Anchor text is the visible, clickable wording of a link. Its first job is to help a person predict what will happen after the click. Google recommends anchor text that is descriptive, reasonably concise and relevant to both the current page and the destination. There is no Google-approved percentage for branded, partial-match or exact-match anchors.
Descriptive and reasonably concise is better than “click here,” but repeating the same commercial phrase across manufactured links is not natural optimization.
Common anchor types
| Type | Example | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Branded | SEOWithJack | Brand reference |
| Descriptive phrase | technical SEO audit guide | Explain destination |
| URL | seowithjack.com | Citation or listing |
| Generic | read more | Only when context is obvious |
Match the anchor to the destination
Use the most helpful description, not every keyword variation. See internal linking for page relationships.
| Destination | Helpful anchor | Weak anchor |
|---|---|---|
| Service | backlink quality review | click here |
| Guide | canonical URL guide | SEO article |
| Case study | WordPress migration case study | our work |
| Contact | discuss the audit on WhatsApp | go |
Use surrounding text as context
A natural sentence explains why the destination helps. Do not force a keyword into the anchor when the sentence becomes awkward or misleading.
| Pattern | Reader experience | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Specific + natural | Predictable destination | Keep |
| Generic + clear context | Usually understandable | Improve when useful |
| Exact phrase repeated | Sounds manipulated | Vary naturally |
| Misleading | Expectation fails | Rewrite immediately |
- Every important page has at least one relevant link.
- Anchor describes the destination.
- The sentence reads naturally.
- No hidden or repetitive keyword blocks.
- Image links have useful alt text.
- Broken destinations are fixed.
Separate internal and earned external control
You control internal anchors and can improve them deliberately. Publishers control earned backlink wording; do not pressure them to use exact-match phrases. Review patterns with the quality guide.
| Link | Control | Good practice |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | High | Descriptive, varied by context |
| Earned backlink | Publisher | Accept natural editorial wording |
| Sponsored | Agreed relationship | Qualify rel; do not buy ranking anchor |
| UGC | User/platform | Moderate spam and use ugc where suitable |
Audit patterns without inventing ratios
Look for sudden repeated commercial phrases, network footprints and destination mismatch. Feed confirmed concerns into a backlink audit, not an automatic disavow list.
| Finding | Possible explanation | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Brand-heavy | Normal brand references | Usually neutral |
| Exact phrase spike | Campaign or scheme | Inspect sources/timing |
| URL anchors | Listings/citations | Check legitimacy |
| Irrelevant words | Spam/hack | Escalate evidence |
- Export anchors and exact source URLs.
- Group obvious brand, URL and phrase patterns.
- Compare timing with campaigns.
- Open suspicious source pages.
- Record relationship and rel.
- Act only on confirmed evidence.
Use a five-question anchor writing test
Read the anchor by itself, then read the whole sentence. A strong link is still understandable in isolation, becomes more useful with its surrounding context and sends the reader to the page they expected. Rewrite the sentence when the anchor needs a pile of keywords to explain the destination.
| Question | Pass signal | Rewrite signal |
|---|---|---|
| Can I predict the destination? | The page topic or task is clear | “Click here” with weak context |
| Is it concise enough? | Only the useful phrase is linked | A full paragraph is clickable |
| Does the sentence explain why? | Context connects the two pages | Several links are chained together |
| Would a reader feel misled? | Promise and destination match | Anchor promises a different answer |
| Does it sound natural aloud? | Normal editorial wording | Keyword list inserted into prose |
Implement text, image and icon links correctly
Google can normally crawl an <a> element when it has an href. Put meaningful text inside text links. For an image inside a link, the image alt text helps communicate the link purpose. An icon-only link needs an accessible name for people using assistive technology; do not leave the link empty or depend only on a JavaScript click handler.
| Link pattern | Useful implementation | Main check |
|---|---|---|
| Text link | <a href="/technical-seo/">technical SEO guide</a> | Descriptive and crawlable |
| Linked image | Useful destination + functional alt text | Alt explains image or action |
| Icon-only control | Real link with an accessible name | Keyboard and screen-reader purpose |
| JavaScript navigation | Use a normal href whenever possible | Rendered crawlable link exists |
Common mistakes
- Using a universal exact-match percentage.
- Changing every internal anchor to the same keyword.
- Pressuring publishers to use commercial wording.
- Ignoring surrounding context.
- Stuffing image alt text because the image is linked.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal anchor-text ratio?
There is no official universal ratio. Natural distributions differ by brand, industry, page and how references were earned.
Should internal anchors be exact match?
Use exact wording when it is the clearest natural description, not as a rule repeated across every link.
What is image anchor text?
When an image is inside a link, its alt text helps communicate the link purpose. Write functional, useful alt text.
Does anchor text affect SEO?
It helps people and search systems understand the relationship between pages, but wording alone does not guarantee crawling, indexing or rankings. Destination quality and context still matter.
Are generic anchors such as “read more” always bad?
No. They can be understandable when the nearby heading or sentence makes the destination obvious. Use a more descriptive phrase when the link has to stand alone or several destinations are similar.
Can I repeat the same internal anchor?
Yes when the wording remains the clearest description in that context. Do not force every link to match exactly; natural wording changes with the sentence and user task.
Should I use the page title as anchor text?
Sometimes. A title works well in a reference list, but a shorter contextual phrase may read better inside a sentence. Choose the wording that best sets the destination expectation.
How many internal links should a page have?
There is no universal number. Add links that help readers understand a term, continue a task or reach an important related page; remove links that are repetitive or distracting.
Should backlink outreach specify the anchor?
For earned editorial links, let the publisher choose natural wording. You may provide the correct page URL and explain why it helps readers, but do not demand a commercial exact-match phrase.
Should anchor text include a target keyword?
Use the term when it is the clearest natural description of the destination. Do not insert every keyword variation, repeat a phrase mechanically or buy links to control the wording.
Official references
- Google Search Central: Link best practices
- Google SEO Starter Guide
- Google Search Central: Spam policies—link spam
- Google Search Essentials
- Google Search Central: Qualify outbound links
- Google Search Central: Penguin is now part of the core algorithm
- Ahrefs: Anchor text—a data-driven guide
- Ahrefs: Why internal linking deserves priority
Jack can audit internal anchors and backlink patterns without forcing arbitrary ratios.
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