SOP 011: Anchor Text Strategy
Anchor Text Fundamentals
"Anchor text is the most manipulated ranking signal. Get it wrong and you'll trigger a penalty. Get it right and you'll outrank everyone." — Matt Diggity
Anchor Text Types
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| ANCHOR TEXT TYPES |
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| EXACT MATCH |
| "best coffee makers" -> links to best-coffee-makers page |
| |
| PARTIAL MATCH |
| "top rated coffee makers for 2024" (contains keyword) |
| |
| BRANDED |
| "CoffeeGuru" / "CoffeeGuru.com" / "CoffeeGuru recommends" |
| |
| NAKED URL |
| "https://coffeeguru.com" / "coffeeguru.com" |
| |
| GENERIC |
| "click here" / "read more" / "this article" / "learn more" |
| |
| IMAGE (Alt text) |
| [Image with alt="coffee maker reviews"] |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+Safe Anchor Text Distribution
For Homepage
| Anchor Type | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Branded | 60-70% |
| Naked URL | 15-20% |
| Generic | 5-10% |
| Exact/Partial Match | 5-10% |
For Inner Pages (Money Pages)
| Anchor Type | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Partial Match | 30-40% |
| Exact Match | 10-20% |
| Branded + Keyword | 15-25% |
| Generic/Naked | 20-30% |
Critical
These percentages are targets. Always check competitor anchor profiles before building links.
Anchor Text Research Process
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| ANCHOR RESEARCH WORKFLOW |
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| 1. Find top 5 ranking competitors for your keyword |
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| 2. Export their anchor text profile (Ahrefs/Majestic) |
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| v |
| 3. Calculate their anchor text ratios |
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| v |
| 4. Average the ratios across competitors |
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| v |
| 5. Use averaged ratios as your target (slightly more branded) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------------+Anchor Text Velocity
Safe Link Building Pace
Month 1: 5-10 links → 80% branded, 20% generic
Month 2: 10-15 links → 70% branded, 30% generic/partial
Month 3: 15-20 links → 60% branded, 25% partial, 15% exact
Month 4+: 20-30 links → Match competitor ratiosGolden Rule
Start with mostly branded anchors. Add exact match anchors slowly over time.
Partial Match Variations
Creating Natural Partial Match Anchors
Target keyword: "best coffee makers"
Good partial match variations:
• "best coffee makers for home use"
• "top rated coffee makers in 2024"
• "coffee makers that experts recommend"
• "guide to the best coffee makers"
• "finding the best coffee makers"
• "reviews of coffee makers"Branded Anchor Variations
Brand: "CoffeeGuru"
Branded anchor variations:
• CoffeeGuru
• CoffeeGuru.com
• the CoffeeGuru team
• according to CoffeeGuru
• CoffeeGuru's review
• CoffeeGuru experts
• the team at CoffeeGuruOver-Optimization Signs
Penguin Warning Signs
- Exact match anchor > 30%
- Too many keyword-rich anchors early on
- Unnatural anchor + low-quality site combo
- Same anchor text repeated across many links
- Sudden spike in exact match anchors
Fixing Over-Optimized Profiles
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| ANCHOR TEXT DILUTION |
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| 1. Stop building exact match anchors immediately |
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| 2. Build 20-30 new links with: |
| - Branded anchors (50%) |
| - Naked URLs (30%) |
| - Generic (20%) |
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| 3. Disavow worst offending links if necessary |
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| 4. Monitor rankings over 4-8 weeks |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------------+Anchor Text by Link Type
| Link Type | Recommended Anchors |
|---|---|
| Guest Posts | Partial match, branded |
| Niche Edits | Partial match, contextual |
| HARO | Branded, naked URL |
| Digital PR | Branded, generic |
| PBNs | Partial match, generic |
| Directory Links | Branded, naked URL |
Ahrefs Anchor Analysis
Checking Your Profile
- Site Explorer → Your domain
- Anchors report
- Filter by "dofollow"
- Export and calculate percentages
Comparing to Competitors
- Run same report for top 5 competitors
- Create spreadsheet with all ratios
- Average ratios = your target
- Adjust for being slightly more conservative
Anchor Text Checklist
- [ ] Analyzed top 5 competitor anchor profiles
- [ ] Created target ratio spreadsheet
- [ ] First 10 links are mostly branded
- [ ] Exact match anchors under 20%
- [ ] Varying anchor text on each new link
- [ ] No repeated identical anchors
- [ ] Including long-tail partial matches
- [ ] Tracking anchor profile monthly
See Also
- 005 - Guest Posts - Link acquisition
- 010 - Internal Linking - Internal anchors
- Video: Backlink Diversity - Link building strategies