Definition
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text of a hyperlink. It gives users and search engines context about the page being linked to. For example, a link reading 'Houston car accident lawyer' signals what the destination page is about.
Why it matters for law firms
Descriptive internal anchor text helps Google understand your pages. But an unnatural pattern of exact-match anchors in external backlinks, such as dozens of links all reading 'best DUI lawyer Chicago', is a classic sign of manipulative link building and can attract penalties.
Example
A DUI firm's internal links all say 'click here'. Changing them to descriptive anchors such as 'first-offense DUI defense' helps Google connect its supporting guides to the right service pages.
How to improve it
- Use descriptive anchors for internal links.
- Vary anchor text naturally across the site.
- Let external sites link with natural wording such as your firm name.
- Audit backlinks for over-optimised exact-match anchors.
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Legal Link BuildingRelated terms
Aditya Chauhan
Head of SEO, PageOne Lawyers
Last updated September 26, 2026