Anchor Text & Internal Links

01 The Rule

Internal links must use descriptive, keyword-relevant anchor text. Avoid generic anchors like 'click here' or 'read more'. The anchor text of an internal link is a strong signal to search engines about the target page's topic.

02 Rationale

Anchor text is one of the strongest on-page ranking signals. For large sites with thousands of internal links, consistent descriptive anchor text creates a powerful topical signal map that helps search engines understand content relationships and relevance.

03 Implementation

• Use descriptive text that reflects the target page's primary topic
• Vary anchor text naturally — don't use exact-match anchors everywhere
• Ensure every important page receives internal links from relevant pages
• Audit link distribution to find orphaned pages (no internal links pointing to them)
• Include contextual links within body content, not just navigation

04 Common Violations & Consequences

05 The Fix

Audit internal link anchor text distribution using a crawl tool. Replace generic anchors with descriptive text. Identify and link to orphaned pages. Use the Link Pattern Monitor to track anchor text health.