Definition
Anchor text is the visible, clickable words of a hyperlink. Search engines use it as a signal about the topic of the page being linked to: a link with the anchor "online casino payout times" tells search engines something about the destination page's subject.
Anchor text applies to both internal links (between pages of one site) and external links (from other sites), and its wording, variety and relevance all factor into how much topical value a link passes.
Anchors are commonly classified by type: exact-match (the anchor is the target keyword), partial-match (contains the keyword plus other words), branded (the site or brand name), naked URL (the link is the address itself), and generic ("click here", "read more"). A natural link profile contains a mix of these, weighted toward branded and generic anchors, because that is how real editorial links tend to be written.
In context
For internal linking on an iGaming affiliate site, descriptive anchor text is straightforwardly useful: linking to a review with the anchor "BrandX withdrawal review" rather than "here" helps both users and search engines understand what is on the other end, and it reinforces the target page's topic. Over-optimising internal anchors - forcing the exact target keyword into every internal link to a page - is unnecessary and can look manipulative, so natural, varied, descriptive phrasing is the norm.
For external links, anchor text is a well-known risk area. A backlink profile with an unnaturally high proportion of exact-match commercial anchors ("best online casino bonus") pointing at money pages is a classic footprint of paid or manipulated link building, and search engines discount or penalise it.
Affiliates building links legitimately aim for the profile real coverage produces: mostly branded and URL anchors, some partial-match, occasional exact-match, and relevance between the linking page's topic and the target. The anchor is one signal among many, and forcing it is more likely to trigger a penalty than to lift rankings.
Worked example
An affiliate audits its backlink profile and finds 45% exact-match commercial anchors pointing at its top money pages - a manipulation footprint. It stops acquiring keyword-anchor links, focuses on earning branded and contextual mentions, and over six months the exact-match share falls to 12% while rankings recover.
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Frequently asked questions
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