How to Choose Anchor Text (Ratios That Keep You Safe)

Safe anchor text profiles are dominated by branded and natural anchors — roughly 50–60% branded/URL, 25–30% generic and topic anchors, and under 10–15% partial or exact-match keywords. Exact-match anchors on every link is the most detectable footprint in link building.

Why the ratio matters more than any anchor

Google evaluates your anchor distribution as a whole. Real earned links skew heavily branded (‘SerpZenith’, ‘serpzenith.net’) because that’s how people naturally link. A profile where ‘affordable seo agency’ appears fifty times was obviously purchased — no other explanation exists.

Practical assignment

Save exact-match for your strongest, most relevant placements — one or two per campaign. Use partial-match variations (‘options for affordable SEO’) for the middle tier. Let everything else stay branded and generic. Diversity within each category too: vary the phrasing.

The takeaway for buyers

When a link seller asks ‘what anchor?’ for every single link and does exactly what you say — that’s a seller optimizing for your satisfaction over your safety. Every campaign here manages ratios across your full order history automatically.