Anchor Text Audit
Find empty links and write concise, descriptive anchor text that explains each destination in context.
The Empty Anchor filter identifies links without usable visible text. Anchor text helps visitors, assistive technology, and crawlers understand what selecting a link will do.
Determine whether the link is truly empty
An anchor can contain text, an image, an icon, or an accessible label. For an image link, the image's alt text can provide the anchor meaning. Icon-only controls may require an accessible name. Inspect rendered HTML before adding visible words that do not fit the interface.
<!-- Unclear -->
<a href="/pricing"></a>
<!-- Descriptive -->
<a href="/pricing">Compare plans and pricing</a>
<!-- Image link -->
<a href="/checkout"><img src="cart.svg" alt="Open checkout" /></a>Analyze anchors
- Open the Source Page and locate the link visually.
- Read the anchor with its surrounding sentence or component.
- Verify it describes the actual destination.
- Group empty anchors by template and component.
- Check image alt text and accessibility names.
- Review repeated generic labels such as “click here” even when they are not empty.
Good anchor text is descriptive, reasonably concise, and natural. Avoid keyword stuffing, overly long linked sentences, and identical labels leading to unrelated destinations.
Example decision
Every product card wraps an image in an empty link while the product name is a separate link. Give the image a contextual alt value when it communicates the product, or provide an accessible label and avoid duplicate announcements according to the component's accessibility design. Fix the card component once.
Verify the fix
Inspect the rendered accessibility name, navigate by keyboard, confirm the destination, and recrawl. Check representative cards with and without images or optional titles.
Internal Links
Evaluate anchor context within the wider site architecture.
Image Alt Text
Write appropriate alternatives when an image provides the link label.
Google Link Guidance
Review crawlable-link and anchor-text recommendations.
Evaluate anchors in context
Good anchor text sets a reasonable expectation about the destination. It does not need to repeat an exact-match keyword, and repeated exact phrases across every page can sound mechanical. Prefer wording that fits the sentence and distinguishes the target from nearby links.
Empty anchors require extra investigation. A linked image may use the image's alternative text as its accessible name. An icon-only control may rely on an ARIA label. A CSS background link may have no useful accessible name at all. Inspect rendered HTML before deciding that every Empty Anchor row needs visible text.
Signals to compare
Group anchors by destination to find inconsistent naming. One page may be linked as “pricing,” “plans,” and “start free.” This can be intentional when each context has a different purpose. It becomes confusing when anchors imply different content than the destination provides.
After editing anchors, the Empty Anchor count should fall when missing names are fixed. Destination usage may stay unchanged because the same links still exist. Anchor diversity may increase naturally, and image-link fixes may appear in both Links and Images reports.
Before-and-after decision
“Read our report here” gives little information outside its sentence. “Read our crawl budget research” makes the destination clearer. The better wording is specific without forcing keywords into every link.
Review the full sentence, not just the clickable words. Google's link best practices and MDN's anchor element reference provide useful technical context.
Frequently asked questions
Is repeated anchor text a penalty?
Repeated text is normal in navigation and recurring actions. Review whether the wording is useful and natural. The concern is a manipulative or confusing pattern, not repetition by itself.
How should an image link be labeled?
Use meaningful alternative text for the linked image when it communicates the destination or action. If the image is decorative and another label names the link, keep the decorative alt empty.
Should every link to one page use the same anchor?
No. Natural wording changes with context. Keep each anchor accurate and understandable, but do not force one phrase into unrelated sentences. Consistency matters for meaning; exact repetition is not the goal.
Return to the Links overview to compare anchor findings with destination status, source pages, and link attributes.
External Links, Nofollow, Sponsored, and UGC
Audit outbound links and apply dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, or UGC relationships for the correct editorial reason.
Link Target, Email, and Telephone Attributes
Audit target blank, mailto, and tel links for correct behavior, security, accessibility, and user expectations.