Anchor Text Analysis
Review internal anchor text distribution, compare branded vs exact-match ratios, and catch over-optimization patterns before they spread. Pair this screen with Auto-Link Rules, Link Reports, and the Link Graph for a full internal-linking loop.
Before you start
Anchor Text Analysis summarizes internal links discovered in your WordPress content—the same corpus used by Link Editor and scans. External backlinks are out of scope here; treat this as your in-CMS hygiene dashboard.
- Run or wait for a recent link scan so counts reflect saved post content.
- Know your primary branded name and commercial “money” phrases so you can sanity-check exact-match spikes.
- Keep Tools & Analytics open in a second tab if you plan to jump to Link Editor or Auto-Link Rules while you work.
The Anchor Analysis screen
The screen header groups global actions: refresh the dataset, export for spreadsheets, and scan warning chips. Sub-navigation tabs let you move between related tools without losing context.
Anchor Text Analysis
Internal inbound anchors · corpus from last completed scan
Use Export CSV to archive the full frequency table or share with stakeholders. Re-scan after bulk edits so branded vs exact-match ratios update.
Mock: Tools & Analytics header with Anchors tab active, status pills, and export / re-scan actions.
Anchor frequency table & filters
The main grid lists normalized anchor strings with type, occurrence count, share of total, and a representative target URL. Filter pills narrow the table to one anchor class (for example exact-match only) so you can export a focused slice.
Filter anchors
Combine type filters before export to isolate risky patterns.
| Anchor text | Type | Count | % of corpus | Typical target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank Genius | Branded | 418 | 10.9% | / |
| buy blue widgets online | Exact | 211 | 5.5% | /widgets/blue/ |
| read the guide | Generic | 156 | 4.1% | /blog/widget-care/ |
| WordPress SEO tips | Partial | 98 | 2.6% | /wordpress-seo/ |
Mock: filter pills, quick search, and anchor frequency rows with type badges.
Distribution & KPIs
Top-level stats show how large your anchor vocabulary is and how inbound link text clusters into branded, exact-match, partial / related, and generic buckets. The strip chart is an at-a-glance mix check after campaigns or rule changes.
Anchor mix (approximate)
Branded · Exact-match · Partial · Generic / other
Mock: headline KPIs for corpus size, branded vs exact-match ratio, and a segmented distribution strip with legend.
Over-optimization warnings
Warnings are heuristic: they highlight statistical outliers (for example one exact-match string accounting for a large share of anchors to a money page). They are not automatic penalties—use them to prioritize rewrites and rule tuning.
Active profile flags
Severity uses risk vs review badges—triage red first, then amber clean-up.
| Topic | Detail | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Exact-match concentration | Phrase “buy blue widgets online” → 11% of anchors to /widgets/blue/ | High |
| Thin branded mix | Branded share < 15% on commercial cluster /compare/* | Review |
| Rule-driven repetition | Auto-Link Rule #4 adds identical anchor in 120 posts | Review |
Mock: severity column using High vs Review, plus contextual tip strip.
Best practices
Establish a balanced mix
Aim for readable copy first. Keep branded links in bios, footers, and nav-adjacent mentions; use partial phrases in body content; reserve exact-match for places where the phrase is truly descriptive.
Filter, fix, export
Work in cycles: filter to exact-match, edit the top sources in Link Editor, then export a filtered CSV as evidence for your team or clients.
Align visible text with SERP intent
When anchors repeat title keywords unnaturally, refresh the on-page title pattern too so users see a consistent story in search—see Search Appearance & title templates.
Troubleshooting
Counts look different from Google Search Console
GSC aggregates how Google sees links across the web. Anchor Analysis reflects parsed WordPress content only. Use GSC for discovery context and Rank Genius for CMS-side fixes.
Re-scan shows stale numbers
Confirm posts saved, object caches cleared, and that the scan finished. Large sites queue work—wait for completion or trigger during quiet hours.
“Empty” anchors on images or buttons
Missing visible text may fall back to alt or generic labels. Improve accessibility and signal quality by adding meaningful alt text and visible button labels.
Warnings on an otherwise natural site
Heuristics lean conservative. If your catalog legitimately repeats a product name, document why and only diversify where copy feels forced.