Anchor Text Strategy: Building a Natural Link Profile
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text of a link, and it tells both users and Google what the target page is about. That is exactly why “put the money keyword in the anchor” was overused for years.
This article covers anchor types, why over-optimization is risky, what Google's link spam policy says, and how external and internal links differ. I cover link acquisition as a whole in the backlink and digital PR guide.
Short answer: In a natural link profile, most anchors are brand names, URLs and descriptive phrases that fit the context, and the linking sites choose them, not you. Google's spam policies list links with optimized anchor text in articles, guest posts or press releases distributed on other sites as link spam. For internal links, descriptive anchors are good practice.
What is anchor text, and how does Google use it?
Google's link best practices say good anchor text is descriptive, reasonably concise and relevant to the page it is on. The practical test: read the anchor on its own, out of context. Does it still make sense?
The same page adds two technical details: the anchor should sit inside an <a> element Google can crawl, and for image links Google uses the image's alt text as the anchor. It also warns against cramming every related keyword into the anchor, reminding readers that keyword stuffing violates the spam policies.
Anchor text types: brand, exact match, generic, URL
Take links pointing to a dental clinic in Istanbul. Different sites link to the same page with different text, and that variety is the mark of a natural profile.
| Type | Example | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Gülüş Dental Clinic | The most natural type; appears on its own in news and directories |
| URL / naked link | gulusdis.com.tr | Common in directories, forums and reference lists |
| Partial match | a clinic in Kadıköy that does implants | Reads naturally in context |
| Exact match | kadıköy dental clinic | Fine if rare and editorial; risky when concentrated |
| Generic | here, their site, this page | Not useless, part of a natural profile |
| Image | Logo alt text | Alt text acts as the anchor |
Remember that the profile as a whole matters, not single links. One exact-match anchor is normal; hundreds of sites using the same commercial phrase point to a scheme.
Over-optimization: what does the link spam policy say?
Google's spam policies define link spam as creating links primarily to manipulate rankings. Several examples are about anchors directly: links with optimized anchor text in articles, guest posts or press releases distributed on other sites; forum signatures with optimized links; and keyword-rich links embedded in templates and widgets.
If such a scheme was built in the past and the Manual actions report shows a warning, see toxic backlinks and disavow for the clean-up. If there is no warning, the first step is to stop building these links.
What does a natural link profile look like?
Google does not publish an ideal anchor distribution or percentage; the “X% brand, Y% exact match” formulas online are not official. It is more accurate to describe a natural profile by its traits:
- Brand names and URLs dominate
- Anchors match the language and context of the linking article
- Links spread across the homepage, guides and tools
- Spelling variants, with and without Turkish characters
- The identical commercial phrase from many sites
- Links point only to money pages
- Text around the anchor is off-topic
- Many links with the same pattern in a short time
A natural profile forms most easily from work people mention on their own. I explain how to plan that in the brand mention article.
External vs internal link anchors
With external links, the linking site chooses the anchor; at most you can suggest one. With internal links you are fully in control, and descriptive, keyword-bearing anchors are what Google itself recommends.
So the “same commercial phrase everywhere” pattern you should avoid externally is not a problem internally, although varying descriptive phrases by context reads better for users. I cover orphan pages, depth and menu links in the internal linking strategy article. To decide which page targets which phrase, start from the keyword research guide.
How do you audit your anchor profile?
- Get the listExport top linking text from the Search Console Links report plus an SEO tool's anchor list.
- ClassifyTag each anchor as brand, URL, partial, exact match or generic.
- Check the sourceSee which sites and content types the exact-match anchors come from.
- DecideKeep editorial ones; get bought ones marked sponsored or removed at the source.
What follows an audit is usually about content, not links:
- Create guides, tools and data pages worth linking to; the content strategy guide offers a good framework.
- Do not dictate anchors in PR and partnerships; asking for a brand or URL link is enough.
- Write rel="sponsored" into contracts for sponsored content.
- Review the anchor mix quarterly and investigate any sudden jump in exact-match anchors.
If you want to plan link acquisition together with content, we can work through backlink and digital PR consulting and content strategy; to review your current profile through SEO consulting, reach me via the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I ask a linking site to change the anchor?
Usually not. Turning a brand or URL link into an exact-match anchor makes your profile less natural. Ask for corrections only for broken links or links to the wrong page.
Are generic anchors like “click here” worthless?
Not worthless, but they say little about the target. In external links they are part of a natural profile; for internal links on your own site, prefer descriptive phrases.
Do anchors without Turkish characters cause problems?
No. Spellings like “kadikoy dis klinigi” are how people actually type, and they appear often in natural profiles. There is no need to correct them.
Does the anchor of a nofollow link matter?
Google's documentation says links marked nofollow, sponsored or ugc will generally not be followed. They can still bring traffic and awareness, so natural anchors matter for users here too.
Competitors rank with exact-match anchors; should I copy them?
A tactic working for a competitor today does not make the same risk right for you. Instead of copying something that breaks the link spam policy, study which content earns them links.
How is the anchor set for image links?
According to Google's documentation, the image's alt text is used as the anchor for image links. That is why descriptive alt text on logo and banner links matters.
8+ years of hands-on SEO and GEO experience across 150+ projects in e-commerce, SaaS, healthcare and local business sectors. Writes based on real client data, not theory.