Use descriptive anchor text
Checks for descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text that provides context for users and search engines.
- Use descriptive text for links instead of generic phrases like 'click here' or 'read more'
- Ensure the anchor text provides clear context about the linked page's content
- Avoid over-optimizing with excessive keyword stuffing in your internal links
Rule Details
Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink. It should provide a clear indication of what the user will find when they click the link.
Code Example
<!-- ✅ Good: Descriptive and contextual -->
<p>For more information, read our <a href="/seo-guide">complete guide to SEO best practices</a>.</p>
<!-- ❌ Bad: Generic and provides no context -->
<p>To learn more about our SEO services, <a href="/seo-guide">click here</a>.</p>Why It Matters
- Search Context: Tells search engines what the linked page is about, helping it rank for those terms.
- Accessibility: Screen reader users often navigate via a list of links; descriptive text makes this list meaningful.
- User Trust: Users are more likely to click a link when they know exactly where it leads.
- Internal Navigation: Helps distribute authority throughout your site by creating a logical web of related content.
Exceptions
- Utility or intentionally noindex pages may keep minimal metadata when richer search presentation is not a goal.
- Template-driven pages can look repetitive in isolation; confirm the fully rendered production output before flagging duplication or omission.
- If a page is intentionally redirected or excluded from indexation, resolve that crawlability decision before treating metadata polish as the primary issue.
Standards
- Use these references as the standard for the final search-facing HTML, metadata, and crawl behavior.
- Check the implementation against Google Search Central: Search Essentials before treating the rule as satisfied.
- Check the implementation against Google Search Central documentation before treating the rule as satisfied.
Verification
Automated Checks
- Inspect rendered HTML and HTTP headers to confirm the expected metadata or crawlability signal is present.
- Test the affected URL with Google Search Console or equivalent tooling where relevant.
- Re-crawl a representative page set after deployment.
Manual Checks
- Confirm the change does not create conflicting canonical-url, robots, or structured-data signals.
Use with AI
Copy these prompts to use with your AI assistant, or install the MCP server to use directly from Claude, Cursor, or Windsurf.
Check
Verify implementation
Verify that all links in the content use descriptive anchor text that accurately describes the target page.
Fix
Auto-fix issues
Replace generic link text like 'click here' with descriptive phrases that include relevant keywords for the destination page.
Explain
Learn more
Explain how descriptive anchor text improves both SEO crawlability and web accessibility for disabled users.
Review
Code review
Review metadata generation, rendered HTML, structured data, and response headers related to Use descriptive anchor text. Flag exact routes or templates where search-facing output violates the rule, and describe how to verify the final page output.