Anchor Text Distribution Checker
Free anchor text distribution checker. Analyze your backlink anchor text ratios (branded, exact match, naked URL) to spot over-optimization risk. No signup.
See your backlink anchor text profile at a glance. Paste your anchors (or a list) and this free tool breaks them into categories, branded, exact match, partial match, naked URL, and generic, so you can spot over-optimization and keep the profile looking natural.
Anchor text distribution checker
Paste your backlink anchors and see the split between branded, exact match, partial, generic and naked URL anchors.
How to use the Anchor Text Distribution Checker
- Paste your list of anchor texts (one per line) or connect your backlink export.
- Run the analysis.
- Review the percentage breakdown by anchor type.
- Rebalance your anchor plan for future link building.
How a balanced anchor text profile helps you rank
Google reads anchor text as a relevance signal, but an unnatural ratio (for example, too many exact-match keyword anchors) is a classic footprint of manipulative link building and a over-optimisation signal. A healthy profile leans heavily on branded and naked-URL anchors with a small, natural share of keyword-rich anchors.
Why anchor ratios decide campaign safety
Anchor text is one of the strongest relevance signals you can influence, and the easiest to overdo. Profiles that get filtered almost always share one trait: too many exact-match commercial anchors pointing at the same page in a short window. Export your anchors from any backlink tool, paste them here, and see the split before it becomes a problem.
A distribution that holds up
- Branded, 40–55%. The dominant bucket in every natural profile.
- Partial match, 20–30%. Keyword plus context, the workhorse of a campaign.
- Exact match, under 10–15%, reserved for your best placements.
- Generic, 10–15%. “Read more”, “this guide”, real editors write these.
- Naked URL, 5–15%. Common in citations and forum references.
Read it per page, not per domain
Sitewide averages hide the risk. A homepage with hundreds of branded links can mask a service page whose only twelve links are all exact match. Always segment by target URL, which is how we plan anchors on every campaign.
Fixing a skewed profile
You rarely need removals. Dilute instead: build branded and generic anchors, vary the surrounding sentence, spread placements over months, and route new links to supporting content that internally links to the money page. If anchors were bought exact-match at scale, disavow only genuinely low-quality sources, and get a plan from our link building team before touching anything.
Key features
- Categorizes every anchor
- Percentage breakdown chart
- Flags over-optimization risk
- Ideal-ratio guidance
- Free to use
Frequently asked questions
What’s a safe anchor text ratio?
Most safe profiles are majority branded and naked-URL anchors, with exact-match kept low (often under 10%).
Why is exact-match anchor text risky?
Keeping exact-match anchors in the minority keeps the profile natural and resilient.
How do I fix a skewed profile?
Build more branded and natural anchors going forward, and diversify.
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Dofollow/Nofollow Link Checker · Disavow File Generator · Keyword Density Checker. See all of our free SEO tools.
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