What it looks like
Anchor text is the text between the opening and closing tags of the a element. It is the part people see and click.
<a href="/guides/sourdough-starter">how to make a sourdough starter</a>
Here the anchor text is "how to make a sourdough starter". The address in href is where the link goes. The anchor text is the sign on the door.
BEFORETo learn about sourdough starters, click here.
AFTERRead our guide on how to make a sourdough starter.
In the first line, the link text is "click here", which says nothing. In the second, the link text names the page.
Why it matters
- It sets expectations. A reader should know where a link leads before clicking it.
- It gives search engines context. Google uses anchor text as a clue about the topic of the page being linked to. This applies to an internal link on your own site and to a backlink from another site.
- It helps screen reader users. Many people move through a page by jumping from link to link. A list of links that all say "read more" tells them nothing.
COMMON MISTAKEUsing the exact same keyword phrase for every link to a page. It reads as forced. Vary the wording the way you would in normal writing, and keep it descriptive.
How to check yours
- Open one of your pages and read only the links, skipping the text around them.
- For each link, ask whether the words alone tell you what is on the other side.
- Replace vague labels such as "click here", "read more" and "this page" with a few words that name the destination.
- For links that are images, check the alt text, because it acts as the anchor text.
To see where links belong across a whole site, read an internal linking plan you can reuse.