Ezine Articles - Excessive Anchor Text

[Michelle Strait]

I had an article rejected for having excessive anchor text. There were only two links in the resource box. But I guess the ebook title I used as anchor text was too long. I'm not sure. But be aware that even if you only have two links, you can get flagged for excessive anchor text. I removed the ebook title anchor text and the article was accepted.

[omilana]

Links in the bio box can be 4 words, then 2 links 4 words each one.

[Grace Axalan]

Articles are flagged "excessive anchor text" when the article body contains seo keywords that are of no value to the topic but purely for seo. I suggest that you modify your article body and make it talk more about the topic rather than linking your readers to your owned sites, or limit your anchor text link to 3 words. =)

[patjospehs]

Seems to be conflicting advice here.... does the excessive anchor text reject come from links that are too long, links that contain non related SEO keywords... or both?

[Sean Donahoe]

Hi Pat,

It's both. Ezinearticles are really clamping down on a lot of the generic affiliate marketing crap articles so they are tightening the ropes just a little.

In general as long as your link anchor text is relevant and under 4 words you are safe.

All the best

Sean

[Arizona]

Thanks for the clarification on the anchor texts. Much appreciated!

[johnlagoudakis]

Originally Posted by omilana

Links in the bio box can be 4 words, then 2 links 4 words each one.

The rules must have changed recently because only a week ago I had to change the anchor text of a link to 3 words. I was told that 4 or more words were too many.

[Badgolfer]

Originally Posted by johnlagoudakis

The rules must have changed recently because only a week ago I had to change the anchor text of a link to 3 words. I was told that 4 or more words were too many.

Yup. More than 3 words is considered "excessive" now. Not sure when this started but I just got rejected. I'll just go give the content to buzzle instead.

[jan roos]

I just had the same thing happen to me. I hit edit on the article, didn't change anything and resubmitted it and today it got approved. Only had 2 anchor text links in resource box.

Cheers

[silvervixen]

I had one rejected for excessive anchor text even though prior articles were approved with the same anchor text. I edited my link and I am still waiting for my article to be approved (waiting since Friday.) *Edit* Aaand it got approved while I was posting this.

To be truthful, I don't think about SEO when I am creating my anchor text...I'm just thinking of what best describes my link. *shrugs*

[Sour]

My articles get rejected for any reason they can think of now. I wouldn't mind if they at least wrote some updated guidelines for me to follow, but every article gets hit with a general error, and I hate playing the waiting game with them.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by johnlagoudakis

The rules must have changed recently

The policies have, anyway - and/or the way they're interpreted and applied. I think they've written about it on their blog. But as someone correctly pointed out here recently, they haven't actually changed the editorial guidelines on their site to reflect these recent changes, which is confusing some people.

Originally Posted by silvervixen

To be truthful, I don't think about SEO when I am creating my anchor text...

In the long run, you're probably leaving money on the table, there.

[Andrew Maule]

I had this happen too. They give you that cookie cutter answer, really it's just about how now they take into account the resource box as well as the body content for keyword density, your resource box probably set you over the KW% limit.

[BigRedNotebook]

The official rule has been 3 words for awhile now. However, you will often get approval for 4 or 5 words groupings if those extra words are things like "of, or, by, and", etc.

[Grace Axalan]

ezine editorial guidelines (anchor text):

'hope it helps...

We do not allow articles which have strategic keyword anchor text links in the body to your domain that do not add informational value to the article. Any use of anchored text links to websites that you own should add value to the article topic rather than stand out as an obvious abuse of anchored text link. The goal with this policy is to be a good net citizen by only allowing articles that add value with the anchored text links rather than for pure SEO reasons. Please limit your anchor text link length to 3 words.

1. Example: Within your article, you link the word "bird dog" to an article that you wrote about bird dogging. This is a good example of an anchored text link vs. linking the same text to your home page as it doesn't really add value.

[Alan Mater]

Read their Editorial Guidelines, and the answer is right there.

If your article is under 400 words in length, you are allowed 3 words in your anchor text. No more.

If your article is over 400 words, you are allowed up to 5 words per anchor text link.

I summarized it, but that's almost exactly what they say. This is a new change in guidelines, but you can find it in their Editorial Guidelines if you look.