What this calculator does
Anchor text is the clickable words in a backlink, and the mix of anchor text types across a site's inbound links is one of the signals reviewed when judging whether a backlink profile looks natural. Exact-match anchors repeat the target keyword precisely; partial-match anchors include a variation of it; branded and generic anchors use the site or brand name, or a generic phrase like "click here" or "read more".
Sites that never actively pursue backlinks tend to accumulate a profile dominated by branded and generic anchors, since that is how people naturally link when writing about a company or citing a source. A profile weighted heavily toward exact-match anchors is a pattern more associated with deliberate, keyword-targeted link building, which search engines have specifically targeted with past algorithm updates.
The formula
Add the three anchor text counts together for the total, then divide each type by that total and express it as a percentage.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Exact-match anchor | Anchor text that repeats the target keyword or phrase precisely. |
| Partial-match anchor | Anchor text that includes a variation, synonym or partial version of the target keyword. |
| Branded / generic anchor | Anchor text using the site or brand name, a URL, or a generic phrase unrelated to any specific keyword. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Exact-match anchor links | The number of backlinks using anchor text that exactly matches a target keyword or phrase. |
| Partial-match anchor links | The number of backlinks using anchor text that partially matches or varies a target keyword. |
| Branded / generic anchor links (e.g. brand name, "click here") | The number of backlinks using the brand name, a bare URL, or generic phrases such as "click here". |
When to use it
Auditing anchor text alongside a backlink review
Reviewing anchor text diversity together with the dofollow/nofollow split and referring domain count gives a fuller picture of whether a link profile looks like it grew naturally.
Planning outreach or guest-post anchors
Checking the existing split before requesting anchor text for new links helps avoid pushing the exact-match share higher than the rest of the profile would suggest is natural.
Investigating a ranking drop
An anchor text profile that has become unusually exact-match-heavy is one of several things worth checking after a sudden drop in rankings, alongside other backlink-quality signals.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How the anchor split changes as exact-match links grow at a fixed base
A fixed 90 partial-match and 270 branded/generic anchors, against a range of exact-match counts.
| Exact-match anchors | Exact-match share | Partial-match share | Branded/generic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 2.70% | 24.3% | 73.0% |
| 40 | 10.0% | 22.5% | 67.5% |
| 90 | 20.0% | 20.0% | 60.0% |
| 180 | 33.3% | 16.7% | 50.0% |
| 360 | 50.0% | 12.5% | 37.5% |
| 720 | 66.7% | 8.33% | 25.0% |
Questions
What is a healthy anchor text split?
No fixed percentages are published as safe or unsafe. The general pattern associated with a natural profile is branded and generic anchors making up the largest share, with exact-match a smaller minority, but this is a rough shape rather than a target to engineer.
Why do search engines care about anchor text diversity?
Anchor text was historically a strong ranking signal, which made it a target for manipulation through paid or exchanged links using exact-match anchors. Diversity checks are one way of spotting profiles that look engineered rather than earned.
Should I ask for exact-match anchor text when building links?
Requesting the same exact-match phrase repeatedly across many links is one of the more recognisable patterns of manipulated link building, and is generally worth avoiding in favour of natural variation.
How is partial-match different from exact-match?
Exact-match repeats the target phrase word for word; partial-match includes some of it alongside other words, such as linking with "affordable running shoes" when the target phrase is "running shoes for flat feet".
To check the dofollow and nofollow split behind the same set of backlinks, see the backlink ratio calculator.