Anchor text—the clickable text in a hyperlink—is a powerful signal for both users and search engines. It’s a signpost that sets expectations about the content of the destination page. When you use non-descriptive anchor text like “click here,” “read more,” or “learn more,” you are wasting a valuable opportunity to provide context. This is a significant issue for SEO, as it fails to pass along topical relevance, and for accessibility, as it makes navigation difficult for users with screen readers.
Think of your internal links as the road signs of your website. A good sign says “Metropolis: 50 miles ahead.” A bad sign just says “City: Ahead.” One is useful; the other is vague. By using descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text, you help search engines understand the structure and relevance of your content, which is a cornerstone of a strong internal linking strategy.
Why Vague Anchor Text is a Problem for SEO and Accessibility
Descriptive anchor text is a fundamental best practice that benefits everyone. As Google’s own documentation on links makes clear, the more descriptive the anchor text, the better.
- SEO Impact: Search engines use anchor text to understand what the linked-to page is about. If you link to a page about “technical SEO” with the anchor text “click here,” you are passing no topical relevance. If you use “learn about technical SEO,” you are sending a strong signal that helps the destination page rank for that term.
- Accessibility: As detailed in the WCAG guidelines, clear link text is essential for users of screen readers, who often navigate by jumping between links.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Vague Links
The goal is to replace all instances of generic anchor text with descriptive, keyword-relevant phrases. For more on this, check out this guide to anchor text from Ahrefs.
Example: Improving Anchor Text
<!-- Before: Non-descriptive anchor text --> <p>To learn more about our services, <a href="/services">click here</a>.</p> <!-- After: Descriptive anchor text --> <p>Learn more about our <a href="/services">professional SEO services</a>.</p>For more on this topic, see our guide on on-page SEO.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the worst examples of non-descriptive anchor text?
The most common and least helpful examples are ‘click here,’ ‘read more,’ ‘learn more,’ ‘here,’ and linking a full, naked URL. These provide zero context to search engines and are unhelpful for users.
Does anchor text matter for external links?
Yes. The anchor text you use for external links provides context to your users and to search engines about the page you are linking to. It’s a best practice to use descriptive anchor text for all links, both internal and external.
How can I find all the non-descriptive anchor text on my site?
The most effective way is to use a website crawler like Creeper. It will scan your entire site and provide a report of all your internal links, allowing you to sort by anchor text and easily find all instances of generic phrases like ‘click here.’
Ready to fix your vague signposts? Start your Creeper audit today and improve your internal linking strategy.