By the Link Building Firm editorial team · Guide
Anchor text is the clickable words in a link. Its wording gives search engines context about the linked page, but over-optimized anchor text is one of the clearest signs of manipulative link building.
Why it matters
- Natural link profiles have a mix of brand, URL, generic and descriptive anchors.
- Exact-match keyword anchors, used heavily, can look manipulative.
- Anchor text you don't control (from earned links) should be left as the editor wrote it.
- Internal link anchors are safer to optimize than external ones.
How to get started
- Audit your current anchor text distribution before building more links.
- Favor brand and natural phrase anchors for external links.
- Reserve exact-match anchors for a small minority of internal links.
- Never instruct a publication on exact anchor wording for an editorial link.
Related reading
What Is Link Building? A Beginner's Guide
A plain-English introduction to link building: what it is, why search engines care, and how to start earning links the right way.
Read moreEditorial Link Building
Build relevant, contextual links from credible publications.
Read moreHow to Do a Backlink Audit
A step-by-step approach to auditing your backlink profile and spotting real risks.
Read moreReady to build authority that lasts?
Tell us what you're trying to grow. We'll identify the opportunities across search, media and AI discovery.