Verify that every backlink actually uses your required anchor text and points to your target domain. IndexVero returns HTTP status, matched / wrong / skipped per URL, and an overall match rate you can report on.
Who it’s for
- Agencies grading a delivered backlink package before it reaches a client.
- Link builders confirming placements use the approved anchor, not a generic or wrong one.
- SEOs auditing an anchor profile for over-optimization risk.
- Account managers who need a defensible match rate in the monthly report.
How it works
Paste backlink URLs
Drop in the source pages that should contain your link, plus your target domain.
Add required anchors
List the anchor texts you expect. Use status-only mode to just check HTTP, or deep scan for hidden links.
Read the match report
See HTTP status, matched / wrong / skipped, the anchor found, and an overall match rate. Export the CSV.
Example: what goes in, what comes out
Target yoursite.com; required anchors best running shoes, yoursite.
| Source page | Anchor found | Result |
|---|---|---|
| blogA.com/review | best running shoes | Matched |
| blogB.com/post | click here | Wrong (generic anchor) |
| blogC.com/page | — (no link to target) | Skipped |
Features
Anchor + target verification
Confirm each page links to your target domain using an approved anchor, not a wrong or generic one.
Match rate at a glance
Get an overall match rate plus per-URL matched, wrong, and skipped counts so you can grade a package instantly.
Deep scan for hidden links
Optionally check sidebars, widgets, load-more content, and links embedded in page data that basic checks miss.
The ratio that turns anchors into a risk
Anchor text isn’t just “is my keyword there.” It’s a distribution, and a skewed one is a classic over-optimization signal. A natural profile leans heavily on branded, URL, and generic anchors, with exact-match commercial anchors as a small slice:
- Branded / URL / generic — the bulk of a healthy profile (“yoursite”, the bare URL, “read more”).
- Partial-match — a moderate share (“best shoes for runners”).
- Exact-match commercial — a small share. A spike here — the same money keyword on placement after placement — is the pattern that reads as manipulation.
Checking the anchor found on every placement (not just what was ordered) is how you catch a supplier over-using one exact-match anchor before it becomes a liability. Pair it with List Verify to confirm the placements were delivered as ordered.
Limitations & privacy
- It reports the anchor and target it finds on each page; it doesn’t score your overall ratio for you — use the per-URL anchors-found column to tally distribution.
- Links injected purely by JavaScript after load, or behind bot protection, may not be visible even to deep scan.
- No signup. Guests check 10 URLs per run and 50 links per day; a free account raises that to 1,000 per run and 200 links per day. Pages are fetched for the run and not stored as part of your profile.
FAQ
What does the anchor text checker verify?
For each backlink URL it checks the HTTP status and whether the page links to your target domain using one of your required anchor texts, marking it matched, wrong, or skipped.
What is the difference between status-only and deep scan?
Status-only just checks that each URL is reachable. Deep scan also inspects sidebars, widgets, load-more sections, and links embedded in page data, at a small speed cost.
What does match rate mean?
Match rate is the share of checkable URLs whose anchor matched one of your required anchors — a quick score for how well a backlink package was delivered.
Can I export the anchor report?
Yes. Export a CSV with HTTP status, matched result, match source, first match, target anchors, anchors found, required anchors, and any error per URL.
Do I need an account?
No. Anyone can run the checker on this page: 10 URLs per run and 50 links per day. A free account raises that to 1,000 URLs per run and 200 links per day.