Google highlights that alterations to internal linking can significantly impact a site’s rankings, positively or negatively. In a Webmaster Hangout, Google’s John Mueller shared insights on the optimal approach for updating internal linking.
Can Changing Internal Anchor Text Affect Rankings?
A web publisher inquired if modifying the anchor text of internal links could harm a website’s performance.
“Does changing the text of older internal links to help users understand them have any downside? Can it hurt the rankings?”
John Mueller’s response was clear.
“No. That sounds perfect. If you’re updating anchor text internally to make it more easily understandable by users, then usually that also helps search engines to better understand the context of those pages. So I would definitely go for that.
…if you’re just changing the text, like the writing, and you’re changing the anchor from one text name to something else, that’s perfectly fine.”
John Mueller’s advice reflects a modern aspect of SEO today. It’s recognized that Google evaluates a site based on how a user would interact with it, how convenient it is, and how well a user comprehends the page content.
Thus, anchor text that facilitates user understanding of what they are clicking on can also be helpful for Google to grasp the context of the linked page.
Will Updated Anchor Text Help Rankings?
John Mueller did not claim that updating anchor text would improve site rankings. He only mentioned that anchor text aids the search engine in “better understanding the context of those pages.”
In the past, it was believed that the search engine was influenced by anchor text to rank pages according to that text.
Today, ranking requires more than just keywords in anchor text. This is evident in the types of sites Google ranks for most phrases.
The role of anchor text fits into a realm where SEOs view it as a ranking factor, whereas Google sees it as just one of many ways to comprehend a page’s context.
These represent two different perspectives on the significance of internal anchor text. One perspective views it as a “ranking factor,” while the other sees it as a means of understanding page content context.
Artists sometimes view their paintings in a mirror. This shift in perspective helps them spot mistakes or flaws not apparent when viewing the image directly.
In a similar way, considering anchor text as a way to convey page context can alter your perspective on the content, viewing it as more than just words for ranking.
Images Should be Avoided
John Mueller also advised against using images when linking between pages. This is mainly because image links do not aid Google in understanding the page’s relevance.
This represents a rare exception in the “if it’s good for Users, it’s good for Google” concept.
While aphorisms can be insightful, they can also be limited. There may be cases where linking with an image is beneficial for users, but it’s not always the case for Google.
Therefore, it might be wise not to view “if it’s good for Users, it’s good for Google” as an absolute.
John Mueller shared the following:
“The one thing I would avoid doing is changing anchor text into an image. So if you have… a fancy font or something you want to use on your pages and you change a link from being a text link to an image link, and there’s no textual connection with that image for that link, it becomes difficult for us to understand what the anchor text is supposed to be.”
Screenshot by Author, Modified by Author
