Anchor Text
The visible, clickable text of a hyperlink.
Definition
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text that appears in a hyperlink. In HTML, it's the text between the opening and closing `<a>` tags. For example, in `<a href="https://example.com">startup directories</a>`, the anchor text is "startup directories".
Anchor text is an important SEO signal: it tells Google what the linked page is about. Exact-match anchor text (linking to a page using its target keyword as the anchor) can help that page rank for the keyword. Over-optimized anchor text (too many exact-match anchors) can be a spam signal. Most directory listings use your brand name as anchor text, which is natural and safe — brand anchors are the most common type in healthy backlink profiles.
Example
If a directory links to your startup as "Acme — The Best Project Management Tool", the anchor text is "Acme — The Best Project Management Tool". This signals to Google both your brand name and your product category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most directories use your product name or brand name as the anchor text, which is ideal. Some use your website URL (a 'naked URL' anchor). A few let you customize the anchor text in your listing description. Brand-name anchors are the most natural and are what Google expects to see in a healthy link profile.
Yes — anchor text is still a meaningful signal, though Google has become better at understanding context regardless of anchor text. For directory submissions, anchor text is not something to optimize heavily. Focus on earning the link; the anchor text will naturally be your brand or product name.
Related Terms
Put it into practice
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