Understanding the Anchors Report

July 3, 2025

The Anchors Report shows the distribution of anchor texts used in the backlinks pointing to your domain or your competitor. It helps you analyze how your site is being linked to, both for SEO optimization and backlink profile monitoring.

What the report shows

Each row in the Anchors Report includes:

• Anchor text – The exact text used in the backlink
• Total links – Number of backlinks using this anchor
• Follow links – Number of follow backlinks using this anchor

You can click any number to open the Links Report filtered to show only the backlinks with that specific anchor.

The report can also be exported to CSV for further analysis.

How to use this report

If you're viewing your own domain

1. Monitor anchor diversity and SEO risk

Use this report to evaluate whether your anchor text profile is natural and balanced. A healthy link profile includes a mix of branded, generic, and keyword-rich anchors.

Too many exact-match commercial anchors—especially on follow links—can appear manipulative and may pose an SEO risk.

2. Spot unusual or spammy anchors

Anchors like "click here," irrelevant terms, or foreign language phrases may indicate low-quality or spammy links. Use this report to catch and address these early.

3. Analyze branded vs non-branded usage

Track how often your brand name appears in anchor texts compared to generic or keyword-based phrases. This helps assess brand visibility and link-building patterns.

4. Inform your outreach and internal linking

This data can guide your future anchor text choices—both for backlink acquisition and internal link optimization.

If you're viewing a competitor’s domain

1. Analyze their link-building strategy

See what kind of anchor texts they use most.

2. Identify overuse of commercial keywords

   This may suggest aggressive link-building that could be risky—or working.

3. Spot branded vs non-branded anchor use

Understand how much of their backlink profile is tied to brand awareness.

4. Find inspiration for your own outreach

Use common anchors as a clue to the type of content or context that gets them backlinks.

Summary

The Anchors Report provides a clear view of how your site is being linked to in terms of anchor text. Use it to monitor anchor usage trends, improve your SEO strategy, and ensure your link profile remains natural and diverse.