Internal Outlinks With No Anchor Text

Description

Pages that have internal links without anchor text, or images that are hyperlinked without alt text. Anchor text is the visible text and words used in hyperlinks that provide users and search engines context about the content of the target page.

How to Fix

Review the pages with internal outlinks without anchor text or image alt text and add anchor text or image alt text to them.

Detailed Analysis

1. What Causes This Issue:

The issue of internal outlinks with no anchor text typically arises from two main scenarios:

• Hyperlinked Images Without Alt Text: When an image is used as a hyperlink without an accompanying alt attribute, it results in a link with no descriptive anchor text. The alt attribute is essential for providing context about the image, which doubles as the anchor text when images are used as links.

• Empty or Missing Anchor Text in Text Links: Sometimes, links are created with empty anchor tags or intentionally left blank due to errors during the content creation process or oversight during web development.

Both scenarios lead to a lack of descriptive text for the hyperlinks, which can confuse both users and search engines.

2. Why It's Important:

• User Experience: Anchor text provides users with a preview of the content they will find if they click the link. Links without descriptive text can confuse users, leading to a poor navigation experience.

• SEO and Search Engine Crawling: Search engines use anchor text as a ranking signal to understand the context of the linked page. Links without anchor text provide no context, potentially diminishing the SEO value of the link. This can affect the indexation and ranking of the linked pages.

• Accessibility: For users relying on screen readers, descriptive anchor text (or alt text for images) is essential for understanding navigation options. Links without this information can hinder accessibility, making it difficult for visually impaired users to navigate the site.

3. Best Practices to Prevent It:

• Always Use Descriptive Anchor Text: Ensure that all text links include descriptive and relevant anchor text that accurately reflects the content of the target page.

• Use Alt Text for Hyperlinked Images: When images are used as links, always include an alt attribute that describes the image and its purpose. This serves as the anchor text for the link.

• Regular Content Audits: Conduct regular audits of your website’s internal links to identify and rectify cases of missing anchor text or alt text.

• Educate Content Creators: Ensure that everyone involved in content creation and web development understands the importance of anchor text and alt attributes for SEO and accessibility.

• Use Tools and Plugins: Utilize SEO tools and plugins that can automatically check for missing anchor text or alt text, providing alerts or reports for correction.

4. Examples of Good and Bad Cases:

• Bad Case (Text Link):

  HTML

  <a href="example-page.html"></a>

  This link has no anchor text, providing no context to users or search engines.

• Good Case (Text Link):

  HTML

  <a href="example-page.html">Learn More About Our Services</a>

  This link uses descriptive anchor text, offering clear context.

• Bad Case (Image Link without Alt Text):

  HTML

  <a href="example-page.html"><img src="image.jpg"></a>

  The image is a hyperlink but lacks an alt attribute, providing no information to users or search engines.

• Good Case (Image Link with Alt Text):

  HTML

  <a href="example-page.html"><img src="image.jpg" alt="Our Services Overview"></a>

  The alt attribute provides a clear description of the link's purpose, enhancing accessibility and SEO.

By addressing the issue of internal outlinks with no anchor text, you can significantly improve your website's usability, accessibility, and SEO performance.