Anchor text is the visible part of a link that users click. For search engines, anchor text describes the target page and passes relevance. Optimizing internal link anchors strengthens the topical connection between pages and improves rankings. This guide covers the principles and practical methods.
The role of anchor text in SEO
Anchor text tells search engines what the target page is about. A link with the anchor “image optimization” passes relevance for that query to the page. Internal links with relevant anchors strengthen a topical cluster.
Internal vs. external links
For external links, over-optimizing anchors (using only exact matches of a key phrase) carries a risk of penalties. The risk is lower for internal links, but diversity still matters. Identical anchors on every link look artificial.
Types of anchors
Exact match
The anchor is the page’s key phrase. “Buy a laptop” for a page targeting the query “buy a laptop.”
A strong relevance signal, but too many exact-match anchors amount to over-optimization.
Partial match
The key phrase appears as part of the anchor. “A guide to buying a laptop” for a page about “buy a laptop.”
A balance between relevance and naturalness.
Broad match (LSI, semantically related)
The words are topically related, but do not form the exact phrase. “Choosing a portable computer,” “criteria for choosing a laptop.”
Natural and conveys context.
Branded
The name of a company or product. “ReChecker,” “reChecker tools.”
Strengthens the brand but does not pass relevance for product queries.
Generic
“Learn more,” “here,” “read more,” “click.”
A weak relevance signal. Use in moderation.
URL as anchor text
The full URL used as a link. Rarely useful to users and a weak SEO signal.
A diversity strategy
Mix of types
Recommended distribution for internal links:
| Anchor type | Share |
|---|---|
| Partial and broad matches | 40–60% |
| Exact match | 10–20% |
| Branded | 10–20% |
| Generic | 10–30% |
There are no hard-and-fast rules. The main thing is to avoid monotony.
Variation for one page
If 10 internal links point to a page, their anchors should not be repeated. Use synonyms, different phrasing, and partial matches.
Practical recommendations
Describe the target page
The anchor should match the page content. A link labeled “redirect setup” to a page about redirects is appropriate. The same link to a page about SSL is not.
Make it natural in the text
An anchor is part of a sentence. The text should read naturally:
Правильно: Подробнее о настройке редиректов в нашей статье.
Неправильно: Редиректы важны. Настройка редиректов здесь. Редиректы настройка.Anchor length
Short anchors (2–5 words) are usually more effective. Long phrases dilute the signal. An exception is when a long anchor sounds natural in context.
Avoid over-optimization
Signs of over-optimization:
- More than 50% of anchors are exact matches
- The same anchor is used on every link to a page
- Anchors do not match the context of the sentence
Analysis tools
reChecker link analyzer shows incoming links and their anchors. Useful for auditing the distribution of anchor types.
reChecker keyword analysis tool helps find relevant phrases for anchors.
Optimization examples
Before optimization
Page: “Image optimization for websites.” All internal links use the anchor “image optimization.”
After optimization
- “how to optimize images for a website” (partial match)
- “image compression without quality loss” (broad match)
- “guide to image optimization” (partial match)
- “learn more about media file optimization” (broad match)
- “image optimization” (exact match, 1–2 links)
- “read more” (generic)
Anchors for different page types
Informational articles
Focus on partial and broad matches. “How to set up,” “a detailed guide to,” “everything about.”
Product pages
Use exact matches for product and category names. “Apple MacBook laptop,” “gaming laptops.”
Hub pages
Use a variety of anchors for subtopics. Each link from a hub page should point to a sub-article with a relevant anchor.
Anchors for different query types
Informational queries
“How to set up,” “a guide to,” “what is,” “learn more about” are anchors for articles that answer questions. Partial and broad matches work better than exact matches for informational content.
Transactional queries
“Buy,” “order,” “price” are for product and commercial pages. Using an exact match for a product or category name is appropriate in moderation.
Navigational queries
Use branded anchors and company names. “ReChecker,” “reChecker tools” are for pages targeting branded queries.
Over-optimization: signs and fixes
Signs of over-optimization
- More than 50% of anchors to a page are exact matches of the key phrase
- The same anchor is used for every link
- Anchors do not fit the context (“here you’ll learn about image optimization image optimization”)
- Anchors are too long and contain key phrases
Fixes
Replace some exact matches with partial and broad matches. Add branded and generic anchors. Rewrite sentences to make them sound natural.
External vs. internal anchors
Over-optimization of external links (links from other sites to yours) is more risky—Google may impose penalties. The risk is lower for internal links, but diversity still matters. You have only partial control over external links (you can request anchor changes), but full control over internal links.
Anchors in navigation and footers
Menus and footers are repeated across all pages. Anchors there are generic (“Services,” “Contact,” “Home”). They pass link equity, but not topical relevance. Contextual links in the body of the content are the primary source of relevance.
Tools for researching competitors’ anchors
Analyzing the anchors of competitors’ incoming links shows which phrases others use. Do not copy them blindly—use them as ideas for adding variation.
Anchor optimization checklist
| Check | Action |
|---|---|
| Variety of types | Audit incoming anchors and add variation |
| Match with content | Anchor describes the target page |
| Naturalness | Reads as part of the text |
| No over-optimization | < 20% exact matches |
| Uniqueness | Different anchors for the same page |
| Prioritize contextual links | More weight than navigation links |
| Branded anchors for the homepage | Strengthen the brand |
A/B testing anchors
If you are unsure about the wording, you can test different options. Split the traffic: some users see a link with anchor A, and others see a link with anchor B. Metrics: clicks, conversions, time on page. Keep in mind that search engines see only one version when crawling—the test primarily affects behavioral factors.
Anchors and accessibility
Links labeled “learn more,” “here,” or “click” are poor for screen reader users because the context is lost. Better options are “learn more about image optimization” or “read the guide to image optimization.” An anchor should make sense on its own, outside its context.
Anchors in rich snippets
Internal links with relevant anchors may affect which snippets appear in search results. Anchor quality is part of snippet optimization.
Related materials
The internal linking strategy is covered in the internal linking guide. Nofollow and dofollow are covered in the nofollow vs. dofollow article. Link and keyword analysis is available in the link analyzer and the keyword analyzer on reChecker.