Anchor Text
The clickable text in a hyperlink that tells users and search engines what the linked page is about.
Anchor text is the visible, clickable words in a hyperlink. When you see a blue underlined link that says "learn more about SEO," that phrase is the anchor text. It gives both users and search engines context about what they'll find when they click.
Search engines use anchor text as a signal to understand what the linked page is about. If lots of sites link to your page with the anchor text "best running shoes," Google takes that as a hint that your page is relevant for that topic.
There are several types of anchor text: exact match ("SEO tools"), partial match ("free SEO audit tools"), branded ("AuditMySite"), generic ("click here"), and naked URLs ("https://example.com"). A natural backlink profile has a mix of all types.
Over-optimizing anchor text — using the exact same keyword phrase in every link — looks manipulative to search engines and can trigger penalties. Natural link profiles have variety.
Why It Matters for SEO
Anchor text is one of the signals Google uses to understand page relevance. Descriptive anchor text helps search engines connect the dots between pages. It also improves user experience by telling visitors what to expect before they click.