Anchor Link
An anchor link, or jump link, points to a specific section within a page using a fragment identifier. Google sometimes uses these to link directly to the relevant passage in its search results, which improves the experience on very long pages.
Why it matters for your rankings
Anchor links matter more now that Google links to passages rather than whole pages. When it identifies the section answering a query, it can send the searcher straight there instead of to the top of a long article.
That only works if your headings carry stable IDs and your structure is clean. It also improves usability independently: a table of contents with jump links on a long guide reduces the friction of finding the relevant part, which shows up in engagement. The failure worth checking is fixed headers covering the target heading after a jump, which is a two-line CSS fix that most sites never make because nobody tests the behaviour.
How to check it on your site
Add stable IDs to headings
Every H2 should carry a descriptive, permanent ID so links to it do not break when content is reordered.
Add a table of contents on long pages
Jump links at the top of guides improve navigation and give Google explicit section signals.
Fix scroll offset
Use scroll-margin-top on headings so a fixed header does not obscure the target after a jump.
Test the links
Click each anchor and confirm it lands with the heading visible rather than hidden behind the header.