss of visitors and pushes down the page rank on the search engines.
On the other hand, a thoughtful use of anchor text may increase the number of visitors and benefit in ranking the page.
A link label consists of three parts –
- the anchor element tags
- the anchor text
- an opening anchor tag
By adding a Target attribute, it can open in a new web page.
Types of Anchor Text:
Below are the various types of anchor text:
- Exact Match
- Partial Match
- Generic Match
- Phrase Match
- Branded
- Naked URL
- Image Anchor
Exact Match: It includes a specific keyword and ranks highest.
Partial Match: It includes a variation of the keyword.
Generic Match: It includes generic words.
Phrase Match: It includesspecific phrase words that match the text.
Branded: It includes a brand name in the given text.
Naked URL: It includes a URL as the text.
Image Anchor: It includes image tags (<img>).
Optimization:
To optimize the anchor text it is important to distinguish the text appropriately, lead the readers correctly, is relevant, and succinct.
A Link
A link in the content simply connects to a page, post, image, or any other online object. It helps in ranking the page and makes it SEO friendly. A link establishes connection between the pages, websites, and appeals the readers to explore more.
An Inbound Link
An inbound link points from other website to your website. E.g.: Take a look at your horoscope today.
An Outbound Link
An outbound link directs to an external website from the given website. They are a crucial element in SEO.
Back Link
It is a link created when the content on the page redirects to another website. The more the back links, the better the SEO ranking of the page. They are considered as “votes of confidence” by major search engines as they build credibility, trust, and the content is more valued.
A high-quality inbound, outbound, or back link boosts web page’s search ranking and increases visibility for the website. Also, it is important to note the accuracy of the link placement. Interested to use SEO for your website? Explore the SEO Packages.