Is Exact Match Anchor Text Still Relevant for SEO?
The use of exact match anchor text has been a hot topic in the SEO industry for quite some time now. Back in the day, exact match anchor text was considered as the holy grail of link building. It was seen as a shortcut to improve the website's search engine rankings without putting in much effort. However, over the years, Google has made various updates to its algorithm, and the importance of exact match anchor text has declined gradually over time.
If you are not aware, anchor text is the clickable text that appears as a link to your website. Exact match anchor text is when the anchor text is the exact match of the targeted keyword for which you want to rank. For example, if you want to rank for the keyword "red shoes," the exact match anchor text for your link would be "red shoes."
Back in the day, exact match anchor text was considered an important ranking factor by Google. However, the overuse of this tactic led to the infamous practice of "keyword stuffing." Websites started to use the exact same keywords as anchor text multiple times on the same page, making the content difficult to read and creating a poor user experience.
Google recognized this, and as a result, it made various updates to its algorithm to combat the excessive use of exact match anchor text. These updates include the Penguin algorithm update, which targeted websites engaging in manipulative link schemes, including the overuse of exact match anchor text.
So, is exact match anchor text still relevant for SEO?
The short answer is no. While it still has some value, it is not as important as it once was. In fact, the overuse of exact match anchor text can now harm your website's search engine rankings. Google's algorithm is much more sophisticated now and rewards websites that use anchor text naturally and provide valuable content to users.
There are various types of anchor text that can be used to link to your website. These include:
- Branded anchor text- when the anchor text is the name of your brand or website
- Co-occurring text- when the anchor text is a variation of the targeted keyword
- Partial match- when the anchor text contains a partial match of the targeted keyword
- Naked URLs- when the link is just the URL of the website
It is recommended to use a combination of these types of anchor text in your link building strategy. It provides a natural and diverse link profile to your website, which is more beneficial for SEO than just using one type of anchor text.
Apart from anchor text, there are various other factors that contribute to a website's search engine rankings. These include:
- Content quality- providing valuable and relevant content to users
- On-page optimization- including the use of keywords in page titles, meta descriptions, and headers
- Page speed- websites that load faster are favored in search engine rankings
- Backlinks- links from high authority websites can boost a website's search engine rankings
In conclusion, while exact match anchor text still holds some value, it is not as important as it once was. It can even harm your website's search engine rankings if overused. It is recommended to use a combination of various types of anchor text in your link building strategy and focus on providing valuable and relevant content to users.