The definition
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text of a hyperlink. In "read our guide to link building," the anchor text is "guide to link building." Search engines read that text as a small piece of context about what the destination page is about, alongside everything else they know about the link.
The main anchor text types
- Exact match — the anchor text is the precise keyword you want the page to rank for (e.g., "commercial cleaning services").
- Partial match — the anchor includes the keyword alongside other words (e.g., "affordable commercial cleaning services in Austin").
- Branded — the anchor is a company or brand name.
- Generic — phrases like "click here," "this article," or "learn more."
- Naked URL — the raw URL itself used as the anchor.
Why the choice matters
Exact-match anchor text is the most direct signal you can send about what a page is about, which is exactly why an unnaturally high concentration of it is also one of the more obvious signs of manufactured link building. A backlink profile made up almost entirely of exact-match anchors, built up quickly, doesn't resemble how links accumulate naturally — most organic links use branded, generic, or naked-URL anchors, because the person linking is usually referencing you, not trying to rank your page.
What a natural mix looks like
There's no single formula, but a backlink profile that's grown organically tends to lean heavily toward branded and generic anchors, with exact and partial match making up a smaller minority. When we place PBN links or niche edits, we default toward partial-match or natural phrasing rather than raw exact-match unless there's a specific reason to do otherwise, precisely to avoid over-optimizing a small set of links in a way that stands out.
How we handle it
For every placement — PBN, guest post, or niche edit — we confirm the exact anchor text with you before it goes live, and we'll flag it if a request looks like it would push your overall anchor mix too far toward exact-match. See PBN Link Building for how this is handled specifically for network placements.
Checking your own anchor mix
- Branded“PBNLinksHub”
- Naked URL“example.com/page”
- Generic“read more”
- Partial match“guide to garden sheds”
- Exact match“garden sheds”
Most backlink tools can export a list of your links with their anchor text. Google Search Console's Links report also lists your top linking text for free. Sort that list into branded, exact match, partial match, generic and naked URL anchors to see your mix. For the links on any single page — your own or a potential host — our free internal link & anchor text analyzer flags generic, naked-URL, empty and inconsistent anchors.
Treat the result as a description, not a score. There's no universally correct percentage for any category; compare your mix with the pages that rank well in your niche, and be cautious about adding more of whichever category already dominates — especially exact match.