But first: Why spending time doing SEO on your website hyperlinks? Simple: Google loves text hyperlinks. And if Google does, you’d better take care of it. So, find out how to increase your chances to be found on the search engines by simply editing your links – in 5 minutes.
What is a text hyperlink?
A text hyperlink, or text link, is a string of text that redirects the user to another web page, when clicked. Example of a text hyperlink: this is a text link to our contact page.
SEO and Links – why they are related
So, Google loves text links. Google works thanks to your text links. In fact, Google goes through your text links to search for new content (web pages) to index. Why? Very simple: instead of scanning billions of new potential pages from scratch, Google “uses” you and your website text links to save time and identify new internet pages in a time-effective way.
And when a new web page is indexed, Google needs to “describe” that page so then it can be returned in search results. And if you explain what you’re linking to, Google will use your description. By “describing” your link, you’re basically doing SEO for the web page you’re linking to!
Anchor text SEO
“Anchor text” is the actual word or phrase that links to a web page. In the following sentence, “Professional SEO Services” is the anchor text: we provide Professional SEO Services for small businesses.
The latest Google search engine upgrades (“Penguin” – 2012) drastically affected the inappropriate use of anchor text in terms of SEO. So, take this as a warning: it takes 5 minutes to optimise a link, but 1 second is enough to be blacklisted by Google. Personal suggestion: do not abuse of irrelevant anchor text.
Take a look at the following two lines:
– We provide Free SEO & Website Tips. Read more
– Read more about our Free SEO & Website Tips
The above links redirect to the same page, but in the first example we’re telling Google that page has something to do with “Read more” (WRONG!), while in the second example we’re using keywords to describe what the link is about.
How to spend your next 5 minutes doing SEO
1) Go through your own website hyperlinks, and replace the existing anchor text with more appropriate SEO anchor text
2) If you’re aware of other websites hyperlinks that redirect to your website, replace or ask to replace (if possible) the existing anchor text with more appropriate SEO anchor text
Please make sure not to use duplicate anchor text for the same web page.