How important is your anchor text? Very important, if you want a high-ranking page in the search engines. Anchor text, or link label, link title or text link, is the visible hypertext you click on within a text to carry you to another page. The words you choose to highlight for your hypertext can determine the ranking you’ll receive in the search engines.
The anchor text is ranked highly by the search engines when the linked text is relevant to the landing page. When creating pages for your web site, anchor text is convenient for directing your viewers to other pages that contain additional information. It also ensures that all your pages are solidly linked so the reader can even find pages that have been buried under the input of fresh content.
Anchor text may also be used for linking to additional sites that compliment your own or that have related information. Linking to other sites helps create a strong network of shared viewers, and brings added recognition to the search engine algorithms. The anchor text can be up to sixty characters in link. It should be key word sensitive for best search results. Building a hyperlink that states “click here” or “more” will not add to your search engine optimization. It should be incorporated into the natural flow of the content.
Before using anchor text, take into consideration your type of website. If it is academic, the anchor text should be sensitive to academic material. If your web site is geared toward tourism, keywords such as “cruises” or “hotel accommodations” would be appropriate. When choosing your keywords, make sure the hyperlink leads directly to the type of information being sought.
Link only to other sites that will enhance, verify or extend the information on your own site. Make sure that it is an active site that routinely changes its content. Check to see if readers have left comments at the site. Reader comments are a good indication of the degree of interest other viewers have in the subject matter.
You may wish to develop an agreement with other sites for link sharing. Contact the site administrator through e-mail and discuss the possibilities of a link exchange and guest blog sharing. If you have a good site, with interesting content and links, the site will probably be agreeable as the shared links and guest blogging will be mutually beneficial.
Don’t go overboard on creating anchor links. Too many links in a single text message might send the reader off into multiple directions without ever finishing the first page. Keep your links controlled and to the point. Don’t let the reader forget why your page was accessed in the first place. Use your links only to provide additional information or to reflect back on the initial subject. Your goal is to optimize your page, but it is also to keep your reader interested.
