Is anchor text still a major ranking factor for Google?

Why does Google place so much importance on anchor text?

The anchor text acts as a contextual signal for Google's algorithms. When a link points to a page with the anchor "backlink strategy," Google understands that the target page likely discusses this topic. It’s a semantic shortcut that helps the engine categorize and rank content without having to analyze everything from scratch.

Historically, anchor text has been one of the pillars of the original PageRank. While its importance has evolved with the increasing complexity of algorithms, Mueller emphasizes here that this signal has not disappeared. It remains active, particularly within internal linking where you directly control the semantics.

What is the difference between internal and external anchors?

For internal links, you have complete control over the anchoring strategy. Google uses these anchors to understand your content architecture, identify your pillar pages, and distribute link juice. A vague anchor like "click here" or "learn more" wastes an opportunity for semantic reinforcement.

External anchors (backlinks) are trickier. You don’t control what other sites write, and an over-representation of exact match anchors can trigger anti-spam filters. Google monitors artificial anchor profiles — too many occurrences of the same commercial keyword sound like manipulative link building.

Does anchor text really influence rankings today?

Yes, but its relative weight has diminished compared to other signals like Core Web Vitals, search intent, or behavioral data. Anchor text remains a confirmed factor, but not the decisive factor. It acts as an amplifier: a good anchor profile boosts an already strong page but doesn’t save mediocre content.

Specifically, a page that receives 50 backlinks with varied and contextual anchors will have an advantage over a page with 50 generic backlinks ("website", "source"). The difference can represent several positions in competitive SERPs.

• Anchor text provides a contextual signal that helps Google categorize target pages.
• Internal anchors are a direct SEO lever that you fully control.
• Over-optimized external anchors (repeated exact match) trigger anti-spam filters.
• Anchor text is no longer the dominant factor it once was, but it remains measurable and actionable.
• Prioritize natural variety and contextual relevance over mechanical keyword repetition.

Does this statement align with real-world observations?

On paper, yes — and this is precisely what makes this statement both true and misleading. The anchor text still works, but its effectiveness drastically depends on the context. In low-competition niches, a good internal anchor profile can make a difference. In ultra-competitive sectors (finance, health, insurance), its relative impact is drowned in the mass of other signals.

A/B tests on e-commerce sites show that optimizing internal anchors towards category pages improves crawl budget and the distribution of internal PageRank. However, the effect on direct organic traffic remains marginal if the content, speed, and domain authority do not follow suit. [To be verified]: Google does not publish any figures on the relative weight of anchor text in its overall algorithm.

What nuances should be added to this recommendation?

First nuance: Mueller emphasizes descriptive anchors, but the line between "descriptive" and "over-optimized" is blurry. An anchor like "buy cheap running shoes" is descriptive for a human but suspicious for an algorithm. The most effective anchors are those that combine keywords and natural context ("our complete guide to running shoes").

Second nuance: this advice mainly applies to internal linking. For backlinks, over-optimizing anchors is a signal of manipulation since Penguin. A healthy profile mixes branded anchors ("SEO Claims"), generic anchors ("this article"), and partial anchors ("advanced SEO strategies"). An Ahrefs study from 2021 shows that sites with less than 30% exact match anchors perform better in the long run.

In what cases does this rule not apply?

If your site heavily uses JavaScript for navigation, the anchors may be invisible or misinterpreted by Googlebot. In that case, optimizing anchor text is pointless if the link itself cannot be crawled. The same issue applies to client-side dynamically generated anchors.

Another exception: nofollow links. Google may ignore or devalue the anchor text of nofollow links in its relevance calculation. Since the introduction of the rel="sponsored" and rel="ugc" attributes, the treatment of anchors in these contexts has become opaque. [To be verified]: no official data on the weight of nofollow anchors in ranking.

What should you do to optimize internal anchors?

Start with an internal linking audit. Crawl your site with Screaming Frog or Sitebulb, export all internal links, and analyze the distribution of anchors. Identify strategic pages that receive generic anchors ("here", "learn more") when they deserve descriptive anchors. This is a quick win.

Next, define an anchoring convention by page type. For a pillar page on "technical SEO", aim for varied anchors such as "technical SEO optimization", "technical SEO best practices", "technical SEO guide". Avoid repeating the exact same anchor 50 times from 50 different pages — it smells automated.

What mistakes should be avoided in managing external anchors?

Never request an exact match anchor during a link-building campaign. If you reach out to a site for a backlink, propose several natural formulations that include your brand or context. A forced anchor ("best CRM software 2025") drives serious editors away and attracts spam link sellers.

Monitor your anchor profile with Ahrefs or Majestic. If you notice an abnormal concentration (>40%) of exact commercial anchors, that's a warning signal. Dilute with branded and generic anchors. A healthy profile looks like: 30-40% brand, 30-40% generic, 20-30% partial/exact.

How can I check if my site is properly leveraging this asset?

Use the Search Console to identify your most internally linked pages. Cross-reference this data with your SEO goals: are your money pages receiving enough internal links with relevant anchors? If your homepage captures 80% of the linking, you are wasting internal PageRank.

Test the impact on a pilot section. Choose 10-15 pages from the same topic, optimize their internal anchors with rich descriptors, and measure the evolution of positions over 4-8 weeks. Compare with a control group. This is the only way to quantify the real impact on your specific site.

• Crawl the site to audit the current distribution of internal anchors.
• Replace generic anchors ("click here") with semantic descriptors on strategic pages.
• Define an anchoring convention by content type (pillar, support, transactional).
• Monitor the external anchor profile with Ahrefs/Majestic (threshold: max 40% exact match).
• Systematically vary the anchors pointing to the same URL (brand, partial, generic).
• Test the impact on a subset of pages before mass deployment.