Anchors Aweigh
Jan
20
categories : Being Bookish
Ahoy matey!
Are you up for a challenge? Well, a mini-challenge that is!
What’s that you say? Yes? Well then adjust that eye patch and perch a parrot on your shoulder because the Bloggiesta Anchors Aweigh Mini Challenge is sidling up to the docks!
Just in case you haven’t heard the fabulously ingenious Natasha from Maw Books Blog has put together an amazing three day Blogstravaganza where we challengers are going to be all about gussying things up around our digital homes.
Anyway, as part of this momentous occasion Natasha is generously offering up a multitude of prizes and giveaways.
Pssstt….this is where I come in.
If you take part in the fun little mini-challenge below you’ll be entered to win one of the fabulous Bloggiesta gifts viewed at Maw Books. So put on your sea legs because I’ll be your cruise director through this mini-challenge about creating links using anchor text.
**puts on digital teacher hat**
What is anchor text you ask? Well it’s the actual text that you use for your link.
Example: Click here to visit Maw Books Blog
As you can see “click here” is our anchor text because it’s the link your mouse clicks on to take you somewhere else.
Why, you ask, is this important to know about? Well because some search engines actually index and rank blogs based on links. This means that in the above link the blog’s search engine ranking would be low because “click here” isn’t descriptive of the actual location to which a user is being sent.
A better way to create the same link so that a blog will rank higher in search engine results is:
Click here to visit Maw Books Blog
Creating a link this way places the emphasis on the name of the blog as compared to the less descriptive text.
Just in case you need a little extra help check out another tutorial on this subject from the Blogging Tips Group.
Alright, here is the challenge. Mini-style!
Reply to this post and include in the body of your message a link using the above referenced best practice. Doing so will enter you to win one of the amazing prizes listed at this Bloggiesta post.
Colleen:
Thanks – this was new info for me – I am now much more conscious of anchor text as I create links. Maybe this will help with my blog score?
January 10, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Alexia561:
Never knew it was called an anchor text, so thanks for the information! I understand how to do this in my posts as blogger has a gadget, but how do you do it in comments with no gadget available?
January 10, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Josette:
Hi, this is really useful information. Thanks! I didn’t know that word usage is important when creating links. Now I do.
June 10, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Milka:
Thanks for this information, I again learned something new. From now I won’t write “click here” anymore.
June 11, 2010 at 10:08 am
Charlotte:
Thanks for the reminder! I’m pretty sure I do this, but I will be more mindful of it, at least for the next few weeks……
June 11, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Carin B.:
I love anchors! It’s much easier to get to someone’s blog using one instead of having to copy and paste a URL.
~Carin B. at A Little Bookish
June 11, 2010 at 10:54 pm
Rikki:
I posted my Bloggiesta to-do-list
June 12, 2010 at 1:24 am
Jan@eatingyabooks:
Most of my links are anchored, but I think I will check on my Monday memes for ones that are not. From now I will definitely makes sure to use the anchor link for my reviews by naming the title of the book instead of using review.
Jan at Link Eating YA Books
June 12, 2010 at 2:32 am
Felicia:
I love anchor text, helps out tons at Geeky Bloggers Book Blog
June 12, 2010 at 9:22 am
Kelly:
I never thought about this before! Well, I guess now you can check it out on my blog STACKED!.
June 12, 2010 at 9:23 am
Kate:
Wow, I never thought about the advantage of doing this, thanks!!
Be sure to visit I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!
June 12, 2010 at 10:48 am
Lydia (The Lost Entwife):
This is fantastic. I will have to use this practice while working on blog posts at The Lost Entwife
June 12, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Erin:
I think I’m rather inconsistent in anchoring my links; I need to pay better attention to it. I’m starting with my Bloggiesta goals post, where I’m linking up mini challenges and hosts.
January 21, 2011 at 10:29 am
Laurel-Rain Snow:
Okay, I understand the concept; don’t know how to create a link here in this comment form without the “link” device.
My Bloggiesta start-up post is at:
Explorations
January 21, 2011 at 11:35 am
Laura:
Great idea! I learned this one a while ago on a forum where people would try to click on the person’s name looking for the link anyways. Thanks for the post!
January 21, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Melissa:
Oh I am guilty of this, even just this morning I typed something like “or you can click here” *hangs head in shame* I had no idea how this could impact search engines, never really thought of it, but I will be much more care now. To prove I have learned my lesson you can visit me at Meliscellaneous.net where I plan to update that link PRONTO lol
January 21, 2011 at 6:10 pm
ibeeeg:
I am not participating in Bloggiesta, but I am glad to be reading posts such as yours. I did not realize about the anchor aspect…good to know, and I will keep it in mind from now on.
January 21, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Kim:
Okay–I am going to give this a try–oh and I promise to firmly anchor my links in the future! I started Bloggiesta out with
<a href="http://pageafterpage-kim.blogspot.com/2011/01/bloggiesta.html"making a list of my goals. (Hope that link worked!)
January 21, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Kim:
Well apparently that did not work! Boo Hoo!
January 21, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Kim:
Trying again…..
Okay–I am going to give this a try–oh and I promise to firmly anchor all my links in the future! I started Bloggiesta out with
“making a list of my goals.
January 21, 2011 at 11:36 pm
Kim:
One more time–I am getting closer!
Okay–I am going to give this a try–oh and I promise to firmly anchor all my links in the future! Making a list of my goals was the beginning of Bloggiestafor me.
January 21, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Ashley:
Now, instead of click here to read my review, I’ll link the actual title!
Click here to read my review of Slice of Cherry!
Great information!! Thanks!
January 22, 2011 at 9:22 am
MotherReader:
I remember you talking about this before, at KidLitCon I believe? It has stuck with me and I am ever more vigilant about where I put my links. Thanks!
January 22, 2011 at 11:50 am
Alisha S.:
Rock on. This is supremely useful information, and I had no idea of its importance before. I will be sure to integrate these practices into the My Need to Read blog from now on. ^___^
Cheers!
January 22, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Suzanne (Chick with Books):
I always try and remember to “make good anchors”, but sometimes I do forget. Today, though, take a peek at My Sunday Salon post
January 23, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Aelia:
Well, I reflexively do anchor text over at AeliaReads, so it could be a lot harder. (Glad to see that it’s actually a good thing!)
January 24, 2011 at 1:08 am
bookspersonally:
Great tip! thanks, can do that in Blogger… have to work on learning how to do it in comments, though…..
January 31, 2011 at 12:47 pm