What is an anchor and how does it affect search engine rankings?

Anchors remain one of the most important signals that search engines and users use to form an idea of the topic and value of a page. The right strategy for working with anchors increases relevance to queries, improves behavioral metrics, and contributes to more stable rankings in search results – especially in competitive niches. For businesses, this means not only better visibility, but also higher quality traffic that converts into leads and sales.

In this article, we will analyze what types of anchors to use, how to create and control an anchor list, what rules to follow when link building, and how to ensure an optimal balance between anchor and neutral links.

What is an anchor and why it is important for SEO

An anchor serves as a short communication signal: it tells both the user and search engines what the landing page will be about. In the ranking system, the anchor acts as one of the contextual touches – it complements the headings, text, and metadata, clarifying the topic and intent of the page. It is important that the significance of an anchor is determined not only by the words in it, but also by the context of its placement. That is, the topic of the donor page, the surrounding text, and the authority of the resource.

For a better understanding, let’s look at anchor text in practice. For example, the anchor text «buy an office chair» should lead to a catalog page with office chairs. The HTML will look like this: <a href=”/kupi-ofisne-krilo”>buy office chair</a>. This anchor immediately tells both the user and the search engine what offer to expect after the transition.

For sales, the effect of anchors is measured practically: more accurate anchors improve traffic quality, shorten the path to conversion, and make link building investments more effective. That’s why working with anchors is not just a technical task, but a part of a marketing strategy to improve traffic relevance and quality.

Types of anchor texts

There are different types of anchor texts, and the choice of a particular type determines how the link will be interpreted by search engines and perceived by the user. The correct classification helps to select anchors for business goals: promoting key pages, strengthening the brand, improving navigation, or minimizing the risks of over-optimization. Each type has its advantages and limitations. Let’s look at the main types of anchors with specific examples.

Anchors of different types can be combined to create a balanced link profile. For example, exact or partial match anchor texts (with keywords) should be combined with branded and neutral phrases to make the linking strategy look natural.

Such a variety of anchor texts is in line with the recommendations for SEO promotion: when creating an anchor list, both exact and diluted keys, general wording, brands, and URLs should be present. A balanced set of different types contributes to a better perception of the site by search engines and reduces the risk of penalties for over-optimization.

Creating and managing an anchor list

An anchor list is a list of all anchor texts that will be used for internal and external links on your website. It allows you to structure links, control their relevance, and avoid cases of artificial keyword stuffing. In fact, an anchor list is a strategic SEO tool that helps you see the whole picture of link building and adjust it in time.

To create an effective anchor list, you need to take the following steps:

1. Define the goal and audience. First, set the goal of promotion and understand the portrait of your customers. What queries do they enter? What information are they looking for? The choice of key phrases and the tone of anchors will depend on this.
2. Collect the semantic core. Create a list of the main keywords and phrases (high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency), as well as their synonyms and wording. This can be done through tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. A high-quality semantic core will become the foundation for anchors.
3. Analyze competitors. Check how competing sites build their anchors: what keys they use, in what proportions, and on what types of resources they place links. Special SEO services ( Ahrefs , Serpstat) will help you get a list of competitors’ anchor texts and understand typical link profile models in your niche.
4. Categorize anchors by type. Using the semantic core and analysis results, create a diverse set of anchors: exact matches, partial matches, branded and neutral phrases. This will ensure balance and naturalness. For example, after collecting the keys, you can create a table where different anchor phrases are assigned to each group of queries.
5. Set the optimal proportions. As a rule, it is recommended to adhere to a certain ratio of anchor and nofollow links. The main thing is to avoid the predominance of commercial phrases: too many «buy», «price», etc. in the list of anchors can be perceived by search engines as an attempt at artificial optimization.
6. Update your anchor list regularly. Search engine algorithms are constantly changing, new trends and queries appear. Periodically review and update your anchor list. Add new relevant phrases, change priorities depending on the results of position analysis and competition.

The correct design of the anchor list will ensure a transparent and controlled link building process. It helps search engines to better understand the context of links and helps to increase website visibility. In particular, various anchors on the page facilitate the work of algorithms in determining the topic of the resource, which directly affects the ranking.

How to use anchor text correctly

It is important to emphasize the goal: the anchor strategy should make links informative for the user and understandable for search algorithms. A well-designed anchor text not only increases the relevance of the page to the desired queries, but also reduces the user’s path to conversion, reduces the mismatch of expectations after the click, and improves the quality of traffic.

Let’s look at a few rules when working with anchors that you need to follow for high-quality SEO promotion.

Meaningful and concise anchor

The anchor should briefly and accurately convey the expectations of the transition. A few words are enough for the user and the search engine to understand the topic of the landing page. In practice, this means choosing simple, clear wording – 2-5 words, without unnecessary clarifications or complex structures. A concise anchor is easier to read in the SERPs and looks natural on the page, so it is easier for algorithms to interpret when comparing it with search queries.

Relevance as a primary condition

The anchor text should correspond to the content of the page to which the link leads. That is, if the anchor text promises a certain product or topic, the user should get exactly that after clicking. A mismatch creates a gap between expectations and reality, which negatively affects behavioral metrics and algorithmic trust. Therefore, before placing a link, it is worth checking the landing page to see if it really satisfies the informational or commercial intent of the anchor.

Context around the link

The words and sentences surrounding the anchor add meaning to it and help algorithms interpret its purpose more accurately. An anchor embedded in a natural, explanatory sentence is perceived by the user as useful and relevant, while a «hastily bolted-on» link without context is questionable. Therefore, embed the anchor in a phrase that briefly explains what to expect on the landing page, as this is more understandable for people and more informative for search engines.

Vary the wording

The same anchor text for a large number of links looks unnatural, so it’s important to create a pool of options for one landing page. Use exact and partial matches, branded forms, synonyms, and neutral phrases. This variety reduces the risk of spamming and gives search engines a more natural link profile.

Don’t overuse keywords

Excessive use of anchors with an exact keyword phrase increases the vulnerability of the link profile to algorithmic penalties. This risk is especially relevant for niches with high competition and intensive link building. Therefore, exact matches should be used selectively and combined with branded, neutral, and nofollow links. This approach allows you to maintain the effectiveness of promotion without creating an artificial link profile.

The role of alt text for images

When a link is embedded in an image, search engines consider the alt attribute of the image as an anchor text, so it should be descriptive and relevant. Alt text should briefly convey the essence of the landing page, avoiding generic captions like «image». This simultaneously improves SEO and content accessibility for users with disabilities.

Operational quality control

Anchor strategy should be tested and monitored regularly. Link audit, analysis of CTR and behavioral metrics, as well as comparison with competitors’ profiles help to identify problems in time. Create a simple control table with the fields «anchor», «landing page», «source», and «comment» – this will allow you to quickly find repetitions and inconsistencies, and adjust the strategy. Constant monitoring ensures that anchors work for the business goal and do not harm the rankings.

The optimal ratio of links with and without anchors

Think of a link profile as a well-thought-out investment portfolio: you don’t bet on a single asset, but on a combination of tools that compensate for risks and enhance the result. The same goes for the link profile: a combination of «targeted» anchors with keywords and neutral links such as URLs, brands, and general phrases gives a more stable effect on rankings and reduces the likelihood of algorithmic problems. Anchor texts increase relevance for specific queries, while nofollow links add naturalness and help avoid suspicions of over-optimization. Together, they form a balance that works for both visibility and traffic quality.

Let’s take a look at practical anchor type distribution patterns for two common scenarios. These are working models, so use them as a starting point and adapt them to the specifics of your niche, link building strategy, and monitoring results.

Commercial project

Suitable for online stores, services, and commercial pages.

Thus, branded anchors dominate the commercial profile, which reduces the risk of overoptimization and at the same time maintains recognition. Exact matches are used with caution.

Information project

Suitable for large blogs, media resources, and reference sites.

In information projects, a large share of neutral or URL links makes the profile look more natural and reduces the risks of large-scale content campaigns.

Oleksandr Shmidko

SEO Specialist

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