{"id":3029,"date":"2019-12-18T15:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T14:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=3029"},"modified":"2020-09-03T10:09:19","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T08:09:19","slug":"wordpress-categories-vs-tags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wordpress-categories-vs-tags\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Way to Organize Your WordPress Content – Categories vs Tags"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Good organization is key to almost everything in life. When it comes to blogging, that is particularly important. Well, that and a couple of other things, like using a good blog or magazine WordPress theme<\/a>. No matter how many posts you publish daily, your content needs to be neatly organized<\/strong> in order to make sure your visitors have the best possible experience. Not to mention that search engines prefer well-structured and sorted content, too.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]We have already written about the importance of taxonomies in WordPress<\/a> and how to add categories and tags to your posts. But today we\u2019re going to discuss categories and tags in more detail. We\u2019ll clear up some common issues like what is the optimal number of categories and tags per site and whether you should add posts to multiple categories.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the Difference Between Categories and Tags in WordPress?<\/h2>\n

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\n \"WordPress <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]In WordPress, categories and tags are the two taxonomies that you get by default<\/strong>. Every WordPress website has them. Some bloggers even add their own custom taxonomies<\/strong> to make things more organized and to make their blog stand out from the rest. Custom taxonomies are also widely used by big magazines that publish dozens of posts daily. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Still, when it comes to basic taxonomies, there seems to be some confusion, so let\u2019s take a look at some main differences between categories and tags. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Categories and tags both serve as labels for sorting out your content<\/strong>. They tell visitors what a blog post is about and help you classify and group the content into coherent units. However: [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”23px”]
    \n
  • \n\t
    \n Categories are mandatory, tags are not. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
      \n
    • \n\t
      \n Categories have hierarchies, tags do not.<\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
        \n
      • \n\t
        \n Categories are broad, tags are narrow. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_column_text]As you can see, the difference between categories and tags is not so much formal as it is contextual. That\u2019s probably why it is so confusing for so many users to decide which taxonomies to use on their posts, and how. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]These differences probably don\u2019t help much when it comes to deciding which exact category and tag to assign to a post, so let\u2019s take a look at some specific dilemmas that WordPress users often meet when working with taxonomies. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

        What is the Optimal Number of Categories<\/h2>\n

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        \n
        \n \"Optimal <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]There\u2019s actually a lot of difference in opinions regarding the ideal number of categories a blog should have. Some experts recommend a specific, lower number while others say the sky is the limit. None of this is actually helpful. The truth is, it all depends on your website<\/strong>. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Let\u2019s say you set up a nice batch of some 30-40 categories. You want to cover all angles and to make sure you and your writers have categories ready before publishing the post. After all, that\u2019s good practice and way better than wasting time on making up and creating a category after you have already written a post. But let\u2019s say your typical output is around 6 posts per week. That\u2019s 25 per month, give or take. Doesn\u2019t it feel like perhaps you have too many categories compared to the number of posts you\u2019re publishing? Chances are, most of them will fit into two or three categories and the rest will remain unused. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]The point is, you should create post categories that fit your posts, both in terms of topics and in terms of the number. But in any case, it\u2019s always better to have up to ten unique, original and fresh categories that fit the content well<\/strong>, instead of 40 categories that are just sitting there, never getting updated.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]If some of the categories you have defined in advance for your WordPress site turn out to be useless (don\u2019t have enough posts), consider deleting them and using them as tags instead. Unused items on the category page make a lousy impression on your visitors. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]If you plan on creating your post categories ahead of time, then you should sit down and go through your content plan (we hope you do have one!). Check what your future posts will be about and then create categories that will be broad enough to fit a number of topics, but at the same time descriptive enough so your audience will know what to expect in them.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

        When to Use Subcategories<\/h2>\n

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        \n
        \n \"WordPress <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]Subcategories are there for a reason and that is to keep you from making too many categories. Unlike tags, categories are hierarchical, which means you can have a parent category and subcategories too<\/strong>. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Let\u2019s say you run a homemaking blog. Among other things, like cleaning and cooking, you also publish a lot on gardening \u2013 flowerbeds, backyard, lawn, trees, vegetable patches, etc. Now, instead of making a category for each of these topics (Flowers, Lawn, Vegetables, Backyard<\/em>), you can create a parent category Gardening<\/em> and add all the others as subcategories. This sort of organization of content is not only intuitive and clear enough for your visitors, but it\u2019s also neat and SEO-friendly.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Note that you are not required to use subcategories<\/strong>. But if you find yourself struggling with a large number of categories on your blog, sorting them into subcategories can be extremely helpful. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

        Should You Add Posts to Multiple Categories<\/h2>\n

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        \n \"Add <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]Another common dilemma when it comes to WordPress categories is whether it is okay to have one post that falls under two or more categories<\/strong>. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Technically, t is possible to have more than one category per post <\/strong>on your WordPress site. The question is \u2013 is it a good idea? A lot of WordPress experts are worried that this might cause issues with duplicate content<\/strong>, which is a bad thing for SEO and something you definitely want to avoid. On the other hand, problems with duplicate content can also stem from other issues, such as scraped content that is then displayed on other domains. In any case, duplicate content can be overcome by using the noindex\/follow directive for categories<\/em><\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]The point is, if you are certain that using two or more categories for one post will benefit your visitors, helping them reach the desired content quickly, then you should do it. For example, if you have a post that can easily fall into the Marketing<\/em> category and the Business<\/em> category as well, you really should apply both of them. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

        How to Use Tags<\/h2>\n

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        \n
        \n \"Use <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]When it comes to tags, the situation is much more relaxed. You can have as many tags on your website as you wish<\/strong>, and you can apply as many of them as you want to your posts. Tags are there to enhance the navigation and to help users even further. Still, you definitely don\u2019t want to get too crazy there. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]As we mentioned earlier, tags are more specific than categories<\/strong>. If you have a post that falls into the Gardening<\/em> category, you can add tags such as flowers, spring flowers, pesticides, sowing, nursery, worms, composting<\/em>, and so on. But you can also add tags that are not strictly related to the category, as long as they are related to the topic of your post. The number of tags you create should make sense in terms of the number of posts you have on your website. There is really no point in having 2000 tags on a site that only has about 200 posts. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]The purpose of tags is to serve as a sort of index to your visitors<\/strong>. A tag archive is particularly useful in that sense. Visitors can use tags to search for the posts covering the topic they\u2019re interested in and tags help them narrow the search, like a filter. Looking for posts about Thanksgiving meals? No problem \u2013 just click on the thanksgiving<\/em> tag. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Some of your tags can evolve and become categories. This is usually the case with particularly popular tags. If you notice you have a lot of people clicking on a certain tag, you may want to make it a category or subcategory. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]At this point, we\u2019d like to make one thing clear \u2013 sometimes people think of tags as meta keywords for their site, something that will help them get traffic from people searching for a certain keyword. That is not how WordPress tags work. Tags are not keywords<\/strong> and you cannot rely on them to bring traffic to your site. Don\u2019t stuff your blog with tags hoping to reel more visitors in. Instead, use tags to help the visitors find what they\u2019re looking for once they\u2019re already on your site. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”81px”][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#f0f0f0″][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”top-picks-banner”][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#f0f0f0″][vc_empty_space height=”80px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

        Can Taxonomies Improve SEO<\/h2>\n

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        \n
        \n \"Taxonomies <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]As we mentioned earlier, you can\u2019t treat categories and tags as some tool that will miraculously improve your SEO and skyrocket you high up in the SERPs. On the other hand, that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t use taxonomies to improve at least one part of your site\u2019s performance on search engines. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]One thing you should definitely pay attention to are your category pages<\/strong>. You can use them as your landing pages, from which users can navigate the rest of your content. This is especially true for eCommerce websites where a lot of pages (product pages) are likely to expire (the same goes for listing websites). [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Another thing to consider here are breadcrumbs. This important navigational element should always include categories. Not only is this important for user experience (thanks to better navigation) but it is also a way of showing Google how your site is structured<\/strong> and basically inviting the bots to come in and index the pages. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]There\u2019s one more important thing to keep in mind in terms of SEO. If you ever change the name of a category, or add a new subcategory to your site and then put some of your older posts into it, you will have to edit the URL structure<\/strong> for those post (if the URL structure contains the category). This means you will have to set up a 301 redirect<\/strong>, so that the new URLs lead to the posts you edited. That way, you will avoid losing their SERP ranking. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

        Categories and Tags Dos and Don\u2019ts<\/h2>\n

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        \n \"Categories <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]While the topic of tags and categories and their proper use definitely lacks a clear rule of thumb in almost all areas, we have still come up with a short list of dos and don\u2019ts to help you navigate this complicated matter. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]DOs: [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”23px”]
          \n
        • \n\t
          \n Play around with tags. They are not as essential for navigation as categories are, so they can include more than one word and even be slightly jokey, if that fits your blog style.<\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
            \n
          • \n\t
            \n Be generous with the number of tags you\u2019re using, but not too generous (don\u2019t go for a ridiculous number that doesn\u2019t make sense)<\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
              \n
            • \n\t
              \n Make the names of your categories and tags very clear and descriptive. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
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              • \n\t
                \n Structure your categories so that all your posts fall into at least one category. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
                  \n
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                  \n Capitalize the category titles. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
                    \n
                  • \n\t
                    \n Use subcategories.<\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_column_text]DON\u2019Ts[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”23px”]
                      \n
                    • \n\t
                      \n Don\u2019t create a category that you know is only going to include one post. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
                        \n
                      • \n\t
                        \n Don\u2019t use more than two or three categories per post. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
                          \n
                        • \n\t
                          \n Don\u2019t capitalize tags.<\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
                            \n
                          • \n\t
                            \n Don\u2019t create tags that only cover one post. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>
                              \n
                            • \n\t
                              \n Don\u2019t create tags that are the same as one of the categories. <\/span> <\/div>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

                              Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n

                              [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]If there is one single takeaway from the whole categories-tags thing, then it\u2019s that taxonomies should be used primarily for improving user satisfaction<\/strong>. Neatly organized content makes people want to explore more than just the post they came in to read. When applied using best practices, tags and categories can serve as a sort of index for your website, showcasing all the exciting topics you are covering. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]On the other hand, while taxonomies are not a strictly SEO tool, they can, to some extent, be used to improve SERP ranking and drive traffic your way. Remember that, when a website is well organized and people enjoy spending time on it, it will reflect in the ranking of your pages, too. [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                              WordPress categories and tags are essential tools for content organization of your WordPress website. Read on to learn how to properly use these taxonomies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[46,4,13],"class_list":["post-3029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resources","tag-blogging","tag-tips","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3029"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3029\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}