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Over Optimized Anchor Text - Where is the threshold?

by Kevin Maguire
11 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Guys,
Can't seem to find any information on this.

At what point (inbound link count) would this type of penalty kick in?

Especially with inner pages of a site.

Say for example an inner page with 10 inbound links all with the same inbound anchor. That would be over optimized by definition, but unreasonable in terms of Google applying a penalty.

Well that's what you would think. But trying to find information on the subject is harder than I thought.

So a what point (inbound link count) should a site owner start worrying about over optimized anchor?

10 Inbound Links?
100 Inbound Links?
1000 Inbound Links?

Lets say you where targeting some piss easy keyword that only needed a 10 good links to dominate the SERP.

Should a site owner really have to, go to the trouble of then building more links to dilute that 10 just for the sake of it?
#anchor #optimized #text #threshold
  • Profile picture of the author Big Kahuna SEO
    Good question Kevin and I sure would like the answer too...

    My own personal strategy, even more so since the revision in the Google guidelines, is to diversify my anchor text big time. So for me, I wouldn't have 10 links and only 10 links, with the same anchor text to the same URL. I think a good goal (and what the H do I know) would be less than 20% of your links having the same anchor text to the same URL.

    If I needed 10 links to a page to "dominate" the SERP's, I would go 2 links exact match, 2 links variation, 2 links URL, etc, etc.... Something like that.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
      Originally Posted by Big Kahuna SEO View Post

      Good question Kevin and I sure would like the answer too...

      My own personal strategy, even more so since the revision in the Google guidelines, is to diversify my anchor text big time. So for me, I wouldn't have 10 links and only 10 links, with the same anchor text to the same URL. I think a good goal (and what the H do I know) would be less than 20% of your links having the same anchor text to the same URL.

      If I needed 10 links to a page to "dominate" the SERP's, I would go 2 links exact match, 2 links variation, 2 links URL, etc, etc.... Something like that.
      Cool,
      But more what I meant with 10 links was, 10 with the exact anchor for the keyword. So lets say 10 (Keeping math simple), you would say have another +40 on top of that? Just to have it at 20% diverse.

      I'm thinking there must be a low point threshold where this filter penalty would kick in. Because in theory, having 1 single link with a single anchor text to a page would be seen as over optimization for that anchor?

      Now we all know that's bonkers if it where so. Looking at another thread last night about over optimizing, made me have a look at my own. Now I got real lucky when I started with my site and within the first few weeks picked up a few thousand raw url homepage links from a couple of News sites who syndicated one of my articles. So looking at my homepage diversity, shows my anchor text for keywords as low as 1% for a lot of my main keywords.

      But if I look at inner pages that have between say 10-30 links each, the diversity ranges between 10-35% for keywords. But the number of inbound links is low, so I'm saying do I really need to worry about so few links being over optimized?

      To add, what if those News sites had of anchored me for my main keyword. I would have super links but be completely screwed because of the over optimization.
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  • Profile picture of the author smodha
    I tend to keep my anchor text (main keyword) to less than 50%. That's works for me and I've never had a optimization penalty.

    In terms of numbers, there isn't one. Google need to clarify this.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
      Originally Posted by smodha View Post

      I tend to keep my anchor text (main keyword) to less than 50%. That's works for me and I've never had a optimization penalty.

      In terms of numbers, there isn't one. Google need to clarify this.
      Yeah they do,
      If you looked at my homepage inbound you would be doing well to figure out what I'm trying to rank for

      But when you get into inner pages it pops up on some pages @35%, but with only a handful of links pointing to those pages, I just don't want to get stuck building links to diversify it just for the sake of it.

      Google never like being clear with anything.
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      • Profile picture of the author smodha
        Originally Posted by Kevin Maguire View Post

        Yeah they do,
        If you looked at my homepage inbound you would be doing well to figure out what I'm trying to rank for

        But when you get into inner pages it pops up on some pages @35%, but with only a handful of links pointing to those pages, I just don't want to get stuck building links to diversify it just for the sake of it.

        Google never like being clear with anything.
        Ofcourse they don't - Page, Brin and Schmidt want you to breakdown and pay for traffic.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
          Originally Posted by smodha View Post

          Ofcourse they don't - Page, Brin and Schmidt want you to breakdown and pay for traffic.
          I would if they accepted Pharma Ads...
          On the flip side of that, at least my SERPs results pages are not stuffed up with 11 adblocks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Big Kahuna SEO
    Hi Kevin, Now I understand your question more clearly. I think that a few inner pages with slightly higher optimized anchor text isn't going to really kick a penalty in on you. Sounds like you have a very diverse home page so I think you are good!! I'd say watch the rankings of those pages over the next 6 months or so. If you saw them start to tank you could easily throw some diversified anchor text at them (since they have only 10 or so links pointing at them) and water them down. All in all I think what you've done and what you have going sounds good to me!
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
      Originally Posted by Big Kahuna SEO View Post

      Hi Kevin, Now I understand your question more clearly. I think that a few inner pages with slightly higher optimized anchor text isn't going to really kick a penalty in on you. Sounds like you have a very diverse home page so I think you are good!! I'd say watch the rankings of those pages over the next 6 months or so. If you saw them start to tank you could easily throw some diversified anchor text at them (since they have only 10 or so links pointing at them) and water them down. All in all I think what you've done and what you have going sounds good to me!
      Yeah, I'm probably going to diverse them a little anyway. Just seems a waste of time and resources. But getting tanked then acting costs me money so. Best to lose a little now than lose a lot later.

      Thanks for your input man.
      Kevin
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  • Profile picture of the author James-
    My view is that since none of us know where this threshold is, i tend to keep naked URLs and Brand names to be at least 50% of my links, the other 50% the keywords i want to rank for and related ones.

    I agree it's a pain thinking you only need 10 links to rank a page but worry about having a slap if you don't throw some 'click here' links at the page also, but i've been through the pain of losing lots of income due to slaps in the past, so spending the extra time to make sure i don't at least get penalized by over optimizing is worth the effort for me.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin Maguire
      Originally Posted by James- View Post

      My view is that since none of us know where this threshold is, i tend to keep naked URLs and Brand names to be at least 50% of my links, the other 50% the keywords i want to rank for and related ones.

      I agree it's a pain thinking you only need 10 links to rank a page but worry about having a slap if you don't throw some 'click here' links at the page also, but i've been through the pain of losing lots of income due to slaps in the past, so spending the extra time to make sure i don't at least get penalized by over optimizing is worth the effort for me.
      Yeah it's mad to think that you "have to" build backlinks. That's just 10 links causing you to have to make 50. Imagine having 1000 links and needing to make 5000, just to avoid one penalty, then BAM you'll get the un-natural link penalty
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  • Profile picture of the author danparks
    It's a good question. One I wish I knew the answer to, or could contribute an answer to. I'm not so sure anyone can. I especially question people who give specific answers such as "exact keyword anchor must be less than ___%" (fill in the blank with any specific number).

    Some people say exact anchor text should be low. Some people swear that they've ranked sites using very high matches, like 50% or more. Me, personally, and with absolutely no proof or any real testing, think it should be fairly low. I base that only on the notion that it certainly seems like having a large percentage of anchor text matching one particular keyword is very, very unnatural, and it seems like algorithmically it would be a pretty easy thing for Google to track. So my vote is for keeping exact match anchor text fairly low, but I'm all ears as far as listening to other opinions from reasonable people.
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