Before we optimize an anchor text we need to know what an anchor text is. Anchor text is the clickable text you see daily on every site. When you use it correctly they will help people out in navigating your site or connecting them to a different ‘lane’ they are interested in. Matter of fact anchor text will give you traffic. So if you are looking for your business to rank better do this. That is why anchor text is so important.
There are a couple of different types of anchor text
- Exact-match
- Partial-match
- Branded
- Naked link
- Generic
- Latent Semantic Index keywords or LSI for short
- Images
Exact match anchor text
As the name says this anchor text is the exact match. It includes the keyword that is an exact match of the page you are linking it to. They are good to use but don’t overdo it. Or else you will be penalized by Google. You can see if you are penalized by Google. Use different types instead. Every anchor needs to be with a purpose. That way your readers will be happy and therefore visit your website more often.
Optimize an anchor text – partial match
This type of anchor includes a variation of the keyword on the linked-to page. Or to simplify when you put other words with your keyword. This is very helpful when you have to optimize an anchor text because it is highly effective without people thinking it is spam. Google will also be able to follow the link and have a good idea of what content you are posting on your page. Since this anchor is very good to use in every way. It is highly recommended to use so you boost your website. You can check your website and see how good it or bad it is. And what you need to change.
Branded anchor text
This anchor highly depends on a brand to establish authority in the text. This is another good way to build a strong anchor because it signals to Google that you are sending people to high-quality websites and services. Don’t forget to find other brands that will do the same so you will help each other in this way. When you can don’t hesitate to link someone else that is not in your business. This way Google will see you as practicing healthy linking. You can see why is competitor analyzes important to you and your website.
Naked link anchor
This typically means that you put just the website’s name. When you can you should avoid this kind of anchor because it is not very helpful. Not to mention the readers will be interrupted by a sudden website name rather than a natural flow of the text. That way you will put off some of the people and they will not continue to read but rather leave. This of course will not help your website at all. So put these anchors only when you need to. You can clean up your bad backlinks so your website will be cleaner.
Generic anchor
You will see a lot of this on websites. This type of anchor is simple and generic and that is why the name. You can use this type of anchos when you want to link your readers to useful tools or something they need. They will be grateful and you will get more engagement on your website. This type is great to use but be careful to not overdo it because it can be very annoying to see every few words ‘Over Here’ link. That will for sure draw people away from your website because they will see it as spammy and annoying.
Latent Semantic Index keywords or LSI for short
This maybe sounds official and complicated but it is not. It is just a method when you start typing something into Google and it predicts what you want to say and/or need. The most used and searched pop up the first as suggested. It is good to use this type of anchor when you can. Because it needs to flow naturally and not just put anything on it. And sometimes that is very hard. Google will see this type as a very good anchor also will be able to recognize related topics for your website.
Image anchor
Image anchors will help readers navigate in and around your site. It is mostly used as a click-to-action button on an image and it is clickable. In this type, Google will go thru the alt tag of the image as the anchor text. If you don’t have an alt tag then Google will read it as NoText anchor which nobody wants and you should avoid that at every cost. This method is a great way to spice your websites a little. And do different types of anchors. As long as your reader knows they can click on it. Then go ahead and include one in a blog post or on your website.
Now when you know
Now when you know all of the types of anchors text you can easily optimize yours. All of these anchors will help you out in different needs so be careful not to forget any. Maybe you will need just that type that you thought that you will never use. It is very important to know all of these types of anchors so you can make your website have more interaction and traffic. Therefore more people and successful businesses aka websites. Before you do anything it will be good to go research some more about anchors and SEO or hire professionals such as the Link Department. So you will know exactly what you need on your website. For your readers to enjoy themself rather than being bored or clicking off. Not to mention you will more easily optimize an anchor text when you know all of this.