What is anchor text optimization?
Anchor text optimization plays a critical role in the link building process and in my opinion it is, or at least should be the most important part of anyone’s SEO strategy. So What Is Anchor Text And Why Is It So Important In SEO? Well, let me try to explain this as clearly as possible, anchor text is merely the visible text within a hyperlink. It doesn’t sound like much does it? So why would this visible text within hyperlinks be so criticial? For one simple reason, search engines, especially Google, uses that visible text, known as anchor text, in their algorithm to determine a websites ranking. In other words, anchor text are seen by the search engines as supercharged keywords.
This makes sense considering the fact that the sole purpose of all good search engines is, is to provide users such as ourselves with as much relevant and accurate search results as possible. And it is anchor text optimization that helps the search engines to achieve that goal.
How Can I Implement Anchor Text Optimization For Best Results?
Anchor text optimization can and should be done in two ways, Offsite as well as Onsite. The correct use of both these methods combined holds the key to top positions on google for your selected keywords and phrases. Offsite anchor text optimization works on the principle of getting inbound links form other websites, blogs and various online sources by using matching and relevant keywords as the actual anchor text. Onsite anchor text optimization methods are done by using exact matching keywords on the links that link the pages together within the same specific website.
Search engines constantly check anchor text. Whenever you obtain a link, the search engines will note the text within that link. With each instance a word or phrase shows up in your link, your chances improve for increasing your ranking for that specific word or phrase. Allow me to explain this with an example, pretend that you have a website or blog that’s about rose gardening. If you build multiple links with the words rose and gardening in your anchor text, you will improve your chances of increasing your ranking for the words rose and gardening as well as the phrase rose gardening.
A Word Of Caution Regarding Anchor Text Optimization
What most people that are new to anchor text optimization tend do is build links with the same exact text. From a logical standpoint this does seem like a good idea and for the most part it is, just as long as you don’t overdo it as there seems to be a spam penalty on Google when doing this too much. If you use the same link over and over multiple times, Google will think that you are trying to manipulating them. Therefore your ranking will decrease instead of improve. A more effective approach would be to vary your anchor text, thereby making it look a little more natural. This doesn’t mean that you can’t target your desired keyword or phrase. It’s just that you need to be a little less obvious about it.
A Final Word On Anchor Text Optimization
One should always pay special attention to offsite anchor text optimization, especially inbound links from websites and blogs with higher pageranks than yourself because offsite optimization has lots more value than onsite optimization. This does not mean that you should overlook onsite optimization. The search engines, especially Google, loves anchor text, so optimize it because the implementation of keywords in your anchor text can make a world of difference in the final ranking of your website or blog.
