What elements should text links consist of to ensure the best possible SEO performance?

For optimal SEO, text links require both anchor text and an HTML a-tag with an href attribute. The a-tag defines the hyperlink, and the href attribute specifies the destination URL. Anchor text, the visible, clickable text of the link, provides context to users and search engines about the linked page's content, influencing ranking. The nofollow attribute tells search engines not to pass link equity, which is generally not ideal for SEO performance unless specifically intended (e.g., for user-generated content). The noindex attribute is a meta tag or HTTP header directive that prevents a page from being indexed, not an element of a text link itself.