Internal Links Missing Anchor Text: How to Find and Fix Them
An internal link is missing useful anchor text when the link gives users and search engines little or no meaningful label for its destination. The clearest examples are an empty <a> element, an image-only link with no useful text alternative, or an icon-only link with no accessible name.
Quick answer: find the source page and exact link, identify whether it is a truly empty link, a linked image without a useful alt value, an unlabeled icon, or simply vague link text, then fix the markup so the link purpose is clear. Do not treat every 'read more' link as equivalent to an empty anchor, and do not force keywords into links just to satisfy an SEO audit.
What does 'missing anchor text' actually mean?
Anchor text is the clickable text inside a link. For a standard HTML link such as <a href="/seo-guide">SEO guide</a>, the words 'SEO guide' are the anchor text.
Google recommends placing useful anchor text inside crawlable <a> elements. Good anchor text is descriptive, reasonably concise, relevant to the source page, and relevant to the destination page.
But several different link problems are often grouped under the label 'missing anchor text.' Separating them matters because the correct fix is different.
| Link state | Example | What is missing? | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty text link | <a href="/guide"></a> | No visible link text | Add meaningful link text, or remove the empty link if it should not exist |
| Image-only link with empty alt | <a href="/guide"><img src="x.jpg" alt=""></a> | No textual description of the linked image's purpose | Use an appropriate text alternative when the image is the only link content |
| Icon-only link without accessible name | <a href="/search"><svg>...</svg></a> | No accessible label for users of assistive technology | Provide a meaningful accessible name using suitable semantic/ARIA techniques |
| Generic but visible link text | <a href="/guide">Read more</a> | The label may be vague without context, but it is not empty | Improve when context is insufficient; do not classify every generic label as an empty anchor |
Why links without meaningful text are worth fixing
They make the destination less clear — Anchor text helps users decide whether a link is relevant before clicking. Empty or unlabeled links provide little guidance.
They remove useful descriptive context from the link — Google says anchor text provides context about linked pages. Descriptive internal anchors are clearer than empty markup.
They can create accessibility problems — W3C guidance recommends descriptive link names so users, including people using assistive technologies, can understand link purpose.
They often reveal template or component bugs — Repeated empty anchors can come from missing CMS variables, icon components, card templates, hydration problems, or malformed markup.
They make site QA harder — An empty link can still be clickable even when it is visually invisible, leaving hidden interactive areas or confusing keyboard navigation.
What Google actually says about empty anchor text
Google's current link best-practices documentation gives a concrete example of an empty link and recommends placing anchor text inside crawlable <a> elements.
It also documents two important fallback cases that are more precise than saying Google simply 'uses the surrounding paragraph instead':
If an <a> element is empty, Google says it can use the link's title attribute as anchor text as a fallback.
If an image is used as a link, Google uses the image's alt attribute as anchor text.
These fallbacks do not make empty link markup a good implementation pattern. The better approach is to make link purpose clear to users and machines through meaningful visible text or an appropriate text alternative.
Missing anchor text vs. generic anchor text
A link that says 'read more' is not technically the same as an empty anchor.
Generic text can still be understandable from its programmatically determined context. W3C's accessibility guidance notes that a link purpose can sometimes be determined from the link text together with its surrounding sentence, paragraph, list item, or other associated context.
That does not mean generic labels are ideal. If many cards all say 'read more,' or the destination is unclear when the link is encountered out of context, a more descriptive label is usually better.
| Example | Problem level | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| <a href="/audit"></a> | Clearly broken/empty label | Add meaningful text or remove the unintended link |
| <a href="/audit">Read more</a> | Potentially vague, context dependent | Use descriptive wording when it improves clarity |
| Read our <a href="/audit">internal link audit guide</a> | Clear | No change needed |
| <a href="/pricing" aria-label="View pricing"><svg>...</svg></a> | May be accessible despite no visible text | Validate the accessible name and visual UX; do not flag purely by textContent alone |
Image links: what should the alt text say?
When an image is the only content inside a link, the text alternative should communicate the function or purpose of that link well enough for a user who cannot see the image.
That does not always mean stuffing the destination's target keyword into alt text.
For example, if a linked product image leads to a product page, an alt value that identifies the product can serve both the image and link purpose. If the same link already contains visible text that clearly describes the destination, accessibility guidance allows the image itself to use empty alt text when the image adds no additional information.
| Markup pattern | Assessment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| <a href="/tools"><img src="tools.png" alt="SEO tools"></a> | Reasonable if the image is the only link content | The linked image has a useful textual alternative |
| <a href="/tools"><img src="tools.png" alt=""></a> | Problem when the image is the only link content | The linked image provides no textual link purpose |
| <a href="/tools"><img src="icon.png" alt="">SEO tools</a> | Usually fine | Visible link text already describes the destination |
How to find internal links with missing anchor text
The most reliable audit identifies the exact source URL, destination URL, rendered link label, and link type. A sitewide count without those fields is difficult to act on.
Method 1: Crawl the site
Use a crawler that exports internal outlinks and anchor text. In Screaming Frog, for example, the 'Internal Outlinks With No Anchor Text' issue identifies links with no anchor text and linked images without alt text, and the issue can be exported for review.
For each affected link, capture at least:
Source URL
Destination URL
Link text
Image alt text when applicable
Link location or template
HTTP status of the destination
Whether the issue appears once or across many pages
Method 2: Inspect rendered HTML for template problems
If the same empty link appears on hundreds of pages, the problem may belong to one reusable component rather than hundreds of individual content edits.
Check headers, footers, breadcrumbs, cards, related-post widgets, icon links, product grids, and CMS-driven buttons. A missing variable in one component can generate empty anchors across an entire site.
Method 3: Audit a priority destination URL
If one important page is underperforming, inspect all internal links pointing to that page rather than auditing every anchor on the site.
Review whether the source pages are relevant, whether the link labels are understandable, and whether any important source pages currently mention the topic without linking.
How to fix empty or missing anchor text
1. Fix accidental empty anchors
If an <a> element exists but contains no intended content, decide whether the link should exist at all.
If it should exist, add meaningful visible text or another accessible label appropriate to the interface. If it was generated accidentally, remove the empty anchor rather than inventing SEO text for a link users do not need.
2. Fix image-only links without useful text alternatives
When the image itself is the only content of the link, provide an appropriate text alternative that communicates the link purpose. Keep it natural and useful; do not treat alt text as a place to repeat target keywords.
3. Fix unlabeled icon links
Search, cart, account, menu, social, and other icon-only links need an accessible name even when visible text would clutter the interface.
Use the semantic pattern that fits the component, such as visible text, visually hidden text, aria-label, or aria-labelledby. Then test the rendered result with accessibility tools or a screen reader rather than assuming the attribute alone solved the problem.
4. Improve vague anchors when the user benefit is real
Replace generic wording when a more descriptive label helps users understand the destination.
Example:
Less clear: "Read more"
Clearer: "Read the internal link audit checklist"
But context matters. A 'Read more' link in a well-labeled article card may still have an understandable purpose. Do not turn every CTA into an awkward keyword phrase simply because an SEO tool prefers longer anchor text.
5. Keep anchor wording natural
Google recommends descriptive, reasonably concise, relevant anchor text and warns against forcing keywords into every link.
The goal is not to maximize keyword density in anchors. The goal is to help a reader understand what happens after the click.
What should you prioritize first?
Do not use an invented universal severity scale. Prioritize by user impact, template reach, and destination importance.
| Finding | Why it deserves attention | Typical scope | Priority logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty/unlabeled navigation or utility link | Can confuse users and assistive technology across the whole site | Template-wide | High when it affects core navigation |
| Image-only link without a useful text alternative | Link purpose may be unclear to both users and Google | Template or page level | High when repeated or important |
| Empty anchor generated by a component bug | Can create invisible/unintended interactive elements | Potentially sitewide | High when widespread |
| Vague contextual anchor to an important page | Missed clarity opportunity | Page level | Medium when a clearer phrase improves UX |
| Generic CTA whose surrounding card already identifies the destination | May be understandable in context | Page/template level | Lower unless accessibility or clarity is poor |
Does missing anchor text hurt rankings?
It is better to avoid a guaranteed-ranking claim.
Google explicitly recommends descriptive anchor text because it helps people and Google understand linked pages. An empty or unclear link loses that descriptive opportunity, but the ranking effect of one link cannot be isolated from content quality, page relevance, external links, site structure, query intent, and many other signals.
So the practical SEO conclusion is: fix missing or unclear link labels because they improve link quality, navigation, accessibility, and contextual understanding. Do not promise that changing them will move a page a specific number of positions.
Does an empty anchor stop Google from following the link?
Not necessarily. A valid crawlable <a href> can still point to a destination even when its text is poor or empty.
That is why this issue is different from a broken link. The destination may be perfectly reachable; the problem is that the link itself gives less useful information about its purpose.
Does missing anchor text waste crawl budget?
No—not by itself.
An empty anchor is primarily a link-quality, usability, accessibility, and markup problem. Google's crawl-budget guidance is mainly relevant to very large or rapidly changing sites. A handful of empty anchors on a normal website should not be framed as a crawl-budget crisis.
Can surrounding context make a generic link understandable?
Yes, sometimes.
W3C's WCAG guidance allows link purpose to be determined from the link text together with programmatically determined context in some cases. For example, a 'Read more' link at the end of a clearly labeled article summary may be understandable from its surrounding paragraph or card.
For SEO and accessibility, descriptive link text is still usually the cleaner option when it can be written naturally.
How Roshlytix fits into the workflow
Use Roshlytix to inspect internal-link opportunities and anchor suggestions across a site, then validate the actual rendered markup before changing templates or content.
For a dedicated anchor-text issue, the key review fields are the source page, destination page, existing link label or image text alternative, and whether the proposed replacement makes the user's next step clearer.
Run the Internal Link Finder: Internal Link Finder
A practical missing-anchor-text audit checklist
Empty <a> elements have been identified.
Whitespace-only anchors have been reviewed.
Image-only links without useful alt text have been identified.
Icon-only links have an appropriate accessible name.
Important contextual links use understandable labels.
Generic links have been reviewed in their actual context rather than automatically rewritten.
Sitewide component bugs have been fixed at the template/component level.
Anchor wording is descriptive without keyword stuffing.
Destination URLs resolve correctly.
The rendered HTML has been validated after JavaScript hydration where relevant.
Changes have been checked with accessibility tooling when they affect interactive components.
Frequently asked questions
What is missing anchor text in SEO?
Missing anchor text usually refers to a link that has no meaningful text label, such as an empty <a> element or an image-only link without a useful text alternative. Some audit tools also group vague labels such as 'read more' into the same category, but those links are not technically empty.
How does Google handle an empty anchor?
Google recommends placing anchor text inside crawlable <a> elements. Its documentation says that if an <a> element is empty, Google may use the title attribute as anchor text as a fallback. That fallback is not a reason to intentionally create empty links.
What happens when an image is the only content in a link?
Google uses the image's alt attribute as anchor text. Accessibility guidance also says that when an image is the only content of a link, its text alternative should describe the link's purpose.
Is 'click here' bad for SEO?
It is usually less descriptive than a label that explains the destination, but it is not the same as an empty anchor. The surrounding context can sometimes make a generic link understandable. Improve it when a clearer label genuinely helps users.
Does missing anchor text stop a page from being indexed?
No. An empty or unclear anchor does not automatically prevent Google from crawling or indexing the destination. The issue is that the link provides less useful descriptive context.
Does missing anchor text waste crawl budget?
Not by itself. Empty anchors are better treated as a markup, usability, accessibility, and contextual-linking issue rather than a crawl-budget problem.
Should I add the target keyword to every anchor?
No. Google recommends descriptive and natural anchor text and warns against forcing keywords into every link. Use wording that helps a reader understand the destination.
How do I find links with no anchor text?
Use a crawler that exports internal outlinks and anchor text, then review links where the text field is blank and linked images where alt text is missing or empty. Also inspect rendered templates for icon-only links or JavaScript-generated markup.
Are empty anchors worse than generic anchors?
They are different problems, and there is no public Google severity scale that proves a universal ranking order. Empty or unlabeled links are often more urgent when they create accessibility or template-wide issues, while generic anchors should be improved when context does not make the destination clear.
Can fixing missing anchor text improve rankings?
It can improve the quality and clarity of your internal linking, but no ranking increase is guaranteed. Search performance depends on many signals beyond anchor text.
Fix the link purpose, not just the SEO warning
The best fix for missing anchor text is not 'add a keyword.' It is to make the purpose of the link clear.
Start with empty or unlabeled links in important templates and user journeys, then review image links and vague contextual anchors. If a link should not exist, remove it. If it should exist, give people and search engines a meaningful way to understand where it goes.
Audit internal-link opportunities with Roshlytix: Internal Link Finder
Related Roshlytix guides
How Many Internal Links Per Page?
Sources
Google Search Central - Link best practices for Google
W3C WAI - Link Purpose (In Context)
W3C WAI - Providing link text that describes the purpose of a link
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