Also known as: Link Text, Link Anchor
Anchor text is the visible, clickable words in a hyperlink. It tells both readers and search engines what the linked page is about, which makes it a core on-page and off-page SEO signal. For retail-brokerage affiliates, deliberately chosen anchor text on internal links and backlinks helps review and comparison pages rank for the keywords that drive commissions.
Search engines have used anchor text as a relevance and ranking signal since the earliest days of PageRank. If many reputable pages link to your article using the words "best ECN broker," Google reads that as a collective vote that your page deserves to rank for that phrase. Anchor text therefore shapes not just whether you rank, but what you rank for.
There are several types, and a natural profile mixes them. Exact-match uses the target keyword verbatim ("best ECN broker"); partial-match includes it loosely ("a reliable ECN broker to consider"); branded uses your site name; naked-URL is the raw link; and generic is "click here" or "read more." A healthy backlink profile is dominated by branded and natural phrasing, with exact-match kept to a small minority.
The main risk is over-optimization. If 80% of your backlinks use the identical exact-match anchor "forex broker," that pattern looks manipulated rather than earned, and Google's Penguin-era algorithms can suppress or penalize the page. The discipline is to vary anchors so the profile looks like links people chose naturally, not like an anchor you dictated.
When a search engine crawls a link, it reads the anchor text as a description of the destination page and adds that to how it understands and ranks the target. Aggregated across every backlink pointing at a page, anchor text builds a picture of what the page is authoritative about — which is why links using "best ECN broker" push the target toward ranking for that query.
Because this signal is powerful, search engines also watch for abuse. An unnaturally high share of identical exact-match anchors suggests the links were engineered, so algorithms discount or penalize that pattern. Affiliates work with this by earning links with varied, contextual anchors and by using internal links — which they fully control — to reinforce topic relevance with descriptive, non-repetitive phrasing.
Decide which broker review or comparison page should rank for which high-intent phrase before building any links.
Link between your own pages with meaningful phrases (not "click here") to pass topical context you fully control.
Pursue links from relevant sites using a natural mix of branded, partial-match, and occasional exact-match anchors.
Use an SEO tool to track the distribution and keep exact-match a small minority of the total.
If exact-match anchors spike, dilute with branded and natural links to avoid an over-optimization pattern.
Why it matters for partnership: Anchor text is a lever affiliates control to rank money pages — broker reviews and "best broker" comparisons — for high-intent keywords. Well-varied anchors compound into organic traffic that converts without recurring ad spend; over-optimized anchors risk a ranking penalty.
An affiliate wants their "IC Markets vs Pepperstone" comparison to rank for "best ECN broker." They earn guest-post backlinks using varied anchors — some "best ECN broker," more "this broker comparison" and their own brand name — and internally link with descriptive phrases. Over six months the page climbs to page one, delivering organic clicks that convert to funded accounts with zero ongoing ad spend.
| Type | Example | Use sparingly? |
|---|---|---|
| Exact-match | "best ECN broker" | Yes — keep a small minority |
| Partial-match | "a reliable ECN broker" | Moderate use |
| Branded | "Revenika" | Use freely |
| Naked URL | "revenika.com" | Use freely |
| Generic | "click here" | Avoid — wastes context |
Optimize internal-link anchors first — you control them completely, they pass topical relevance to your money pages, and they carry none of the over-optimization risk that aggressive backlink anchors do.
Using generic anchors like "click here" wastes SEO context, while over-using identical exact-match keyword anchors looks manipulative and can get the page penalized.
A natural profile is dominated by branded and natural-phrase anchors, with partial-match used moderately and exact-match kept to a small minority. There is no single perfect ratio, so aim for variety that looks earned.
Yes. It remains a meaningful relevance and ranking signal for both internal links and backlinks, though search engines now weigh it alongside content quality and overall link context.
Yes. An unnaturally high share of identical exact-match anchors can look manipulative and trigger algorithmic suppression or a penalty, so dilute it with varied anchors.
It gives search engines no context about the destination page, wasting the relevance signal the link could pass. Descriptive phrases are far more valuable.
Only partially. You control internal links and can request anchors on guest posts or partnerships, but organic backlinks use whatever text the linking site chooses — which is healthy for a natural profile.
Use an SEO tool such as Ahrefs, Semrush, or Majestic to see the breakdown of anchors pointing at your pages, then adjust your link-building to keep the mix natural.