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Overview

Anchor text—the clickable text in a hyperlink—tells both users and search engines what to expect on the linked page. Poor anchor text hurts usability and wastes SEO opportunities. SEO Crawler analyzes your anchor text quality and identifies issues.
Available on: Pro and Agency plans

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What We Analyze

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Anchor Text Types

TypeExampleSEO Value
Exact Match<a href="/seo-guide">SEO Guide</a>High (but avoid over-optimization)
Partial Match<a href="/seo-guide">complete SEO guide for beginners</a>High
Branded<a href="/about">About SEO Crawler</a>Medium
Generic<a href="/seo-guide">click here</a>Low
Naked URL<a href="/seo-guide">example.com/seo-guide</a>Low
Image Link<a href="/seo-guide"><img src="..." alt=""></a>Depends on alt text

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Quality Indicators

IndicatorGoodPoor
DescriptiveTells users what they’ll findGeneric or vague
Concise2-5 words typicallyToo long or too short
RelevantMatches target page contentUnrelated to destination
UniqueVaried anchor text for same targetSame anchor everywhere

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Why Anchor Text Matters

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User Experience

Good anchor text helps users:
  • Know What to Expect: Clear indication of destination content
  • Scan Efficiently: Descriptive links stand out when scanning
  • Navigate Confidently: Reduces uncertainty about clicking
Studies show users are 40% more likely to click descriptive links than generic “click here” text.

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SEO Impact

Search engines use anchor text to:
  • Understand Context: Anchor text signals what the target page is about
  • Distribute Authority: Links pass relevance along with PageRank
  • Assess Quality: Natural, varied anchor text indicates quality

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Accessibility

Screen reader users rely on anchor text:
  • Links are often read out of context (“List of links” mode)
  • Generic text like “click here” provides no context
  • Descriptive text enables efficient navigation

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Reading Anchor Text Results

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Summary Dashboard

MetricDescription
Anchor ScoreOverall anchor text quality (0-100)
Links AnalyzedTotal links with anchor text
Issues FoundLinks with quality problems
Generic AnchorsCount of “click here” style links

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Issue Breakdown

Anchor Text Analysis
─────────────────────────────────────────
🔴 Critical Issues (12)
   • Empty anchor text: 8 links
   • Image links without alt: 4 links

🟠 Warnings (34)
   • Generic anchor text: 22 links
   • Single-word anchors: 12 links

🟡 Optimization Opportunities (18)
   • Naked URLs: 10 links
   • Very long anchors: 8 links
Click any issue to see specifics: 
Generic Anchor Text: "click here"
─────────────────────────────────────────
Found on:     /blog/getting-started
Target:       /documentation/quickstart
Current:      <a href="/documentation/quickstart">click here</a>
Suggestion:   <a href="/documentation/quickstart">quickstart documentation</a>

Found on:     /about
Target:       /contact
Current:      <a href="/contact">click here</a>
Suggestion:   <a href="/contact">contact our team</a>

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Common Issues and Fixes

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Generic Anchor Text

<!-- Vague, non-descriptive -->
<p>To learn more about SEO, <a href="/seo-guide">click here</a>.</p>
<p>Read more <a href="/blog/post">here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="/pricing">Learn more</a> about our pricing.</p>

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Empty Anchor Text

<!-- No text content -->
<a href="/page"></a>

<!-- Only whitespace -->
<a href="/page">   </a>

<!-- Hidden text (SEO spam technique) -->
<a href="/page"><span style="display:none">text</span></a>

<!-- Image link with no alt text -->
<a href="/product">
  <img src="product.jpg">
</a>

<!-- Empty alt text -->
<a href="/product">
  <img src="product.jpg" alt="">
</a>

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Over-Optimized Anchors

Using the exact same keyword-rich anchor text for every link to a page can trigger spam filters.
<!-- Same anchor everywhere (over-optimization) -->
<a href="/seo-services">best SEO services</a>
<a href="/seo-services">best SEO services</a>
<a href="/seo-services">best SEO services</a>
<a href="/seo-services">best SEO services</a>

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Naked URLs

<!-- URL as anchor text -->
<p>Visit <a href="https://example.com/guide">https://example.com/guide</a></p>

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Best Practices

Be Descriptive

Anchor text should describe the destination page. Users and search engines should know what to expect.

Keep It Concise

2-5 words is ideal. Long anchor text dilutes relevance and is harder to scan.

Vary Your Anchors

Don’t use identical anchor text for every link to the same page. Natural variation is better.

Front-Load Keywords

Put important words at the beginning of anchor text where they’re most visible.

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Anchor Text Strategy

1

Audit Current State

Run a crawl with Anchor Text Analysis enabled to identify issues.
2

Fix Critical Issues

Address empty anchors and image links without alt text first.
3

Replace Generic Text

Update “click here” and “read more” with descriptive alternatives.
4

Plan Internal Linking

Create an internal linking strategy with varied, relevant anchor text.
5

Monitor Over Time

Regular crawls catch new issues as content is added.

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Filtering Options

FilterDescription
Issue TypeGeneric, Empty, No Alt, Over-optimized
Link TypeInternal or External
Source PageLinks from specific URLs
Target PageLinks to specific URLs

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Bulk Fix Strategies

For sites with many anchor text issues:
Update “Read More” links in blog templates:
<!-- Before -->
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">Read more</a>

<!-- After -->
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">
  Read more about <?php the_title(); ?>
</a>
Update link generators:
// Before
link.textContent = 'Click here';

// After
link.textContent = `View ${item.title}`;

SEO Analysis

Anchor text is part of your overall on-page SEO picture.

Broken Link Detection

Find broken links while analyzing anchor text.