Anchor Text Best Practices for Internal and External Links
Anchor text tells users and Google what a linked page is about. Here's how to write it well for internal links, and what a natural external anchor profile looks like.
Key takeaways
- Anchor text is the clickable text of a link, and it helps Google understand the linked page.
- Internal links can use descriptive, keyword-rich anchors as long as they read naturally.
- Backlink anchor profiles should look natural: mostly brand, URL and descriptive anchors.
- Large numbers of exact-match commercial anchors in backlinks can indicate link schemes.
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a link. In <a href="/audits/meta-ads-audit/">Meta ads audit checklist</a>, the anchor text is “Meta ads audit checklist.” Google uses anchor text to understand what the linked page is about.
Types of anchor text
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Exact match | “seo audit” |
| Partial match | “how to run an SEO audit” |
| Branded | “SEOaudit.pk” |
| Naked URL | “seoaudit.pk/audits/” |
| Generic | “click here”, “read more” |
| Descriptive / natural | “this guide to checking your ad tracking” |
| Image | the alt text of a linked image |
Internal links: best practices
You control internal links, so make them useful:
- Describe the destination: “our Core Web Vitals guide” beats “click here”
- Use keywords naturally: descriptive anchors with the topic are fine internally
- Vary wording across different linking pages
- Keep anchors concise: a few words, not whole sentences
- Don’t use the same anchor for different pages, which confuses users and Google about which page is relevant
See internal linking strategy.
External links (backlinks): a natural profile
You don’t control most backlink anchors, and that’s the point: natural profiles are varied. Most links naturally use your brand name, URL or descriptive phrases.
Warning signs:
- A high share of exact-match commercial anchors (“best seo company lahore”)
- The same anchor repeated across many unrelated sites
- Anchors in a different language from the linking page
These patterns suggest bought or manipulated links. Google’s Penguin system (now part of the core algorithm) targets them.
When you can influence anchors
- Guest contributions and partnerships: use your brand or a descriptive phrase, not exact-match money terms
- Press and directories: brand or URL is ideal
- Requests to fix broken links: suggest a natural, descriptive anchor
Outbound links from your site
Use descriptive anchors that tell readers where they’ll go. Add rel="sponsored" for paid links and rel="nofollow" or rel="ugc" where appropriate.
Anchor text is reviewed in the SEO audit.