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What is an anchor link
An anchor link is the text part that is attached to a hyperlink that leads to an external resource, another page on your site, or a specific section of text on the same webpage. In other words, an anchor represents a combination of text and a link.
For example, the phrase "20+ cool courses on web analytics and data processing" serves as a good anchor because it informs the user about the content the link leads to. On the other hand, a URL like https://www.postmypost.io/ru/blog/obuchayushchie-kursy-po-veb-analitike/ is not an anchor by itself. Additionally, the phrase "Read about web analytics courses here" is also an anchor, but it is less effective as it lacks keywords and does not give the user an idea of what to expect after clicking through.
How anchors are used
Anchors are used in various text formats, including webpages, blogs, social media, email newsletters, and even PDF documents. They allow users to easily and quickly navigate to other pages or resources.
For example, in the Unisender dictionary, you can learn about the term UX and click the link to explore the related term "usability." Anchors serve several important functions:
- Create navigation and connections: with clear hyperlinks, users can quickly jump to another section of the site or interesting material.
- Retain users: if a user is reading an article and clicks an anchor to another, their time on the site increases, contributing to the formation of trust in the resource.
- Add keywords: when writing texts, it is important to include key phrases for SEO, which can help in promoting the site.
- Facilitate promotion on third-party resources: anchors can be placed on other sites to advertise your content, which is part of link building.
Types of anchors
Anchors can be classified by keyword concentration into two types: diluted and undiluted. Undiluted anchors contain only the key phrase, for example, "Create a Telegram channel." Diluted anchors include the keyword with additional text, as in the example: "How to create a Telegram channel for business. Full instructions."
There are also several types of anchors categorized by search query frequency:
- High-frequency: consist of 1-2 words and match high-frequency keywords for which the site is optimized.
- Medium-frequency: include 2-4 words and are diluted.
- Low-frequency: diluted anchors that can include both high-frequency and medium-frequency queries, usually consist of 7-8 words.
How to create a good anchor
To ensure that anchors contribute to improving the site's reputation and are useful to users, it is recommended to follow several important tips:
- Come up with the right link text: the anchor should be easy to read and not a meaningless collection of keywords.
- Reflect the essence of the material: the anchor text should clearly indicate what information the user can expect after clicking.
- Avoid uninformative phrases: phrases like "read here" or "more details at the link" do not help with ranking and do not inspire trust.
- Fit into the context: links should be relevant and not raise questions about their necessity.
- Set links to open: it is best to open anchors in a new tab so the user can quickly return to the read material.