Anchor Text (Full Version)

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breddie -> Anchor Text (5/13/2004 2:35:55)

I keep hearing how great anchor text is supposed to be rank-wise for a site but I wonder how you SEO's out there would handle a situation like this: (I'll use numbers instead of page names...)


You insert some anchor text on page 2 that directs your visitor to page 4. Page 3 contains a lot of important and necessary info. Meanwhile, your visitor gets so involved in Page 4 that they forget there was a Page 3 or worse...they lose interest and leave.

In spite of the fact your page content was good, they nonetheless diappeared... and it seems to me that what you've done is effectively "anchored" them away from your site.

OK, so all they have to do is hit the browser back button to open Page 3. But wait a minute! Your visitor didn't finish reading Page 2 and you want them to go there before they read page 3!

So...you add a bookmark link on Page 4 that takes them back to where the anchor was on Page 2...but what are the odds they'll even notice the link-back?...or even care?...or maybe they just become confused.

My site is relatively new but I've been in this game long enough to discover that not all surfers are equal...sometimes you have to say, CLICK HERE!

Seems to me the risk of losing a potential customer is pretty high with a scenario like that....Cheez.

What's your take on this? How do you work around a problem like this? We're all trying to 'close' the sale, right?

Thanks!



Donkey -> RE: Anchor Text (5/13/2004 12:26:55)

quote:

Meanwhile, your visitor gets so involved in Page 4 that they forget there was a Page 3 or worse...they lose interest and leave.

If that happens surely it is more a problem with the page content than the links? I would suggest that if you optimise each page with metatags relevant to the content, each page will be a potential site entry point depending on the search words used. Then your navigation needs to be logically set out so that from any starting page vistors can get to other pages they may be interested in with a minimum of clicks.

You may have a prefered order you want them to visit the pages in, but in my experience if they have the choice they will use it, just like some people read a newspaper from the front, others start in the sports section others the cartoons or the TV pages. I would look at your page content and if necessary revise it until you are confident that all the information you consider to be important is logically linked to other relevant pages.

The alternative is to link consecutively so for instance from page 2 you have to go to page 3 before you reach page 4, but IMHO this limits the useability of your site.

There is a good introductory article on SEO here. http://www.outfront.net/tutorials_02/business/seo-intro.htm



breddie -> RE: Anchor Text (5/13/2004 13:38:39)

Hi Donkey,
Thanks for your input. Have already read the suggested SEO article...one of the more concise on the subject.

Regarding your comments, Navigation on my site is very flexible. Outside of being initially directed to the home page, a visitor has the option of choosing wherever they wish to go either via Nav bar, Site Map or internal links.

As for anchor text, I recognize its value and convenience. In my previous post, I was merely submitting a hypothetical scenario that could possibly cause a loss in sales due to improper use of the anchor option.

Perhaps I take too dim a view of the general 'surfing' capabilities of visitors. But, for example, statistics show that a lot of people are still using 2-word combinations to initiate a search. Transfer that (lack of?) to the activation of anchor text within a site and for whatever reason, the visitor might concievably be directed away from a site.

From day 1 we are told to keep navigation simple, direct and easy for the viewer to understand and follow. But nowadays we are also advised to SEO our sites using stratagies that, while increasing our site's PR, may sometimes make a site more complicated.

End of rant. I feel better now.

breddie



dpf -> RE: Anchor Text (5/13/2004 14:02:06)

maybe it's just me but I got completely lost by this post. you started out referencing SEO and yes alt text is important but then you went on to describe what has nothing to do with SEO..it has to do with how a user uses your pages. If you really do not want a user to jump from page 2 to page 4 without first reading page 3, which give them a link to page 4 on page 3? this has nothing to do with using alt text. btw if you want effective alt text, dont say "page 3" say "page that describes such and such".



dpf -> RE: Anchor Text (5/13/2004 14:04:26)

quote:

If you really do not want a user to jump from page 2 to page 4 without first reading page 3, which give them a link to page 4 on page 3?

how humiliating - i just got lost on my own post..lol
i meant to say.....if you dont want the reader to jump from page 2 to page 4 without first reading page 3, WHY give them a link to page 4 on PAGE 2?



breddie -> RE: Anchor Text (5/14/2004 1:37:16)

Hi dpf,

I wasn't refering to Anchor text not Alt text. And based upon what I read from others, Anchor text has very much to do with SEO.

breddie



Mojo -> RE: Anchor Text (5/14/2004 1:50:36)

breddie -

You just need to test your conversion rates depending on the link situation. Whichever coverts the highest - stick with it.

Build a site that works best for your visitors and just place any SEO influenced links out of the way of your visitors... unless you want them in the way. :)



breddie -> RE: Anchor Text (5/14/2004 1:58:00)

Scratch that last post. I meant to say:

"I was referring to Anchor text, not Alt text....in my initial post. And based upon what I've read from others, Anchor text has very much to do with SEO. The way I understand it, SEO ( among other things) is supposed to help increase your PR...and using Anchor text is one of those strategies that is supposed to help do that.



Mojo -> RE: Anchor Text (5/14/2004 2:02:54)

Yes



breddie -> RE: Anchor Text (5/14/2004 2:15:51)

Mojo...

I've read quite a few of your posts in past forums and you always make sense. Thanks for your input.



erinatkins -> RE: Anchor Text (5/14/2004 11:27:17)

This is an article on Anchor Text Optimization



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