What is anchor text?
Anchor text is the visible, clickable word or phrase in a hyperlink that users see and click on to navigate to another page or website.
The clickable words you see in a hyperlink are called anchor text. Search engines read anchor text to understand what the linked page is about, making it a signal in how links influence rankings. Different types of anchor text serve different purposes in SEO.
Common anchor text types include:
- Exact match: The anchor contains the target keyword precisely, such as "SEO agency Malaysia" linking to a page about that topic.
- Partial match: The anchor includes part of the target keyword, like "best SEO services" linking to a page about SEO agencies.
- Branded: The anchor uses a company or brand name, such as "XYZ Digital" linking to that agency's website.
- Generic: Non-descriptive anchors like "click here" or "read more" that tell search engines little about the destination.
Natural link profiles typically mix these types. Over-relying on exact-match anchors can appear manipulative to search engines, while a balanced distribution across multiple types looks more organic. Agencies managing content link-building campaigns pay close attention to anchor text distribution to maintain credibility and align links with content relevance. The words you choose in a link matter as much as the link itself.