Anchor text is the visible wording of a link. It helps a reader understand where the link will take them, and it gives Google context about the destination. Google's current link guidance describes links as a relevance signal and recommends anchor text that is descriptive, concise and relevant to both pages.
Effective Use of Anchor Text
When a link to a page uses wording such as "dog biscuits," it gives both readers and search systems a clear clue about that page. That does not mean repeating one exact phrase across many links will automatically strengthen it. Repetition that looks arranged around a keyword can make a link profile look engineered, while wording that fits each article and destination remains useful.
Google has fought manipulative link building since the Penguin era. The practical lesson is not to chase a universal exact-match percentage. A figure such as 1-5% may describe someone's rule of thumb, but it is not a safe target for every site, market or existing backlink profile.
A recent study gives another reason to be wary of rigid ratios. SEO Arcade's September 2026 analysis looked at 46 Google results pages. Literal exact-match anchors and anchor diversity did not show a reliable relationship with rank in that sample. A broader word-match signal became weaker once the author controlled for brand size, while referring domains showed the stronger relationship. It was a small observational study, so it cannot tell us what one anchor change will cause. It can tell us that a neat percentage is a poor substitute for judgment.
Semrush's 2026 link-building guide reaches the same practical conclusion from a campaign perspective: descriptive anchor text can help users and search systems understand the destination, while over-optimised wording can signal manipulative link building.
Here are some recommendations for using anchor text in a modern SEO strategy:
Diversify anchor text
Use wording that arises naturally from different articles and references: the brand name, a page or resource title, a concise description of the destination, a partial-match phrase, a URL, and an exact-match phrase when it genuinely reads best. Do not insert vague wording such as "click here" just to change the percentages. Google specifically recommends descriptive text over generic anchors.
Prioritise relevance and user experience
Read the anchor inside its sentence. It should describe the destination, make sense to the reader and fit the point the article is making. If an exact-match phrase does that naturally, it can be appropriate. If it feels forced, choose wording that expresses the same relationship more clearly.
Monitor your anchor text distribution
Regularly review the anchors and referring domains pointing to important pages. Look for one commercial phrase dominating recent links, irrelevant wording, repeated sitewide links or a sudden pattern that does not match how people would normally refer to the page. Tools such as Ahrefs, Moz and Semrush can help you inspect the profile.
Use ratios as a warning, not a target
There is no universal ideal percentage for exact-match, partial-match, branded, URL and descriptive anchors. Ratios can still help you spot when one phrase is taking over or when a profile changes sharply. Treat them as a warning light, not a target. Link quality, referring domains, page purpose and the site's history all matter to what the numbers mean.
Focus on high-quality backlinks
Anchor text cannot rescue an irrelevant or low-quality placement. Prioritise relevant publishers, useful articles and links that belong in the content. The referring domain, page context and editorial reason for the link matter alongside its wording.
High competition keywords
Competitive searches often need more authority and more strong referring domains. Review how credible pages in that market are described, but do not copy a competitor's percentages as a formula. Plan varied, relevant articles and let their contexts produce suitable anchors around the pages you need to strengthen.
Low competition keywords
Lower-competition searches may need fewer strong links, which means one repeated phrase can dominate a smaller profile quickly. Exact-match wording is not automatically safer because competition is low. Use it when it is the clearest description, while keeping the overall campaign relevant and varied.
Anchor text strategies vary by market, page type and the backlink profile already in place. Competitor research is most useful when it helps you understand language, publishers and content opportunities, rather than when it produces a percentage to imitate.
Natural anchor text use by market
People describe legal services, software, products and local businesses differently. Examine the search results and backlink profiles in your market to find the terms readers and publishers actually use. Then judge each proposed anchor against its article and destination.
Established authority sites and exact-match anchors
Established sites may acquire a wide range of links because more people know and cite them. That broader profile can make any one anchor less dominant, but authority does not make forced repetition good practice. Use exact-match wording when it is natural, not as a privilege earned by a stronger domain.
Websites with exact-match domain names
An exact-match domain can acquire anchors that repeat the target phrase simply because that phrase is also the brand or URL. Account for that overlap when reviewing the profile. There is no need to offset it with deliberately vague anchors; keep earning useful links with descriptive wording that fits each source.
The best anchor is usually the one a reader would expect to see in that sentence. It should connect a useful article to the right destination in clear language. Keep an eye on the wider profile, but put the quality and relevance of each placement first.
Keyword Anchor Text Tools
You do not need to guess at the language people use or what already points to your pages. These tools can help you research keywords, review backlink profiles and find article ideas that lead to natural anchors.
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner provides keyword ideas and search-volume estimates. Use it to identify the language people use around your product or service, then choose phrases that accurately describe the page you want to support. Its competition measure concerns advertisers, so use an SEO tool's difficulty and search-result analysis when judging organic competition. Google's Keyword Planner definitions explain how the figures are calculated.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs combines keyword research, backlink analysis and competitor research. Use the Anchors report in Site Explorer to review the wording already pointing to your target page, then compare it with relevant competitors. Keywords Explorer can help identify related phrases worth investigating.
Semrush
Semrush provides keyword research, competitor analysis and backlink analysis. Use its backlink reports to examine competitors' anchor text and referring domains, then connect those findings to the keywords and pages your own campaign should support.
Moz Keyword Explorer
Moz Keyword Explorer offers keyword suggestions, search-volume estimates and difficulty data. Use it to build a shortlist of relevant keyword variations before deciding which wording belongs in an anchor and which ideas belong in the surrounding article.
Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest provides keyword ideas, search-volume estimates and competitor research, with limited free access and paid plans. Use it to explore related phrases and content ideas that can give your target page a broader range of relevant anchors.
AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic surfaces questions and phrases around a keyword using search autocomplete data. Use those questions to find useful article angles and longer descriptions of your topic. A resource answering one of those questions may give you a natural destination for a descriptive anchor.
Turn the research into a placement plan
Start with the page you want to strengthen. Review its existing anchors in a backlink tool, compare relevant competitors, and use keyword or question research to find gaps. Then record the target page and preferred anchor. Add an Article Topic when you want to steer the subject, or leave it open for Rank Engine to develop through research.
For example, a service page may suit a brand-plus-service anchor, while a practical guide can use its title or a description of the problem it solves. Read the proposed wording in a sentence: it should make the destination clear and fit the article's point.
Using anchor text in Rank Engine
In Order Setup, give each placement its target page and preferred anchor. Use Context Terms only when related language around the link would help.
Use the tools above to select relevant, natural and varied anchors, then give each placement a clear role in strengthening the pages that matter to your business.
