Anchor text is one of those terms that sounds far more complicated than it is. The moment you understand what it refers to, you will realise you see it, and click on it, dozens of times a day without ever giving it a name. It also happens to play a quietly important role in how search engines understand the web, which makes it worth a few minutes of your time.
Here is what anchor text is, why it matters, and how to think about it sensibly for your own business.
The straightforward definition
Anchor text is the visible, clickable words that make up a link. When you see a piece of text on a webpage that is underlined or shown in a different colour, and clicking it takes you somewhere else, the words you clicked on are the anchor text.
So if a webpage contains the sentence “you can read our guide to heating oil here”, and the word “here” is the clickable link, then “here” is the anchor text. If instead the link were on the words “guide to heating oil”, then that phrase would be the anchor text.
It really is that simple. The anchor text is just the wording of a link, the bit a human reads and clicks, as opposed to the web address hidden underneath it that the browser actually follows.
Why the wording of a link matters
If anchor text is just the words on a link, you might wonder why anyone makes a fuss about it. The answer is that those words give search engines a strong clue about what the linked page is about.
When one page links to another, Google reads the anchor text as a kind of label or description of the destination. A link with the anchor text “emergency boiler repair” tells Google that the page it points to is probably about emergency boiler repair. In effect, every link on the web is also a small vote describing what the linked page covers. Multiply that across the millions of links pointing around the internet and you can see why it became a meaningful signal.
This applies both to links between pages on your own website, known as internal links, and to links from other websites pointing to yours, known as backlinks. In both cases, the wording of the link helps Google build its understanding of what a page is about and which searches it should be relevant for.
The two places anchor text shows up
It is worth separating the two situations, because the advice differs.
Internal links, the links between pages on your own site, are entirely within your control. You decide the wording every time you link from one of your pages to another. This is a genuine, practical opportunity. Linking to your boiler repair page using clear, descriptive wording like “boiler repair in Burnley” helps Google understand that page far better than linking to it with a vague “click here”. You get to label your own pages helpfully, and it costs nothing but a little thought.
Backlinks, the links from other websites to yours, are mostly outside your direct control, because other people choose the wording when they link to you. This is usually a good thing. Natural, varied anchor text from a range of websites is exactly what Google expects to see, and it looks healthy and genuine.
The trap to be aware of
Here is where anchor text gets a bad name, and where some less honest practitioners get businesses into trouble.
Because anchor text is a signal Google pays attention to, people have long tried to manipulate it. The classic abuse is deliberately getting lots of backlinks that all use the exact same keyword-rich anchor text, in the hope of forcing a page to rank for that term. If a business pays for fifty links all using the precise anchor text “best accountant in Manchester”, that is not a pattern that occurs naturally. Google has become very good at spotting this kind of thing, and rather than rewarding it, it can treat it as a red flag and penalise the site.
So an unnaturally repetitive, over-optimised anchor text pattern is a risk, not a shortcut. This is one of those areas where chasing a quick win can do real and lasting harm. A trustworthy approach treats anchor text as something that should look natural and varied, because genuine links from genuine sources naturally are.
What a business owner should actually do about it
For the links you control, your internal links, the guidance is refreshingly simple and entirely positive. When you link between pages on your own website, use clear, descriptive, natural wording that genuinely describes the page you are linking to. Favour meaningful phrases over lazy “click here” or “read more” links where it makes sense, because the descriptive version helps both your readers and Google. There is no risk here and only benefit, so it is well worth a little care.
For the links you do not control, your backlinks, the main thing is to be wary of anyone offering to build large numbers of links with identical, keyword-stuffed anchor text. If an agency or a cheap online service is promising that, treat it as a warning sign rather than an opportunity. Healthy link building earns varied, natural mentions from credible sources, and the anchor text takes care of itself.
Anchor text is a small detail with a sensible lesson behind it. Describe your own pages clearly when you link to them, and let the links pointing to you stay natural. Get those two instincts right and you are doing exactly what Google hopes to see, with none of the risk that comes from trying to game it.
