Search engines are intended to provide Internet users with the most relevant results to the terms, also known as keywords, they enter as search options. While it is true that we may not always find what we are looking for on the first page of Google, it is also valid to say that we may need to enter different combinations of terms in order to seek the information we need. So what role does anchor text play in the ocean of search engine optimization?
Anchor text is considered to be the visible and clickable label of a link on a particular web page, blog post, social media profile, email, or other online medium. For instance, if I were to mention that SLS Consulting was ranked in Lead411’s Technology 500 List for 2010, “SLS Consulting” would be the anchor text. The site that the anchor text is linking to is the landing page, which in this case is http://www.legalinternetmarketing.com/. Rather than including that URL to its fullest extent, I have provided a more visually appealing, shorter, and relevant version by titling the link. When the linked (anchor) text is directly related to information on the landing page, this contributes to the rank or weight of the anchor text determined by search engine algorithms. As rules that concern search engines when they are ranking or weighing a website’s listing within its index, algorithms and their influences cannot be ignored.
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