Anchor text is the text that the web user sees on the link. For instance, chiropractic website design is a link and “chiropractic website design” is the anchor text.

Anchor text is important, because it helps the search engines index your website properly. The search engine robots travel around the internet, scooping up information. When they see useful anchor text, it helps the search engine put your site in the correct category.

Let’s look at some examples of poor and great anchor text. First, some poor anchor text:

www.mesabackpain.com

This isn’t very helpful to the search engines, because the link and the anchor text are identical; it doesn’t help Google index your site.

Dr. Murphy

Too vague. What kind of doctor? Where does this doctor practice?

Action Chiropractic

OK, we know that it’s a chiropractic office, but which city?

To visit the website of Dr. Murphy, click here.

The anchor text is “click here.” Virtually useless for the search engine robots.

Now, here are some examples of great anchor text:

Chiropractor in Mesa, AZ – Dr. Mike Murphy – Action Chiropractic

St Paul, MN Chiropractor – Dr. William Skon – Skon Chiropractic

This gives the search engines everything they need: the fact that you’re a chiropractor, the city you practice in, and the clinic name.

So when you ask your colleagues or friends for a link, make sure you get a good link. In fact, it’s best of you actually send them the exact code that you would like placed on their site.

Please feel free to comment on this article below, or if you have questions you can call me at (800) 295-3346 or email me at mike@chirohosting.com.

Mike Melton

P.S. For more free tips on optimizing your chiropractic website for the search engines, download my free online chiropractic marketing ebook.