If you have done research with regards to SEO and backlinking in particular, the term anchor text should be familiar to you. If not, the simplest explanation is that it is the text included in the backlink that links from one website to another.
Given how important backlinking is in terms of SEO, and a website’s ranking, knowing how to use anchor text effectively is crucial. Used correctly, it can have a hugely positive impact on rankings. Used wrongly, or worse, in a way that tries to game Google’s algorithm, the results will ultimately be negative.
Here are 4 ways you can use anchor text, all of which can help your SEO efforts.
Generic: This is where the text used has some relationship to the subject the website is about, without necessarily being a keyword it is trying to rank for. An example is ‘automobile’ for a website selling garage doors. The anchor text here is relevant to the niche but not necessarily a target keyword.
Branded: This anchor text is a good way of avoiding over optimisation of keywords in backlinks and usually has the name of the website or the business. An example would the link where the anchor text was ‘Joe’s Bakery’.