Loading ...If it has any reputation at all, anchor text is generally seen as a good thing. Usually containing keywords when used for the purposes of search engine optimization, anchor text can help to link your pages together in a stronger structure, where main pages support each other. Like any SEO technique, however, over use and too obvious use can turn anchor text into a bad thing.
SEO anchor text – on your permanent record
Search engine optimisation experts often discuss the value of well-considered anchor text when used as links through your site, as it’s a great way to boost a page’s relevancy. An interesting thing that is not often talked about is just how closely Google pays attention to the anchor text on your site. The search engine’s spiders don’t just make note of this text in passing. They record it, bringing it home, where Google can use it to detect too-intrusive SEO methods.
The long-term effect of anchor text comes in as part of the history calculations in the algorithm. The search engines look at a number of factors in your site’s history when re-calculating your ranking, including what you’ve done on your pages. If they make note that your anchors have not changed when your content has, this can set off a filter for suspected spam.
Why is leaving anchors such a crime?
As with so many ‘don’t do’ things when it comes to the search engines, the prejudice against stale anchor text comes from less-than-innocent use by spammers. Disreputable sites have been known to use anchor text to build up a page’s relevancy, and then swap the actual text for something completely irrelevant. This kind of bait-and-switch creates obvious problems for the search engines, who are trying to provide relevant results.
It’s possible that SEO plays a part in the search engines’ reaction to old anchors in new text. The search engines tend to react badly any time a search engine optimisation technique becomes a little too obvious. Even if your site has an otherwise pristine reputation, re-using your anchors can have an adverse effect simply because it’s an obvious manipulation of the system. Talk to us at SEO Consult Australia about subtle SEO.
What to do
The answer to the anchor problem when changing content is easy – change your anchor text, too. It’s really a no-brainer. When posting new content, choose other parts of the text to use as your anchors. Things can get tricky if you’ve decided to use a certain number of set keywords as your anchors, and it can be a good idea to rework the wording if this is the case.
Most SEO experts recommend that you alternate your anchor text from page to page on your site and use a varied list for your off-site optimisation as well. Although it isn’t known absolutely, it is suspected that the search engines don’t favour sites that use the same anchors all the time. As the search engines have shown definite signs against stale anchors, alternating wherever you are is wise.
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Tags: Keywords, Search Engine Optimisation, SEO, seo technique
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