Anchor Text Optimisation

Link Building is performed to increase the number of links pointing to a particular website. This is to ensure that the website receiving the inbound links will rank high on the search engines. But in what keywords do these websites want to rank on? This is where anchor texts enter the search engine scene.

Anchor text is the visible text in a hyperlink. The anchor text must talk about the content of the landing page. If the anchor text is “pay per click”, the landing page should have something to do with pay per click. In the same manner, if the anchor text is “search engine optimisation”, the landing page should talk about search engine optimisation. Doing otherwise is considered an ineffective use of anchor text.

Anchor Text: An Algorithm Factor?

The objective of anchor text is to tell the search engines about the content of the landing page. If a particular website receives several inbound links using the anchor text “Web Marketing”, it will be interpreted as a website offering web marketing services. This means that the website has a higher chance to appear on the search results for “Web Marketing” keyword. The same is true with other anchor texts.

Organically, the website receiving the inbound link has no control over the anchor text used by the website giving the link. At least this is how it should be. How can you control it when you are not the one giving the link? In natural search engine optimisation, the link giver creates the anchor text.

However, this is not always the case with link building and anchor text. Some webmasters and web marketers wanted to take the shorter route to higher search engine ranking and thus came the anchor text manipulation. Some webmasters use the anchor text as a way to appear on the search results for keywords of their choice. And yes they can control this especially with link exchange methods or reciprocal linking.

Anchor Text Manipulation: A Red Flag From The Search Engines?

The search engines, especially Google, are also aware of anchor text manipulation. But since anchor text is a way of telling the search engines what the website is all about, it may be hard to ignore it on the search engine algorithms. As long as anchor texts are relevant, there is a higher chance that it will be considered as vital in computing a website’s ranking on the search results.

Anchor Text Optimisation increases a website’s possibility to appear on the search results for relevant keywords. Need more optimisation techniques? Please see SEO Tips & Techniques. For our services, please see SEO Services or apply for a Free SEO Analysis. Contact our SEO Experts for more information.