How does Google Attribute Anchor Text?

by 8 replies
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When it comes to anchor text and building backlinks for your main keyword, how does Google attribute your diversity in anchor text.

For example:

You are optimizing your page for keyword "best polo shirt"

URL = www(dot)abc123(dot)com/best-polo-shirt

Using a diverse anchor text portfolio for this keyword, you get:

Find the best polo shirt
amazing polo shirt
great quality polo shirts
etc.....

So my question is, is Google ranking you for both the anchor text, AND the main keyword (found in URL), or only the anchor text. If both, do we know what kind of weight is placed on the anchor text and the url?

Thanks.
#search engine optimization #anchor #attribute #google #text
  • Google will rank your site for all the keywords it finds in your url, anchor text, and page.

    Keyword in anchor text apparently has more weight than keyword in url.
  • Yes, its correct that Google ranks with all the keywords mentioned in the URL provided how the keywords are used and maintained with a proper way while doing SEO. But yes, the main keyword is practically useful to be considered in the URL to be included.
    • [1] reply
    • Hi Primeplus1,

      Google uses four primary groups of keyword signals for ranking: page titles, URLs, anchortext, and on page text. Those are well known, however the weighting for each are closely guarded secrets.

      It is also quite clear that the weighting algorithms are dynamic, which means it can change for each and every query and varies form page to page based on a whole lot of dynamically changing weighting factors. So the weighting of a signal on one page will not likely be the same as it is on the next page. This is also clearly indicated from published documents like the original Backrub whitepaper that explains some of the signals that are used to vary the weighting of those primary keyword signals.

      Again, while many of the signals used for weighting are well known, the actual weighting applied to each signal are very closely guarded secrets.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Thanks guys, that's very helpful.

    So in general, we avoid duplicating the url keyword in the anchor text to prevent spam. But do you find that there is a typical limit (ie. 20%) in which you would use the same keyword in both anchor and url without risking spam?

    Thanks again.
    • [1] reply
    • There's no official limit, my guess this changes by niche and specific keyword SERPs but I could be wrong.

      I recommend sticking around 10-15% at the most, and only adding more optimized anchors as required. It's shocking how little optimized anchor texts you actually need to rank stuff.

      Focus on mass diversification and you should be fine.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • For all of them as each has a DIFFERENT weight! Of course you should do it in the right way and not just do keyword stuffing!
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Thanks everyone, all very helpful!
    • [1] reply
    • Yeah just mix up the keywords with the anchor texts there's no perfect percent
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