Should You Use “Click Here” As Anchor Text?

Writing by Nick Stamoulis Tweet

Google “Click Here” and right at the number 1 spot you’ll find the pages for the Adobe Reader download. Go the page and the words “click here” are nowhere to be found. How is that possible?

It’s called anchor text. Thousands of websites link to that page using the anchor text phrase “click here”. That anchor text has caused the Adobe download page to rank exceptionally well for that phrase. But how many people actually search for the phrase “click here” and how many do so looking for Adobe Reader? My guess is not that many.

This little exercise should illustrate the power and importance of inbound link anchor text. That’s why we’ve devoted so much time to the topic on this blog. But there is more to inbound linking than the choice of your anchor text. That is just one piece of the link building puzzle. Nevertheless, it’s an important piece and careful thought should go into your choice of anchor text phrases.

Still, there may be times when you want to use “click here” as a call to action. Yes, you’ll lose a little bit of search engine optimization quality, link building authority in particular, but it’s a case where you as webmaster have to weigh the benefits between two values. Do you go for the link building power and authority of strong anchor text or do you go for a strong call to action and encourage your visitors to click the link? It doesn’t have to be “click here” that you use as your call to action. But sometimes the strong call to action is the better choice.