Anchor text is the visible, clickable phrase embedded within a hyperlink. It is the text users will see and select when they intend to move to a different resource or page. Anchor text can be classified as either informative or generic.
Anchor text constitutes one of the many ranking criteria used by Google. Your chosen method for using anchor text will affect your internal linking, external linking, and backlinking strategies. It can also influence the placement of your content within search results.
There are three key categories of anchor text: descriptive, generic, and branded terms. Each category fulfills a unique function, and should be deployed appropriately to enhance both the ranking and visibility of your content.
Descriptive anchor text is used to summarize the target page of the link, and is generally considered the most effective type of anchor text. Generic anchor text is typically employed when linking to a page without a specific description relevant to the link’s text. Lastly, branded terms are keywords associated with your brand or specific website.