| There has been a lot of talk about the merits of | | | | over and over. And so, it's better if you pick a half |
| "anchor text," the technique of using keyword text | | | | dozen keywords and then vary them as anchor text |
| linked to your website URL. For example, you could | | | | to your website link. |
| link "bass fishing" to your website. | | | | (However, it is interesting that Google has not |
| You can use anchor text on your website to link to | | | | de-indexed the sites using the anchor text of "failure" |
| other pages within your site, or you can use anchor | | | | to Bush's biography ... but that's politics.) |
| text with your links on other websites. This technique | | | | What's also effective is to use keywords of 3-5 |
| can be quite effective. | | | | words for your anchor text. You not only reduce the |
| One well-known example of the effectiveness of | | | | competition by using more keywords, but you also |
| anchor text is "failure" -- just go to Google and type | | | | narrow your traffic to just the people who are |
| in "failure," and you will get the website of George | | | | interested in your website. |
| W. Bush's biography! | | | | Let's face it, using a keyword like "fish" as anchor |
| How did this happen? | | | | text to your website probably won't get you the |
| Well, many of Bush's detractors put the anchor text | | | | most qualified traffic. After all, "fish" has a lot of |
| "failure" on their websites and linked it to Bush's | | | | meanings -- you can even attract people just wanting |
| biography. Over time, and with enough anchor text | | | | learn how to play the card game Fish. |
| on many, many sites linked to Bush's biography, now | | | | But if you use keywords like "bass fishing tackle," |
| Bush's biography is listed number one in Google for | | | | then you will get qualified traffic to your site -- |
| the keyword "failure." | | | | people who actually do bass fishing and want to |
| This teaches us an important lesson. If you want to | | | | know how to do it better. Even better anchor text is |
| get listed number one in the search engines for a | | | | "bass fishing tackle lures." With that, your visitors can |
| keyword, then pick a keyword you want to be listed | | | | really zero in on your website. |
| for, and then put a link to your website behind that | | | | Using 3-5 word anchor text keywords will always do |
| anchor text keyword on hundreds or thousands of | | | | better than one or two words. Also, vary the anchor |
| websites. | | | | text, like "fish for bass tackle" or "best lake bass |
| But, hey, not so fast. Bush's "failure" story has gone | | | | fishing lures" -- use your imagination. The more words |
| its rounds and a lot of people know about it. In fact, | | | | and the more variations, the better your chances to |
| so many people have used this ploy that Google now | | | | get your pages picked up in the search engine results |
| has a name for it: "anchor text spamming." | | | | pages (SERPs). You really don't want to compete |
| It's like so many things on the Internet -- what | | | | with all of the anchor text for "bass fishing." |
| worked for a while doesn't work as well any longer. | | | | For best results, use 3-5 keywords in your anchor |
| In fact, now Google gets suspicious when they see | | | | text and vary your anchor text from link to link ... |
| the same anchor text linking to the same website | | | | |