Explain the destination before someone clicks
When the words ‘download the approval checklist’ form a link, those words are its anchor text. They tell the reader what the destination offers. If the same link says only ‘click here,’ the reader must infer the purpose from the surrounding paragraph. Both can be clicked, but one carries more useful information on its own.
Google’s link guidance recommends descriptive, reasonably concise anchor text with relevant context. Apply that advice as a writing test: would a reader understand the next page from the link and its sentence? There is no reason to turn every reference into a string of keywords that makes the sentence harder to read.
Recognize the common anchor-text types
These labels describe wording patterns. They are not a recipe for a particular percentage of each type. The examples refer to hypothetical software or resources.
| Pattern | Example | Reader context |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Acme Approvals | Names the product being discussed |
| Descriptive topic | client approval checklist | Names the resource the reader will find |
| Brand and task | Acme Approvals’ review workflow | Connects a product with a particular task |
| Visible URL | example.com/templates/approval | Shows the destination address |
| Generic wording | learn more | Needs surrounding context to explain the destination |
Write internal links at the point of need
Imagine a guide explaining how a project moves from feedback to final sign-off. A sentence about gathering feedback can link to the feedback template. A later explanation of permissions can link to the permissions documentation. The reader encounters each reference when it becomes relevant, rather than seeing an unrelated block of links at the top.
Avoid changing accurate wording merely to make every anchor different. A navigation link named Pricing can remain Pricing throughout the site. In the article body, choose wording that describes the next step. Consistency is useful when it reflects the same destination and purpose; variation is useful when the context genuinely changes.
Review anchors in a small, meaningful sample
Choose a few important product pages and guides. List their incoming internal links, read the surrounding text, and follow each destination. Mark anchors that are vague, misleading, broken, or attached to the wrong page. This gives the writer a specific correction to make instead of an abstract instruction to ‘optimize anchors.’
For backlinks, inspect a sample of source pages rather than relying only on a word-frequency chart. A repeated product name may be natural. A repeated long commercial phrase across unrelated pages deserves more investigation. The publisher’s audience, editorial context, and relationship matter alongside the wording.
Ask for factual corrections, not artificial ratios
If another site links the wrong product name or sends readers to an outdated page, explain the factual issue and provide the right destination. The editor can decide how to describe it in context. Demanding a precise money keyword can make an otherwise reasonable reference less useful to the publication’s readers.
Do not set an exact-match percentage as a universal target for a young SaaS site. The references you receive depend on how people discuss your brand, features, resources, and documentation. Review whether the wording helps readers and accurately represents the destination, then investigate unusual patterns with that context in hand.
Finish with a five-link editorial check
Pick five links from a page you control. Read each anchor aloud with the sentence before and after it. Ask what you expect to find, click through, and compare that expectation with the destination’s main heading and first useful action. Correct any mismatch before spending time on minor wording changes.
Keep the review focused on the task. A clear label, a working destination, and an understandable reason to follow the link are practical improvements you can verify immediately. Search performance can be observed later without pretending that one anchor edit explains every movement in the results.