Linktext

Link text/anchor text is the clickable part of a hyperlink. It should explain the target to users and search engines: more descriptive rather than "click here," sensibly incorporate keywords, vary anchor texts, and naturally place links within the content

If a text, a word, within a hypertext document is connected with a hyperlink, it is generally called link text. Alternative terms are also reference text and anchor text. Such link text allows domains to refer to others. And for this to be recognized as such a reference, the link is usually highlighted in color or distinguished in some other way (underlined, bold, italic, etc.) from the surrounding text environment.

Link texts serve on one hand to make readers curious about the webpage behind them, and on the other hand to help search engines better delimit the topic of the web content. For this reason, it is not advisable to set hyperlinks randomly. Ideally, a link text fulfills certain requirements that are sensible from an SEO-relevant perspective.

Keywords, keyword positions and positions

Anchor texts should, if possible, contain relevant keywords for the linked website, ideally facilitating the thematic categorization of hyperlink and content by search engines. A link text like "click here" or "more after the click" therefore provides little information. There are various variations in the number of words linked: While some SEO experts rely on the main keyword linking (i.e., just one word), others swear by using different link texts with multiple words and at least two relevant keywords. Because the link power is evenly distributed across all words of the hyperlink, too many filler words should not be used. Alternatively, the link text consists of only a few words (1–3).

The position of the keyword within the linked part also influences the SEO relevance of link texts. A front position is recommended. At the same time, attention should be paid to the position of the links within the HTML document. Thus, links from the body text, the footer, or the sidebar are weighted differently.

Variations of anchor texts

For website operators and editors, there are various possibilities to design link text. And this should be well thought out, because as in many SEO disciplines, a balanced mix and interaction with other ranking factors are crucial. It is not advisable to strictly follow a pattern. Ideally, you have a good mix of "1-key" and "multi-key" texts that refer to other domains. A large part of the link texts should always contain the main keyword, and the incoming references should ideally come from different domains to ensure good link and domain popularity.