How to Choose Anchor Text
Are you writing guest posts or creating content for your web pages? Then something you need to know about is anchor text.
This is probably a term you have used before.
But, if you are new to creating online content, you may not be sure exactly what it is. Well, this is something we are going to discuss today.
Let’s take a look at what anchor text is and the best ways to choose anchor text for your link and content.
What is Anchor Text?
To choose the best anchor text, you must understand what it is and why it is important.
Let’s start with a basic definition in case you are new to the topic or want to learn more about it.
Anchor text is often going to appear as blue text that is underlined in online content. It will include a hyperlink you can click on too.
Simply, let’s break down the name. Anchor text is words that anchor two websites together.
You will find that there are different anchor text types. For instance, you can use keywords or phrases that you want your website to rank for.
Alternatively, you may choose to use a brand name or a URL for anchor text.
You can also opt for call-to-action words and phrases too. What you want to make sure you are doing is relating to the page you are linking to.
This way, the reader is going to gain something from the link and be more inclined to click on it and head to the other website.
Always vary your anchor text and never use the exact same words or phrases in one blog post.
Why is Anchor Text Important?
Is anchor text really important or can you simply choose any words or phrases for a link?
A lot of people do not put a lot of effort into anchor text and this can be a vital opportunity that is missed. Let’s look at why anchor text is so important.
It Can Improve Website Traffic
Let’s not forget that anchor text is there to link websites together.
You include this anchor text so that a reader clicks on the link and heads over to another website if they want to gain more information.
So, your anchor text is what is going to make them take this action or not.
That is why you want to choose your anchor text carefully.
You want to give the reader an idea of what they are going to be clicking on. In the case of guest posting, this is something that you want to encourage readers to do.
Thus, you need anchor text to be relevant and it is going to be able to improve website traffic.
It Helps to Rank on Google
Something to realize about anchor text is that it is not just there for readers. It is also important for search engines too.
The words or phrases you use tell Google what the link is about and this can assist its algorithm.
It is going to give search engines an idea of what the content is about and what your website can offer. This can assist with ranking.
Tips for Choosing Anchor Text
You must choose the right anchor text for your content to enjoy better traffic and ranking. Here are some useful tips to help you do this.
Think About Readers Before SEO
You want your anchor text to be natural. Thus, you need to think about your readers more than SEO.
Keep the phrases easy to read and while you can include keywords, you want to make sure that the anchor text fits into the surrounding content.
Always Vary the Text
One thing you have to make sure that you do is vary the words and phrases you use for anchor text.
You want to mix them up and create some variety if you want to see positive results from the links you provide.
Choose Different Lengths
You want all of your anchor text to be different. This is going to produce the best results for you. So, you want to vary the length of the anchor text, as well as the words and phrases you use.
This can include using three words plus longer text.
Relate to the Page
One of the most important things with anchor text is that it should accurately reflect what is on the page.
This is going to be how you help users, as well as Google. But, just make sure that you do not overuse keywords as this can have a negative effect.
