Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. Search engines use anchor text as a relevance signal—it helps them understand what the linked page is about. Your anchor text distribution, meaning the variety of anchor texts across all your backlinks, reveals whether your profile looks natural or potentially manipulated.
Why Anchor Text Matters
In the early days of SEO, marketers discovered that links with exact-match anchor text (e.g., "best running shoes" linking to a running shoe page) boosted rankings for those keywords. This led to widespread manipulation, with site owners building thousands of links using the same keyword-rich anchors.
Search engines adapted. Today, an unnatural concentration of exact-match anchors can trigger algorithmic filters or manual penalties. A healthy, natural backlink profile includes diverse anchor text that mirrors how real people naturally link to content.
What a Healthy Anchor Text Profile Looks Like
Natural link profiles typically follow this distribution:
Anchor Type | Target Percentage | Description |
|---|---|---|
Branded | 40–60% | Your company name, brand name, or domain (e.g., "LinkRocket," "linkrocket.com") |
Naked URL | 20–30% | The raw URL with no descriptive text (e.g., "https://www.example.com/page") |
Generic | 10–15% | Non-descriptive phrases like "click here," "read more," "learn more," or "visit this site" |
Partial Match | 5–10% | Phrases that include your keyword naturally alongside other words (e.g., "guide to backlink analysis tools") |
Exact Match | Less than 5% | Your precise target keyword with no additional words (e.g., "backlink analysis") |
These percentages aren't rigid rules—they're guidelines based on what organic link profiles tend to look like across industries.
Warning Signs to Watch For
Certain patterns in your anchor text distribution may indicate problems:
Over-optimized exact-match anchors. If more than 10% of your anchors are exact-match keywords, your profile may appear manipulated. This is especially risky if those anchors are commercially focused (e.g., "buy cheap widgets").
Extreme concentration in any category. Even branded anchors become suspicious if they represent 90%+ of your profile. Diversity is key.
Irrelevant commercial anchors. Links from unrelated sites using aggressive sales language (e.g., "best deals on insurance" from a gaming forum) signal spam.
Sudden shifts in distribution. If your anchor profile changes dramatically in a short period—say, going from 5% exact-match to 30%—that anomaly can attract scrutiny.
Warning: If you've engaged in link-building practices that produced unnatural anchor patterns, consider gradually diversifying your profile through organic outreach rather than attempting quick fixes.
How to Review Your Anchor Text in LinkRocket
The Backlink Analysis tool includes an Anchor Text section that visualizes your distribution. You'll see a breakdown of anchor categories along with specific anchor phrases and their frequency.
Use the search and filter options to investigate specific anchors. If you notice a problematic pattern—like dozens of identical exact-match anchors from low-quality sites—you may want to assess whether disavowing those links makes sense.
Building a Healthier Anchor Profile
You can't fully control how others link to you, but you can influence your profile over time:
When conducting outreach, suggest varied anchor text or let publishers choose naturally. Avoid requesting exact-match anchors.
Create linkable assets (guides, tools, research) that naturally attract branded and generic anchors.
Diversify your content so different pages earn links, spreading anchor text across your site rather than concentrating it on one page.