Anchor texts

Among the off-page SEO measures for a website within the framework of search engine optimization is the development of a link profile. Google places great importance on high-quality backlinks during optimization. The anchor text, also known as anchor text or link text, is always important for a link. Such a text, which can certainly contain a keyword, provides users with clues about what they will find on a page. Generally speaking, this refers to the words in a document that have been marked as a hyperlink. The clickable text in a link is usually highlighted in color or underlined (or with similar variations). The link text is only one part of a hyperlink: while the (full) target address of the link (URL) is not visible to a reader of an article, the readable part of the HTML code (anchor text) is visible. In the source text, such an anchor might look like this:

<a href=“http://www.beispielseite.de“>Anchor text</a>

In the aforementioned commands, these are HTML tags that are used according to the general standard of Hypertext Markup Language for the anchor texts of links. In some browsers, the target address of the hyperlink is displayed when hovering the mouse over the anchor text. This way, readers can already know the target page through the text in advance. Although the target URL is usually not displayed in the text flow, an internet address can still be used as link text. For example:

<a href=“http://www.beispielseite.de/unterseite“>www.examplepage.de</a>

What function do anchor texts have? Why are they important for links?

The link text does not simply represent a readable reference meant to direct people to further articles or websites. Instead, the anchor text should provide orientation for readers who can infer the context of the expected content of a page from the words. Ideally, when linking, the anchor text should describe the information behind the hyperlink. Furthermore, the anchor link text plays an important role in the context of accessibility, aiming to enable blind or visually impaired individuals to use digital offerings. When a screen reader reads the text, the purpose of the hyperlink should be conveyed through the link text.

Formulation of link texts: What types of anchor texts are there?

Often one thinks: As long as the link is located somewhere in the text. But integrating hyperlinks is not that simple. On the one hand, the anchor text should be chosen to integrate into the text flow, but on the other hand, it should also describe the URL target as accurately as possible. Commonly used texts like "here" or "click me" are therefore not very informative about the intended target. And since the anchor text is part of the evaluation by search engines, the text content should not be chosen lightly.

From an SEO perspective, different types of anchor text can be distinguished. There is, for example, the brand text, which refers to a brand, and the money text, which demands immediate action (e.g., "buy handbags"). The third variant – the compound anchor text – is a combination of brand and money text: "buy handbags at XY". Since Google released the Penguin update in April 2012, it has become all the more important to choose a well-considered anchor text, as overly simple keyword texts in links are negatively evaluated.

Hard linking vs. soft linking: Naturalness in the text is the key to optimizing the website

So the classic hard link texts are no longer promising for backlinks. Simply taking a few keywords and using them repeatedly as anchor texts offers little SEO benefit. Therefore, the question should no longer be "which keywords do I want to use for a text in the link?" but rather "how do I get the user to click on the link and navigate to a page with the text?" The rule of thumb is that the link profile, and hence the anchor texts, must appear natural (soft link) to appeal to search engines like Google. It is also important that an anchor text is as detailed as possible and describes a subpage. For a backlink text, it is advisable to use long-tail keywords.

Link structures within pages: Texts for an internal link

However, with anchors for internal links on a website, it is still possible and even relevant to use single-keyword texts. For example, someone who runs an online shop for DIY accessories should link to the "Screwdrivers" category with the appropriate anchor text. Additionally, as much as possible, the same text should be used for links on a subpage to optimally distribute the link juice. Internal linking also helps the Google crawler read a website – for this reason alone, they are SEO-relevant.