You know when you’re reading a post or article online and some text is a different color? You click on that text, and it’s a link to a related page?

That text is called anchor text, and how you write it is an important part of home improvement website marketing.

Why Does Anchor Text Matter?

In the past, anchor text didn’t matter. Marketers would write “Get more information here,” and embed the link on the word “here.” Today, anchor text matters for numerous reasons:

• Improves on-page experience. Misleading or vague anchor text links make it difficult for someone to decide whether they want to click. And if there’s any friction in the process, you can bet they won’t. They might choose to bounce from your page instead.
• Makes navigation more obvious. Strong anchor text helps guide people through navigation. They know to click one line to get information about window repairs and another to learn more about how to clean their windows, for example.
• Provides potential SEO benefits. Good anchor links can also help search engine bots better understand the context on pages and how pages related to each other on your site. That can improve your SEO.

How Do You Write Strong Anchor Text?

• Use a relevant phrase. It should be relevant to the page you’re linking too as well as the reader. If the reader is on a page about window installation and the link is to a window repair page, the anchor text might be embedded in a sentence such as, “First, decide whether you want to repair the window or replace it.”
• Keep it short. Don’t link an entire sentence. It can be annoying to the reader and might look spammy.
• But not too short. Don’t link a tiny word, which might be hard to click. Two-word to four-word phrases work well as anchor links.
• Use keywords when they work well. This can enhance SEO. But don’t force the keyword into anchor text. Natural phrases are always the best bet.