Anchor Text SEO Optimization: Stop Wasting Link Equity on "Click Here"
Anchor text — the visible, clickable words in a hyperlink — is one of the clearest signals Google uses to understand what a linked page is about. Non-descriptive anchor text like "click here," "read more," "learn more," or plain URLs provides no keyword context to search engines and misses an opportunity to reinforce the linked page's topical relevance. Optimizing your internal and external link anchor text is a high-impact, low-effort SEO improvement that directly helps Google understand your site's content architecture and what each page should rank for.
How Anchor Text Sends Ranking Signals to Google
Google's original PageRank patent described how anchor text from inbound links helps determine a page's relevance for specific queries. When many pages link to a destination page using the anchor text "technical SEO checklist," Google learns that the destination page is about technical SEO checklists — even if the destination page itself doesn't use that exact phrase. This is particularly powerful for internal links because you control the anchor text completely. Google's documentation on internal linking explicitly recommends using descriptive anchor text: "The best anchor text is unique and descriptive text that accurately describes the page you're linking to."
Types of Anchor Text and Their SEO Value
Anchor text falls into several categories with different SEO value. Exact-match anchors use the precise target keyword ("technical SEO audit") — most powerful for rankings but risky if overused in external backlinks. Partial-match anchors include variations of the target keyword ("how to do a technical SEO audit") — natural and effective. Branded anchors use your brand name ("SitemapFixer guide") — builds brand signals. Generic anchors ("click here," "read more," "here") provide zero keyword signal — to be avoided wherever possible. Naked URL anchors (https://example.com) provide no topical signal. Image links with no alt text provide no anchor text at all — always add descriptive alt text to linked images.
The Problem with Generic Anchor Text
When you write "For more information, click here," Google sees the anchor text "click here" for the linked page. This tells Google nothing about what the destination page covers. Multiply this across dozens of internal links — a common pattern in older or unoptimized sites — and you've systematically failed to reinforce the topical context of your most important pages. Google has specifically cited generic anchor text as a missed opportunity in its optimization guidelines. Beyond SEO, generic anchor text is an accessibility failure — screen reader users scan page links by anchor text to navigate, and a list of "click here" links is meaningless to them.
Auditing Anchor Text Across Your Site
Screaming Frog SEO Spider's "Anchor" tab shows all internal links with their anchor text. Export and filter for generic terms: "here," "click here," "read more," "learn more," "this," "link," "page," and naked URLs. This list becomes your optimization backlog. Ahrefs Site Audit and SEMrush both include anchor text analysis in their internal linking reports. For external backlinks, Ahrefs' Anchors report shows your site's full inbound anchor text distribution — identify over-optimization patterns (too much exact-match) or lost opportunities (excessive generic anchors from high-authority sites where you can request updates).
How to Write Better Anchor Text
The rule for writing good anchor text: describe exactly what the user will find on the linked page using natural, keyword-rich language. Instead of "click here to read our guide on technical SEO," write "our technical SEO guide explains each step in detail." The anchor becomes "technical SEO guide" — descriptive, keyword-relevant, and natural. Vary your anchor text across multiple links to the same page to build a natural anchor profile: "technical SEO checklist," "technical SEO audit guide," "how to do a technical SEO audit" — all pointing to the same page from different contexts. Avoid using the exact same anchor text for every internal link to a page.
Anchor Text Over-Optimization: The Penguin Risk
While improving anchor text, avoid the opposite mistake: over-optimizing with too many exact-match anchors in external backlinks. Google's Penguin algorithm (now integrated into core updates) targets unnatural anchor text patterns. A link profile where 80% of external anchors are exact-match keywords looks manipulated. Natural link profiles have a mix: 30–40% branded, 20–30% partial match, 10–15% exact match, 10–20% generic, and 5–10% naked URLs. For internal links, exact-match anchor text is generally safe because you control the context — it looks natural for your own content to link to related pages using descriptive keywords. The risk profile for over-optimization is primarily an external backlinks concern.
Anchor Text for Images and Buttons
Linked images use the image's alt attribute as their anchor text from Google's perspective. An image with alt="" (empty) linked to another page contributes no keyword context. Always add descriptive alt text to linked images: alt="SitemapFixer technical SEO audit dashboard". For button links, use descriptive button text rather than generic "Submit" or "Go" labels. "Start Free SEO Audit" is a better button than "Click Here." Call-to-action buttons that appear on multiple pages create repeated anchor text signals — make them descriptive to reinforce the linked page's topic.
Prioritizing Which Anchors to Fix First
When you have hundreds of generic anchor text instances to fix, prioritize by impact. Start with your most important pages — those targeting competitive keywords or driving the most conversions — and ensure all internal links to those pages use descriptive, keyword-relevant anchors. Next, fix anchor text on high-traffic pages where improved internal linking will accelerate discovery of your newer content. Then address the most commonly occurring generic phrases ("click here," "read more") that appear in reusable templates or blog post footers, where a single template fix resolves dozens of instances. Update internal link anchor text in your CMS or content editor directly — no redirect needed, just a text change.