How to Use Anchor Text
Filed under Site Promotion
The visible text of a hyperlink is called the anchor text. Well researched anchor text is made up of keywords, and allows both search engines, as well as people, to have an idea of what to expect when they click on the specific link.
What Anchor Text is not: A link on the words, “Click Here” is not anchor text. A hyperlink around the text, “Texas web design services” is a good example of anchor text (The hyperlink would begin with the word “Texas” and stops after the word “Services”.)
The possibility of a target page obtaining a higher position in the rankings of a search engine is increased by the strategic use of keywords. Search engines prefer anchor text, because it assists them in analyzing exactly what the target page is all about.
Warnings: Make sure that relevant keywords are used. Don’t try to fool a search engine. They’ve been around a long time and they are very aware of tricky keyword scams.
Change the anchor text from place to place. Refrain from using a ton of links on different sites with duplicate keywords. Your keywords should usually be “long-tail” phrases. A long-tail keyword is a more detailed or specific phrase. “Houston Audi Repair Service” or “Texas foreign auto repair” are examples of long-tail keyword phrases. “auto repair” is an example of a short-tail keyword – notice it is much more generalized. You will be amazed by the large amount of long-trail phrases people will look for. Though the short-tail phrases may generate tens of thousands of searches, your chances of showing up at the top of the list for them is nil unless your site is old and well-established with a huge number of backlinks.
Avoid advertising your site on websites that are made to “massage” the search engine rankings. Initially you may get a moderate boost in your page rank, but this is only temporary. Once Google penalizes you, your page rank will suffer accordingly — and possibly forever.
Stephen Grisham, Sr. is a copy writer for InfoServe Media, LLC. If you are looking for a web design, Houston is where to look. If you just need periodic updates to an existing site, InfoServe Media also offers website maintenance.
