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Field guide

Anchor text

Anchor text is the visible wording of a text link. It tells the reader what they can expect at the destination and gives search engines context about the linked page.

A useful link label names the next task or destination. The surrounding sentence adds context, but it should not rescue an ambiguous label every time. A collection name can be precise without repeating a target search phrase in every link. Consistency matters when several links lead to the same place.

Illustrative store: a buying guide says, “Compare our insulated lunch bags,” with “insulated lunch bags” linked to that collection. A neighboring link, “Replacement shoulder straps,” opens the accessory collection instead. Read those two labels without the rest of the paragraph: each predicts a different destination. Labeling both “Explore more” would make the shopper inspect the surrounding text to understand the difference.

Use collection and product names that match the next task

Clear anchor text cannot fix a destination that contains the wrong products or a broken link. Repeating keywords mechanically also adds noise. Google’s link guidance emphasizes descriptive, concise wording and crawlable links, rather than a fixed keyword formula.

Next, read five collection links as a list, open each destination and check whether its title and products match the label. Rewrite the confusing link or change the destination, depending on where the mismatch occurs.

Website field guide · Where to link between products, collections and guides · Information architecture

Reference: Google Search Central: link best practices. Checked November 4, 2026.