Link Building Strategies: The Role of Anchor Text in 2021
Link building has always been a crucial aspect of search engine optimization. It helps to increase the visibility of websites and improve their ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). One of the most significant factors in link building is the use of anchor text.
What is Anchor Text?
Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink that directs users to another page. It can be a single word, a phrase, or a sentence. It plays a crucial role in SEO because it provides context to search engines about the content on the linked page.
Types of Anchor Text
There are various types of anchor text that you can use to link to another page. These are:
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Exact Match Anchor Text: This type of anchor text uses the exact keyword or phrase that you want to rank for. For example, if you want to rank for "best pizza in town," you'll use this exact phrase in your anchor text.
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Partial Match Anchor Text: This type of anchor text uses a variation of your target keyword or phrase. For example, if your target keyword is "best pizza in town," you could use "delicious pizza in town" as your anchor text.
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Branded Anchor Text: This type of anchor text uses the brand name as the anchor text. For example, "XYZ Pizzas" instead of "best pizza in town."
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Naked URL Anchor Text: This type of anchor text uses the URL of the linked page as the anchor text. For example, https://xyzpizzas.com.
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Generic Anchor Text: This type of anchor text uses generic words such as "click here" or "read more" as the anchor text.
Best Practices for Anchor Text Usage
Using anchor text in link building is critical, but it must be done correctly to avoid penalties from search engines. Here are some best practices for anchor text usage:
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Avoid Over-Optimization: Using the exact match anchor text excessively can be seen as over-optimization and may lead to a penalty from search engines. Instead, use a mix of different types of anchor text.
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Use Relevant Anchor Text: The anchor text you use should relate to the content on the linked page. Using irrelevant anchor text can be seen as spammy and may lead to penalties.
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Avoid Using Generic Anchor Text: Generic anchor text, such as "click here," doesn't provide any context to search engines. It's best to use descriptive anchor text that relates to the content on the linked page.
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Mix It Up: Use a mix of different types of anchor text and distribute them evenly to create a natural-looking backlink profile.
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Vary Anchor Text Source: Diversity in the sources of the anchor text is central to build backlinks with minimal risk of being penalized.
Conclusion
Anchor text continues to play a vital role in link building and SEO. Using it correctly can help you improve your website's visibility and ranking on SERPs in 2021. It's essential to maintain best practices when using anchor text to avoid penalties from search engines.
