Anchor text? How to Optimize it?

Radhika Venkata (c)

What is 'anchor text' means?

Anchor text is a word or phrase that is used to link to an url.
For example:
<*a href="http:*//.site.com/>My site<*/a>
(* added to disable hyperlinking)

In the above href link the 'My site' is the anchor text.

Why is it useful?

Many times search engines sees this anchor text tells what is going
to be on the landing page. So search engines gives lot of importance
to this anchor text.

How to optimize it?

1. Go here:
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
2. Enter your keyword and search.
3. Copy and paste all the keywords to your computer in a text file.
4. Go through the file and pick relevant keywords and keyphrases.
5. Select the keyphrases that are highly targeted. Not general ones.
6. You can keep these keywords or keyphrases at many places:
* Navigational bar on your web site.
* In your articles.
* When you buy text links from other sites.
* Forum signatures.
* Resourceboxes of your articles.

How to know which anchor texts are linking your site?

1. Go here:
https://www.google.com/accounts/ManageAccount
Login. If you don't have an account yet, signup by clicking on the
'Create one free' link on the same page.
2. You will see 'Webmaster tools' link on right menubar. Click on it.
3. You have to add your site there and follow instructions. (You
have to upload a file to the web site and click on some button to
verify your ownership etc)
4. Click on 'Dashboard" > your web site name > 'Statistics' >
'What Google sees' link.
5. You will see the keywords and phrases that are pointing links to
your site.

You can use Google webmaster tools to optimize your site continuously
every few weeks.