What is anchor text?
The anchor text or link anchor is simply the clickable text of a link like this DMTwebhosting link to my home page.
In HTML language, this gives <a href=(https://www.dmtwebhosting.com=> DMTwebhosting </a> Example Anchor Text
And so here, “DMTwebhosting” is considered the anchor text.
Anchor text: a relevance indicator for Google
Google will analyze the various anchor texts of a site to try to understand how it can be interesting for the user. For example, if your site includes several links with the anchor text “webhosting”, it is very likely that Google will deduce that your site corresponds to the universe of web hosting. It will therefore take it into account in its referencing.
Until 2012, to position yourself more easily on a keyword, it was enough to send links with a link anchor containing exactly this keyword and to repeat the operation to increase its chances of climbing in the SERP. (source: www.DMTwebhosting.com)
With the arrival of Penguin in 2012, the situation has changed. The algorithm is launched in the hunt for manipulation of backlinks. It closely examines the quality of your anchor texts and if they don’t seem realistic, if they are spammed or if they are systematically composed of the same keywords, you risk being penalized.
Our advice to distribute and optimize your anchor texts?
Find the right anchor distribution for your niche. According to many SEO specialists, the ideal distribution of your anchor texts should be as follows:
Brand anchors and URL anchors: 50% (examples: www.DMTwebhosting.com, http://DMTwebhosting.com, www.DMTwebhosting.com)
Topic anchors: 25% (example: “Web Hosting”)
Targeted keywords and long tail keywords: 10% (example: the best web hosting for individuals and businesses)
Miscellaneous anchors: 15% (examples: “click here”, “find out more”)
But this distribution is only an indication, it is up to you to choose the distribution that best suits your specific case. To do this, do a search for your target keyword and put the results in a backlink checker like Ahrefs. You will then get the distribution of anchor texts that Google is looking for. Then carefully observe the distribution ratio of anchor texts of the 5 best rankings of your competitors and build your link building strategy by also building on these results.
Take into account the evolution of AI and voice search
With the advent of artificial intelligence, new forms of requests such as voice search are becoming increasingly important. And this leads to changes in the use of keywords, and therefore, anchor texts.
To increase your chances of climbing in the SERP, it is not only necessary to understand the intentions of the users but also to personalize your articles to accelerate searches using AI like voice search. For example, the number of links with a city name in the anchor text has a direct impact on local positioning in Google, provided that they are used in good proportions throughout the site.
Link your anchor texts to deep links
The year 2020 should be marked by a higher requirement of algorithms regarding the use of links associated with your anchor texts. By closely examining your inbound and outbound links, they will be able to assess the quality and relevance of your mesh.
For this, it is preferable to associate your anchor texts with deeper links, which go beyond the home page or the product pages.
Also remember to take care of the internal content attached to your anchor texts: the more they are of quality and enjoy good authority, the more your links will be deemed credible and relevant by algorithms.
And the same goes for external links attached to your anchor text: the more they come from authoritative sites and produce good content, the more the link of your anchor text will be considered by Google.
Choose long tail keywords
Long tail keywords allow you to create more natural links with anchor texts that remain relevant and catchy and benefit from lower competition than generic keywords.
Here you will find information to optimize your keyword research.
In conclusion, for Google to consider your site to be of interest to the user, it will be particularly attentive: –
- the way you distribute your anchors,
- the choice of keywords you use,
- the authority of pages linked to your links,
- and taking into account the evolution of AI and voice search in your link building.
About the author
DMTwebhosting.com‘s Editorial Team prides itself on bringing you the latest web hosting news and the best web hosting articles!
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