What is anchor text?
The clickable words of a link. Clear anchor text tells readers and search engines what the linked page is about.
The plain definition
Anchor text is the visible, clickable wording of a link. In the sentence “read our guide to water heater repair”, the anchor text is “guide to water heater repair”. Search engines use the words in and around a link to understand what the page it points to is about, so the wording matters.
An example
A link that says “click here” tells nobody anything. A link that says “emergency drain cleaning in Springfield” tells both the reader and Google what to expect on the other side. The same idea applies to links from other sites to yours, and to links between your own pages.
Why it matters for a local business
For a local business, descriptive anchor text on your own pages is one of the easiest improvements, because you control every word. Keep it short, natural and specific, and avoid using the exact same phrase for every link, which reads as forced.
Check it for free
See where you stand with the free website grader. If you would rather have it handled, our Local SEO service covers this as part of the monthly work.
Related terms
Part of the SEO glossary. New to all this? Start with the beginner’s SEO guide.
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