WordPress Tags: Your Secret to Better Organization and SEO

WordPress tags are very important and are similar to your categories, only they’re not necessarily there for navigation purposes.

WordPress Categories Versus WordPress Tags

Categories within blog posts and pages are broad definitions of the content, such as profiles, special offers, photo gallery, etc. These category designations sort your posts according to topics, often assigning it to a page based on the category. It also helps identify the content for search engines, as well as visitors searching by keyword phrases.

Tags are a micro-definition, far more specific than their category counterparts. A WordPress tag designation digs deeper into the content and describes specifically what’s inside a particular blog post.

A tag can be a specific list of colors or styles, the name of regular contributors, hot button words, or any further designation of the content within your post.

Adding Tags to Your WordPress Site

When you add a new post to your blog, you’ll see a box with the heading “Tags” on the right side.

You add keywords and keyword phrases by typing them into the tag section, separated by commas. Or, if your blog is established and you’ve been using tags for awhile, click Choose from the most used tags and select from your common tags within the tag cloud. To delete a tag from your post, click on the “X” before that tag.

Tags can be managed, in bulk, from the main dashboard as well-allowing you to edit your tags without going into each individual post. Go to Posts > Tags. From there you can add tags, edit them, or delete them.

Tip: WordPress recommends assigning anywhere from 5 to 15 tags for each blog post. Not assigning any tags negates any search engine optimization. An overabundance of tags can make the navigation more difficult for your visitors.

Effective Use of Tags

Several effective strategies for utilizing tags include:

• Think of keyword phrases, rather than a single keyword
• Reuse tags frequently, rather than only once
• Reorganize occasionally, consolidating tag designations and editing for word choice
• Consider adding a tag cloud, tag list, or “find others like this…” option to your site for visitors to utilize

The findability of your site and the effectiveness of your navigation is centered on your tags and categories. Use tags and categories wisely to give your blog the best SEO results possible.
For more help with customizing your tags and category designation and content creation, contact us about our design and content services.