search engine ranking seo strategy website marketing
Likin’ Link Text
Link text or anchor text is what shows in a link. For example Blue Widget is the link text for that link.Believe it or not, those few words are critically important when it comes to search engine ranking. In fact many say link text is right up there with the page title when it comes to how well you will rank.
Well, given all that, maybe we should know a bit more about it then, don’t you think?
Okay for starters that’s why you want to think long and hard about link text before running around getting external links to your pages. Because you want whatever link text used to reflect what you want that page to be known for. Or in our case it’s "blue widget".
You also don’t want to get lazy and leave it up to the discretion of your links partner to decide what link text to use. Because more often than not, they’ll go with your domain name. Now if your domain name has your focus keywords in it, you’ll be okay. Maybe.
Problem is some will pick something else. Get too many variations of link text floating around and before you know it Googlebot can’t decide what your page is about. The link text is too confusing. The mish mash of link text being used will not help you rank well.
Cue up the song "Slip slidding away". Because that’s a wasted opportunity in the making.
This is why you provide link text to use. (It’s often the Title on link submission forms.)
Not only does doing so insure consistent link text, but it makes it easy for your link partner.
And if it’s easy it’s more likely to happen.
Two other things.
Make sure every link on your site uses proper link text as well. Yeah this counts with internal links to other pages within your site.
Plus make use of the title attribute.
I’m also experimenting to see if repeating the link text in the words around the link matters.
So for the link to my search engine quiz I’m using
Title: Are You A Search Engine Ranking Whiz?
Description: Take the Search Engine Ranking Quiz and get…
See how I’m repeating the focus keyword phrase "search engine ranking" again? Might be something for you to consider too.
Anyway, more and more, Goggle is using link text to help is figure out what the page linked to is all about. Give it enough links with one theme reflected in your link text and sooner or later you’ll be rewarded with high Google listings.
Back to Holding Onto a Top 10 Ranking in Google
|
|
Plus get the FREE Report: "Coming Out on Top" Newest Articles:
» Link Text Rules HOT Product: 
|
|
|
|
|