SEO Annotation Text

Annotation text is the text surrounding an outbound link that Google’s web crawlers can use to understand the linked page. Research suggests that crawlers index not only the anchor text but also nearby words — even across entire paragraphs or sections.

Most importantly, Google’s algorithm patent indicates that this surrounding text can be a ranking factor.

Based on Bill Slawski’s research into Google’s 2007 anchor text patent, annotation text evolved from a system update that allows Google to index words found within a predetermined distance of a hyperlink.

This introduced geo-semantic indexing, meaning that Google’s crawler uses nearby text to interpret a link’s meaning more accurately.

Google’s NLP algorithms now analyze both anchor text and surrounding annotation text.

By indexing nearby phrases, Google refines its understanding of the link’s destination, improving relevance and user experience.

TL;DR: Annotation text gives your outbound links contextual meaning.

Optimizing annotation text strengthens your site’s internal links and improves off-site backlinking efforts. Because most creators focus only on anchor text, optimizing the surrounding text gives you a competitive advantage.

Although Google holds PageRank’s exact signals secret, annotation text likely plays a role in ranking, especially given its alignment with Google’s SMITH algorithm. However, Google has not officially confirmed this.

Think of anchor text as the nucleus of an atom and annotation text as the electrons orbiting it. Both define the atom, but the anchor text is more precise.

Google’s system pulls data from a predetermined distance around the anchor tag — so ensure key terms appear close to your link, while maintaining natural, quality writing throughout the page.

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink that directs users to another page. It often describes the destination content (e.g., “an update of Google’s algorithm patent”).

Google uses anchor text to determine the topic of the linked page while crawling a site’s sitemap.

No.
​Annotation links may refer to video or interactive hyperlinks that jump users to a section or multimedia element. This is not the same as annotation text, which refers to the contextual words around an anchor.

Place topically relevant Focus Terms near both internal and external links. This helps Google better interpret the target page.

Use SEO tools (like the SEO Content Assistant) to select high-impact, topically relevant keywords. Avoid forcing unrelated terms, even if they are high-value.

Avoid keyword stuffing. Focus on semantically related words that naturally support the meaning of your anchor text.

Ensure the paragraph containing your link is well-developed and relevant. Avoid: