Editorial review: 9 October 2026. Updated guidance; the original publication date is retained.
Anchor text is the visible wording of a link. Good wording helps a reader understand the destination before opening it. Google recommends concise, relevant text with useful surrounding context and warns against forcing keywords into links. Read Google’s link guidance.
A brand name can be the right description
“SEM Lion” is appropriate when a sentence introduces the agency. “Our web development process” is more useful when the sentence discusses how a website project is delivered. “The GoAsk.Me case study” tells a reader to expect a specific project. These choices serve different reading tasks; there is no need to make every link use the same commercial keyword.
Make internal links useful
Consider an article about a failed enquiry form. A contextual link to a measurement audit helps the reader investigate the problem. Linking that same sentence to every service in the menu creates distraction. Choose the next resource that answers the reader’s likely question.
Check links in their actual paragraphs, not only in a spreadsheet. The sentence should still read naturally, and the destination should deliver what the wording promises.
Let external publishers make editorial choices
When sharing a case study, provide the correct URL and explain why it may interest the publisher’s audience. Do not make participation conditional on a particular keyword anchor or a reciprocal link. A relevant reference has value for prospective customers as well as search discovery.
See how SEM Lion approaches content strategy and connects useful articles with the services they support.