Anchor text types and backlink URL distribution

The five anchor-text types, the ratio to use across a backlink campaign, and how to split backlinks between a homepage and inner pages by site type.

Anchor text and target URL, restated

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink; the target URL is the address it points to. Anchor text tells Google what the linked page is about. Example: anchor text "ABC Menu" → target URL https://abcmenu.com/.¹

On-page vs off-page, in one line

On-page SEO optimizes content inside your own site; off-page SEO earns backlinks from other sites. Natural links are trusted by Google more than any engineered pattern.

Interlinking and anchor diversity

Interlinking is linking one of your own posts to another. Use different anchor text for the same target page across different mentions, to keep the pattern natural. Anchor diversity types:

Main keyword — exact match (e.g. "Capcut Mod APK").
Related/long-tail keywords — slight variation (e.g. "Capcut Pro APK without watermark").
Generic anchors — general words ("Click here", "Visit now").
Naked URLs — the link itself (e.g. https://abcmenu.com/drink-menu).

The five anchor text types

A. Main keyword — the exact target keyword; used in contextual links from high-authority sites.

B. Related keywords — variations or LSI terms near the main keyword, e.g. "APK Download", "Latest Version APK", "Android APK".

C. Generic anchors — non-keyword phrases ("Click here", "Read more", "Visit site"); spread across many backlinks rather than reusing one phrase.

D. Naked URL — the raw URL as the anchor (https://abc.com/, https://abc.com/page-name); good for branding, profiles, forums, and blog comments — never in contextual guest posts or niche edits.

E. Character anchors — symbols (., /, -) as anchor text; rare, seen mostly in navigation or directory listings.

Target URL rules

Preferred format: https://abc.com/ — avoid http://abc.com/ or https://www.abc.com/ as the link target; every variant should redirect to the one preferred URL, or there is a technical issue on the site.

Backlink URL distribution by site size

Site type	Homepage	Inner posts
Micro website (small niche site)	50%	50%
Brand/macro site	20–30%	70–80%
Single-page site	100%	—

Worked example (200 backlinks, micro site): 100 to the homepage (80 to the preferred URL, the rest to redirected alternates) and 100 to inner posts.

Anchor text distribution (per 100 homepage backlinks)

Naked URL: 30–40 links
Generic anchors: 30–35 links
Related keywords: 10–20 links
Main keyword: 5–10 links

Generic anchor examples: "APK", "Download", "Latest Version", "Android". Related anchors: pick your top related keywords from keyword research and reuse each 2–4 times.

Usage rules by anchor type

Naked URL — foundation links only (branding, forums, blog comments); never in contextual guest posts.
Main keyword — contextual backlinks from high-authority sites or forums.
Generic anchors — usable anywhere, but avoid overusing in contextual articles specifically.
Related keywords — best suited to contextual backlinks on high-authority sites.

Assignment pattern

Build 100 homepage backlinks and 100 post backlinks, tracked in a spreadsheet with columns: Target URL, Anchor Text, Link Type, Backlink Source — this both verifies the work and tracks anchor balance over time.

Anchor distribution chart (homepage vs inner posts, per 100 links)

Anchor type	Homepage	Inner posts
Naked URL	30–40%	25–30%
Generic anchors	30–35%	25–30%
Related keywords	10–20%	20–25%
Main keywords	5–10%	15–20%
Character anchors	0–5% (optional)	0–5% (optional)

Pro tips

Keep anchor text natural — avoid repeating an exact keyword too often.
Distribute anchors evenly to avoid a Google penalty for over-optimization.
Mix branding anchors, generic anchors, related keywords, and naked URLs in every campaign.
Check a competitor's anchor profile for inspiration before starting yours.

iSkills SEO course notes, compiled 2025. ↩

Anchor text types and backlink URL distribution

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