Is anchor text a Google search ranking factor? Do you optimize Anchor Text for Google search ranking? Can anchor text influence rankings?
Anchor text is part of every website. It is there to make the navigation easy. With anchor text optimization, visitors can land on the oldest pages. It also offers context to the content and readers.
Let's understand everything about anchor text and its impact on search.
Anchor Text:
Anchor text is the text used to link other pages.
From the beginning, anchor text became a crucial part of SEO optimization.
Anchor text best practices help search engines find the relevance of links. It is essential to rank your pages in Google search.
It helps readers to find pages with more information.
SEOs believe that anchor text is a ranking factor. But is it so? Let's find out.
Claim: Anchor Text is a Google Ranking Factor
Anchor text helps search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, etc., to determine the links published in the content using phrases, queries, and keywords.
The focus of Anchor text is to make the navigation of the pages with more information easy for users. It is necessary to create an excellent user experience, which also impacts search ranking.
Anchor text is part of on-page optimization. Use best SEO practices when linking to old posts with anchor text.
Focus on user experience.
In simple words, anchor text works in a way to influence user experience and search engine ranking.
But here is more.
What Type of Anchor Text is best?
When linking to an old post on your current page, use descriptive anchor text. Make it easy for readers and search engines to understand what the link is about.
It is the anchor text that tells Google what the linked page is about. It is the reason that you should not use generic text such as "read more," "click here," "more info," etc. The more descriptive your anchor text is, the better search engines can understand it.
Focus on user experience when linking to other pages with anchor text. Words or phrases of anchor text make the user choose to visit the page or leave it. When a user clicks the anchor text, he wants to find more information about the topic.
Generic anchor text usually gets fewer clicks and less traffic. Google also does not find what the page is about.
No one likes to read a page full of "Read more" buttons.
Think about user experience when using anchor text.
Evidence: Anchor Text Is a Google Search Ranking Factor
It is proven, and well-known that anchor text is a Google ranking factor.
John Muller has also confirmed that anchor text is a ranking factor.
Yet, it is a must to follow the best anchor text linking practices to improve the result.
Follow Google's SEO Started guidelines. It says that anchor text should make it easy to navigate and understand the page. Use appropriate anchor text that search engines and users can understand.
What are the Anchor Text Best Practices?
- Write descriptive anchor text.
- Stop using generic anchor text
- Choose easy-to-understand text for links.
- Make it visible.
John Muller advised that you must make anchor text easy to read and easy to understand. When linking to old pages, too many links are bad. Only use relevant anchor text to empower your internal linking and search ranking.
Do not use precisely matching anchor text. Make them descriptive.
Conclusion: Anchor Text is a Google Search Ranking Factor
An anchor text is an important Google ranking factor. Optimize it with a focus on creating an amazing user experience. Use descriptive anchor text to make it easy to understand. Do not use generic and too many anchor text in a single post.
Anchor text is a powerful tool. But use it wisely. Focus on what users want when linking a page using anchor tags.
Still have any question, do share via comments.
Share it with your friends and family.
Don't forget to join the eAskme newsletter to stay tuned with us.
Other handpicked guides for you;