Anchor Text as a Google Ranking Factor: Everything You Need to Know
The use of keyword-rich anchor text has long been considered a best SEO practice.
Why?
Because it informs search engines about the type of page to which your link leads. Many people feel that information has a factor in how the page is ranked in search results.
Anchor text is the text that a user clicks on to go to a URL linked within a piece of copy.
Anchor text helps give users context on the website they’re about to visit, but does it have any bearing on search rankings?
The allegations about anchor text being a ranking component are included below, along with the evidence supporting or refuting those statements.
Anchor Text as a Ranking Factor, according to the claim.
Anchor text is thought to be a ranking factor since it aids search engines in associating URLs with specific keywords or phrases.
The value of anchor text extends beyond what search engines can accomplish; it’s also critical for improving website accessibility and providing a positive user experience.
What Role Does Anchor Text Play in SEO?
Based on the terms used in the anchor text, Google can deduce what the page being linked to (the destination page) is about. If a page uses the anchor text “top 10 pizza places in NYC” to connect to a URL, Google understands what page users are being led to.
It’s less evident to Google what the destination page is about when you use general text (e.g., “click here”). In the same way that a website provides descriptive text to help users, Google should do the same.
In a variety of ways, anchor text improves the user experience. When a user is browsing an article rapidly, the detailed anchor text might assist them in finding the links they’re seeking quickly.
If a person clicks on an item that makes a bold assertion, they might want to skim through it to see where the information came from.
In this scenario, generic anchor text would not assist consumers in rapidly locating the link they require. It also provides Google with no information about the target page. Descriptive anchor text is preferred over generic words or phrases for this reason.
Accessibility is another less visible way anchor text affects the user experience. Consider the experience of a website user who is blind or visually challenged.
Screen readers are used by users who are blind or visually handicapped to navigate the internet. As the user navigates a website, the software reads out all of the text on the page, including links.
Anchor Text as a Ranking Factor: The Evidence
Anchor text is, in fact, a ranking component.
According to Google’s SEO Starter Guide, when placing links on a website, use descriptive anchor text.
SEO can be a lot to take in for newcomers, but it isn’t a mysterious science. Google wants to give consumers the most relevant results possible, and it needs site owners’ help to do so.
Our Opinion on Anchor Text as a Ranking Factor
Google acknowledges that anchor text is used in search results to better understand pages, which may aid in surfacing those pages for related queries.
Anchor text’s power as a ranking component is nowhere near what it was before Penguin when sites could rank for any phrase they wanted by accumulating enough keyword-rich links.