Is Anchor Text Still a Big Ranking Factor in 2025?

Hey folks,


I’ve been testing some backlink strategies this year, and I’m noticing mixed results when it comes to anchor text.


Some sites still seem to benefit a lot from keyword-rich anchors, while others rank fine with mostly branded or natural anchors.


What’s been your experience in 2025?

• Are exact-match anchors still working?
• Do you play it safe with branded/naked URLs?
• Have you seen penalties from over-optimization recently?

Curious to hear what’s working best across different niches. Let’s compare notes.

Yes they are still working but should be used sparingly and far apart in time.

Semantic phrases are very effective.

tiiberius said:

Yes they are still working but should be used sparingly and far apart in time.

Semantic phrases are very effective.

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Good point. I’ve also seen semantic phrases pulling weight lately — they feel more natural and safer long term. Do you usually mix them in alongside branded anchors, or mostly replace exact-match with semantic ones?