The Benefits of Using Anchor Text for SEO

Anchor text is the visible, clickable text within a hyperlink. When you link from one page to another, the words you choose for that link — the anchor text — communicate to Google what the destination page is about. Used correctly, anchor text is one of the most useful signals in both on-page and off-page SEO. It also forms the backbone of any effective link building strategy.

How anchor text works as an SEO signal

When Google's crawler follows a link from one page to another, it reads the anchor text as a contextual clue about the content of the destination page. A link with the anchor text "SEO agency Melbourne" suggests to Google that the linked page is relevant to that topic. Over many inbound links using varied but topically consistent anchor text, the destination page builds topical authority for those terms.

This is why the links pointing to your website matter not just for the authority they pass but for the anchor text associated with them. A link from a reputable industry publication using descriptive anchor text is more valuable than an unlinked brand mention.

Internal linking anchor text

Within your own website, internal link anchor text helps Google understand the relationship between your pages. If your services page links to a blog post with the anchor text "how to maintain a WordPress website", Google understands that blog post is about WordPress maintenance — and that your website has topical authority in that area.

Descriptive internal anchor text improves the crawlability of your site and distributes authority from high-traffic pages (like your homepage) to deeper pages that might otherwise receive limited internal link equity.

Types of anchor text and when to use them

Exact match: The anchor text exactly matches the keyword you want the linked page to rank for. Example: "web design Melbourne" linking to your web design service page. Useful, but should not be overused or it can appear manipulative to Google's algorithms.

Partial match: Contains the keyword but with additional words. "Professional web design services in Melbourne" is a partial match for "web design Melbourne". This is a natural-sounding anchor that still carries keyword relevance.

Branded: Uses your brand name as the anchor text. "Web Like Web" or simply the business name. This is the most natural link pattern for external sites pointing to your homepage.

Generic: "Click here", "read more" or "visit website". These pass topical relevance but not keyword authority. Avoid using generic anchor text for important internal links where a descriptive alternative is available.

Common anchor text mistakes

Over-optimisation is the most common problem. If every external link pointing to your site uses the same exact-match keyword anchor text, it looks unnatural to Google and can actually harm rankings. A healthy backlink profile includes a mix of branded, partial match, exact match and generic anchor text in natural proportions.

For internal links, the opposite problem is common: using generic anchors like "click here" or "read more" instead of descriptive text that helps Google understand what the linked page is about.