Anchor Text: Definition, Issues, and Explanations

Anchor text is the clickable text of a hyperlink. It is what users see when they browse a web page and click to access another resource.

It can be a simple phrase, a word, or even an entire expression, which generally describes the page or related content.

In SEO, anchor text is an important element because it provides search engines with information about the nature of the targeted page, thereby contributing to its ranking.

The use of anchor text is essential for optimizing a website's search engine optimization (SEO). It serves to indicate to search engines the subject and relevance of the page to which it links.

Relevant anchor text helps improve visibility in search results by reinforcing the keywords associated with a page.

In addition, it improves usability and user experience by providing a clear indication of what to expect when following a link.

Un Anchor Text est intégré dans une balise HTML <a> qui contient l’URL de destination. Le texte visible à l’utilisateur se trouve entre les balises ouvrante et fermante de cette balise.

Par exemple, dans <a href="https://example.com">Guide SEO</a>, le texte "Guide SEO" est l’Anchor Text, et "https://example.com" est l’URL liée.

Search engines analyze the text of the anchor text to understand the context and relevance of the targeted page, thereby influencing its ranking in search results.

Among the advantages, Anchor Text allows you to:

• Strengthen the relevance of a link by using appropriate keywords.
• Improve the user experience with clear and understandable links.
• Support the overall SEO strategy by guiding search engines.

However, certain disadvantages may arise:

• Excessive use of identical anchor text can be perceived as spam, penalizing SEO.
• An anchor text that is not very descriptive or too generic reduces its effectiveness.
• Misuse can damage credibility and the user experience.

A common example is the use of specific keywords as anchor text for internal links, such as "SEO training" to redirect to a page dedicated to learning about search engine optimization.

In the case of external links, relevant anchor text improves the quality of the backlink and the visibility of the linked site.

Many websites also use varied anchor text to avoid over-optimization and maintain a natural link profile.

• Moz - Guide to Anchor Text
• Google Webmaster Guidelines
• Ahrefs - Everything you need to know about anchor text
• SEMrush - Optimizing Anchor Text