Anchor text split on guest posts: what ratio are you running this year?

I know it varies by niche, but I’d like to compare notes. What split is working for you, and have you seen any site get hit for over-optimization recently?

I don’t follow a fixed anchor text ratio for every site. I usually mix branded, URL, generic, partial match anchors, and exact match anchors only where they fit. It also depends on the existing backlink profile and competition.

havent seen a site get hit for the ratio itself. the ones that got hit had exact match on pages with nothing else going for them. money site i dont really run a split, brand and naked url, keyword maybe once in ten
the split i watch is one level down.. the pages linking to the guest post get hundreds of anchors. brandables, generic stuff like click here and this site, naked urls, some partials, exact match maybe 1 in 20, all mixed up. nobody types that by hand, its automated and spun, thats why it sits on the support pages and never on the money site
before i care about any ratio i check the guest post page is still indexed tho. anchor on a dropped page is 0 links

mix of naked links, around 50% generic anchors along with very long tail keywords works for me.

nadimmahmud007 said:

I know it varies by niche, but I’d like to compare notes. What split is working for you, and have you seen any site get hit for over-optimization recently?

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I prefer keeping exact match anchors low and using more branded, generic, and natural phrases.

There’s no fixed ratio that works for every site though, so it’s better to keep the anchor profile looking natural rather than chasing specific percentages.

I usually keep branded and natural anchors as the majority, with keyword-rich anchors used only where they fit naturally. I don't think there's one perfect ratio for every niche.

alihassan2071 said:

I usually keep branded and natural anchors as the majority, with keyword-rich anchors used only where they fit naturally. I don't think there's one perfect ratio for every niche.

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For me, branded and natural anchors should take up the larger part of my links' anchor text, while keyword anchors should be used where appropriate. I do not believe there is one best ratio for all niches.

I usually think a natural mix is the safest way to go. Too many exact-match anchors can look suspicious, especially if they're built too quickly. I haven't seen a clear case of a site getting hit recently, but I'd be interested to hear what others have experienced.