Anchor text, also called link text, is the visible, clickable text of a hyperlink. It usually appears in a different color and is often underlined. Good anchor text tells readers what to expect when they click and provides search engines with valuable context about the linked page. The right anchor text helps users navigate your content more easily, improves your internal link structure, and provides search engines with clues about your page relationships, which can positively impact your SEO.
Key insights
- Anchor text improves user navigation and provides context to search engines, improving SEO results.
- A good anchor text clearly describes the linked content and avoids misleading or over-optimized wording.
- There are different types of anchor text, each with specific use cases. Mix them up for variety and clarity.
- Yoast SEO offers tools to analyze competing links and improve anchor text for better search engine rankings.
- To improve anchor text, make sure it fits the linked content, flows naturally, and clearly signals clickable links.
What does anchor text look like?
Anchor text is the part of a link that describes the linked page. It guides both readers and search engines to relevant information. For example, if we link to our post about keyword research tools, the term “keyword research tools” is the anchor text.
In HTML it looks like this:
keyword research toolsThe first part is the URL, while the second, the visible text, is the anchor text. Ideally, the words you choose should naturally describe the content of the linked page.
Why are link/anchor texts important?
Links are crucial for SEO. They show how your pages are connected and help search engines understand the structure of your website. The anchor text in these links provides additional context.
When Google crawls your website, it uses the link text as an indication of what each linked page is about. If multiple links all use the same focus key phrase, Google may not know which page should rank highest for that topic, leading to competition between your own pages.
That’s why thoughtful, descriptive anchor text is important. It helps search engines interpret your website and helps readers decide whether a link is worth clicking. Over-optimized or misleading link text can confuse both.
Tip: Avoid using your main focus keyphrase in multiple anchor texts within a post as this can create competing links. Your linking should always feel natural and avoid over-optimization.
Different types of anchor texts
Anchor text applies to both internal and external links. External websites can link to your content in different ways, and each way sends a different signal to search engines:
- Brand links: Use your brand name as anchor text (e.g. Yeast)
- Naked URLs: Just your website address (e.g. https://yoast.com)
- Site name: Written as Yoast.com
- Article or page title: Corresponds exactly to the title (e.g. What is anchor text?)
- Exactly Matching Keywords: The exact key phrase of your landing page
- Partially matching keywords: A variation that naturally fits into a sentence
- Related keywords: Sentences that are closely related to your topic
- General links: Words like Click here or read more – best avoided!
Ideally, mix the text types of your links and prioritize readability and context over repetition.
Check the competing links in Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO for WordPress and Yoast SEO for Shopify include a Check competing links. This tool analyzes your anchor texts to help you avoid competing links.
If Yoast SEO detects that one of your links contains your focus keyphrase or a synonym of it, Premium users will receive a warning. The reason? You don’t want multiple pages trying to rank for the same phrase.
Say your focus key phrase is Potato chips. If you link to another page with that exact phrase, Yoast SEO will flag it as a competing link. A notification will appear in your SEO analysis so you can adjust it before publishing. If you have Yoast SEO Premium or Yoast SEO for Shopify, the check will also search for your key phrase’s synonyms.
How to improve your anchor link texts
If Yoast SEO is warning you about competing links or you just want to improve the quality of your link text, here are some best practices to follow.
1. Create a natural flow
Your writing should feel effortless. If a link feels awkward or forced into a sentence, it probably doesn’t belong there. Always prioritize readability as a smooth flow improves both engagement and SEO. For more advice on writing content that feels natural but still ranks well, check out our guide to SEO copywriting.
2. Adapt the link text to the linked content
The reader should immediately understand what to expect when they click on a link. For example, a link that says “meta description” should lead to a post that explains what a meta description is and how to optimize it. Clear, logical linking creates trust and makes it easier for users to navigate your content.
3. Don’t cheat your readers
Never mislead readers with inaccurate or confusing link text. If your link text says “potato chips,” it shouldn’t go to a page about cars. Consistent and honest linking keeps readers engaged and signals quality to search engines.
4. Make that clear The link is clickable
Use visual cues like color contrast or underlining so you can easily tell if the text is a link. This not only improves the user experience, but also helps people who use assistive technology to navigate your content. For more information on writing accessible, well-structured posts, check out our blogging guide.
5. Bonus Tip: Enclose your entire key phrase in quotation marks
If you use long-tail key phrases, you may see a warning about links that contain parts of your focus key phrase. To avoid this, put your full key phrase in quotation marks, for example, “learn to knit.” This tells Yoast SEO to search for the entire phrase instead of searching for individual words.
If you want to learn more about writing effective link copy and improving your content for SEO, take our SEO copywriting course included with Yoast SEO Premium.
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Internal links and anchor texts
Internal links are one of the most effective SEO tools you can use. The Yoast SEO internal linking suggestion tool helps you find and add relevant links in your content.
But internal links work best if you write good anchor text for them. Each link should serve a clear purpose and naturally lead the reader to related topics. Avoid adding unnecessary or irrelevant links just to create more connections.
Thoughtful internal linking improves the user experience and helps search engines understand the structure of your website, which is essential for strong SEO performance.
This is anchor text
Anchor text remains a small but powerful element of search engine optimization. It helps users decide whether to click, provides valuable context to search engines, and supports a logical site structure.
Keep your anchor text relevant, natural and transparent and avoid manipulative or over-optimized linking practices. Search engines are now smarter than ever at detecting unnatural links, especially in the age of AI and semantic understanding.
So stay authentic, link with intention and use Yoast SEO as a guide.
Read more: SEO Basics: What is a Permalink? »
