What is an anchor link?

Anchors are elements of web pages that allow the user to go in one click to another page or resource on the Internet. They consist of a text part and the address (URL) of the web page to which they lead. Once they are activated, the user is redirected to the specified url.

If you look at the html code, they look like text between tags. It is the standard use case, but some forums specify them differently.

Here is a table explaining the main types of such elements:

Each given example of an anchor link has its own characteristics and can be used in different contexts on web pages to ensure reader friendliness and search engine optimization.

The importance of anchors in SEO

An anchor link can be used in various contexts such as textual content on websites, blogs, social media, email newsletters, and even PDF documents. By using them, users can navigate to another page of your or an external web resource with a single click.

Anchor in SEO fulfills several important functions:

• Increasing relevance. The use of keywords and phrases in the anchor text helps search engines better understand what exactly the page it leads to is about. It positively affects its relevance for a particular query in the search engine.
• Improving the internal structure of the site. Such hyperlinks are used for internal re-linking. In other words, they redirect the reader between web pages of the same resource. It helps distribute the authority (PageRank) evenly between them, increasing their visibility and importance to search engines.

• Backlink attraction. Quality anchors used by other webmasters linking to your site can help increase its authority in the eyes of search engines, which contributes to better ranking in search results.
• Improved user experience. If you make the anchor correct and informative, it will be possible to improve site navigation, which in turn will increase reader interaction and retention.
• Combating negative SEO. Using irrelevant or spam anchor links can lead to a decrease in relevancy and authority of a website in the eyes of search engines. Therefore, choosing them correctly is also important to prevent a negative impact on SEO.

Types of anchors

There are the following varieties of such links:

• anchor - a text fragment that you can click on. Such an anchor in SEO can be internal or external;
• non-anchor - they look like URLs, not text. For example, "https://contenthub.pro/" instead of "go to site".
• commercial - contain commercial keywords designed to promote products or services;
• non-commercial - not related to the sale of goods, includes information related to entertainment, news, etc..;
• branded - containing the name of the brand or company.

It is crucial for SEO to create a natural link profile, as search engine robots evaluate the diversity of link anchors. At the same time, the anchor text plays an important role, which helps search engines better understand the context of the link.

1. Non-anchor links

It is one of the simplest and safest types of anchor that does not include a keyword phrase. Instead, it consists of text that is either clickable and leads to a website or is a regular word that directly relates to the content of the page it points to. This type of link is distinguished by its naturalness, as it is most often used by ordinary users who do not always follow optimization for search engine robots.

Non-anchor hyperlinks can be presented in various ways. Most often, it is a text form that represents the URL address of the page.

Here is an anchor example: 

• https://contenthub.pro; 
• http://www.contenthub.pro; 
• contenthub.pro;
• www.contenthub.pro. 

This method of creating link anchors is considered to be the most natural, as many online users simply copy and paste the URL addresses into their comments or publications without thinking about creating keywords.

Non-anchor links fit perfectly into the natural context of user interaction on the Internet, which makes them the preferred choice for ordinary people who are not familiar with the technical aspects of search engine optimization.

2. Anchor links

It is an important tool in SEO optimization, used to increase the position of a web-site in search results. These keyword phrases are especially selected to attract the target audience and stimulate actions, such as buying or ordering goods or services. However, when using a commercial anchor, it is necessary to consider the impact of such links on page ranking.

On the one hand, they are transparent and easily recognizable as an attempt to attract customers to make a purchase or order. It can lead search engine robots to consider such hyperlinks as purchased ones and not take them into account when ranking. On the other hand, improper use of a commercial anchor can cause a web page to be perceived by the search engine as an attempt to manipulate ranking.

The following phrases are most often used as anchor text: 

• buy;
• order;
• price;
• sale;
• cheap;
• inexpensive.

There can also be other similar expressions aimed at stimulating the actions of potential customers.

However, once you decide to make a link with an anchor, you need to keep a balance and avoid overspamming. Instead, you should diversify them by including not only commercial phrases, but also informative and branded anchors. This approach will help build a more natural and diverse link profile, which will have a positive impact on the SEO optimization of the site.

What is important to know about link anchors in SEO

To get the most out of using such links, it`s important to know how to do it correctly.

We decided to share a few valuable recommendations with you:

• Avoid excessive use of keywords. Try to diversify the anchor text by avoiding direct repetition of key phrases. It is preferable to use a key phrase in diluted form rather than in its direct occurrence. Overabundance can be considered by search engines as a form of spam, which will negatively affect ranking. In addition, do not use the anchor in the text of the page too often, as this can also be seen as a form of undesirable behavior in terms of SEO.
• Take into account the optimal length of the anchor text. It is recommended to limit anchor texts to two or three words. However, you should consider the context of the particular web page and situation, and also focus on best practices in your industry. Before making an anchor link, remember that its purpose is to clearly and concisely convey the meaning of the page, so avoid excessive length.
• Ensure it is grammatically correct and easy to read. Avoid mechanically copying key phrases from keyword analysis tools without first checking for grammatical correctness and readability. Carefully check each anchor for errors and make sure that it is easy to read and understand by your visitors.
• Guarantee the relevance to the landing page. It is important that the anchor text fully corresponds to the content of the web page to which it links. Make sure that the subject matter and intent of the former is consistent with the content and goals of the latter. It will help increase the relevance of the url and improve the user experience.
• Avoid the mass use of identical anchor links. Try to present each page with a unique anchor to ensure the link profile of your website is natural and diverse. Using diverse and relevant elements will help improve the visibility of the resource in search engines and attract more quality traffic.

It is also important to analyze your competitors to understand how many times you should insert anchor and non-anchor links in a particular niche.

Which sites are better to place anchor links on

When developing a strategy for placing links with the anchor, you should take into account various aspects of search engine optimization. One important factor is the selection of key phrases for use in hyperlinks and their distribution across sites.

The most commonly used key phrases with an exact match in the anchor link should be placed on the most reputable and top sites. The reason for this is that search engines pay special attention to these texts on such sites, so their weight and importance for ranking may be higher.

At the same time, it is important to use non-anchor elements on other sites to create a natural and diverse link profile. They represent URLs or text fragments that are not keywords. Such links help dilute the link anchor and create a more natural and diverse link mass. It also helps build your site`s authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

This way, a reasonable combination of anchor and non-anchor links on various sites will help ensure optimal optimization in search engines, as well as increase the relevance and credibility of your resource in their eyes.