Does Google Use Text Around a Link As Well As Anchor Text?

[surfgatinho]

I just did a search for my username, I use it on various forums.
What I was suprised was my website was also listed depite the fact it has no mention of my username anywhere on the site. The only connection I can imagine is I always fill out my home page details.

Can't think of any other explanation

[arrowman]

Maybe there is a link to your site somewhere with your name as anchor text. It happens.

[BigUns]

Perhaps this is the answer: Do a Google search on

surfgatinho cornwall24

:)

[surfgatinho]

Maybe there is a link to your site somewhere with your name as anchor text

Yeah, that occured after I posted but can't find any inbounds with that anchor text.
I only use the name on forums and they only use names as anchor text to profiles from my experience.

surfgatinho cornwall24

Not that site.
If I search for both site and username I just get results where the 2 are on the same page

[arrowman]

can't find any inbounds with that anchor text

Look harder! There are 8,058,044,651 web pages out there. At least.

[webnewton]

LSI may be the hidden clue. Google related your alias with the mention of your sites.

[surfgatinho]

Look harder! There are 8,058,044,651 web pages out there.

Yes, thankyou for pointing that out! However, not that many contain the term surfgatinho and from what I can tell they are all from forums or script type sites where the ancchor text to my site is never my username.
I admit it is possible that somewhere there is that anchor text, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

[Andem]

There's probably a little icon somewhere with the alt text "nickname's homepage" which it's matching. That, or anchor tag has a title attribute.

[MHes]

surfgatinho
I think you may have given weight to the idea that words around a link are very important and become relevant in a similar way to anchor text.

[peewhy]

Does the link in Google take you to anywhere where there are further clues?...it might be a silly question, but did you click on the link?

[surfgatinho]

OK, it's the same on Yahoo and MSN so obviously it's nothing too clever!

[peewhy]

.....but caused much bewilderment!

[Boaz]

If the name of the site you're talking about starts with an a, then I did find a link to it with your nick in the anchor text. It's just well hidden - you have to look in the actual source. :)

Do a search in Yahoo for "link:http://yoursitename.co.uk surfgatinho". Have a look at the html source of the third result - you'll find a link to the site in question as follows:

<a href="http://yoursitename.co.uk">Visit surfgatinho's homepage!</a>

[Just Guessing]

I had a look out of curiosity and found it in about 5 minutes - it's straight anchor text in a link, but not visible on the page - unless you log in or something.

I'll pm you the page

<edit>Oops - Boaz got there first</edit>

[surfgatinho]

Doh!
OK so I wasn't very thorough! Interesting that a some hidden anchor text can have an effect though.