Pink PostWhy anchor text distribution matters
Natural link profiles are dominated by brand names, URLs and generic phrases, because that is how people link when nobody asks them to. A high share of exact-match keyword anchors is a classic footprint of manipulative link building; Google's spam policies list links with optimised anchor text in articles and guest posts as an example of a link scheme.
Anchor types, defined
| Type | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Branded | Your brand name. | Pink Post |
| Naked URL | The URL or domain. | pinkpost.io |
| Generic | No keyword or brand. | click here, this guide |
| Exact match | Exactly the target keyword. | link building outreach |
| Phrase match | Contains the keyword plus other words. | best link building outreach tool |
| Partial match | Some of the keyword's words. | outreach for links |
| Branded + keyword | Brand and keyword together. | Pink Post link building outreach |
What is a healthy ratio?
There is no official number, and anyone who quotes one is giving a rule of thumb. The useful benchmark is the sites already ranking for your keyword: export their anchors, run them through this calculator, and compare. As a rough guide many SEOs keep exact match in the low single digits and branded plus URL anchors well above a third. The flags in the result use those ranges.
How to shift an unbalanced profile
- When you win new links, ask for your brand name or the page title as the anchor.
- Do not ask editors to change anchors on existing natural links; it rarely helps and burns goodwill.
- Earn links to pages other than your money page: guides, tools and data.
- Record the agreed anchor for every deal in Pink Post, so you can see the mix you are building before it becomes a problem.
Where to get your anchor list
Google Search Console → Links → Top linking text gives you anchors for free. Most backlink tools export them too. Paste the anchor column here, one anchor per line, duplicates included, so the counts reflect reality.