Based on the number of questions and comments I have been getting about whether a blogger should use categories or tags in their blog post, I thought it best to just do a post on it.
While I do appreciate the fact there are other blogging platforms, this post is going to focus on WordPress. WordPress is the platform I use and the platform we put all of our client’s blogs on. There is a reason, I think it is best.
Whether you are a DIY and want to design and build your own blog. Or you hire a firm to do it for you. It is important you know the differences between categories and tags. And how you should use each.
Tags
A tag is a keyword which describes all or part of a blog post. What makes it confusing is the simple fact you can also think of a tag like a category. Only you should be thinking of it in smaller terms. Usually a post should only have one category. However, a post can have several tags, many of which relate to it only peripherally. Tags can also be created on the fly. Simply typing them into the tag field in your WordPress post editor.
Think of tagging a post as the process of adding keywords “which link directly to a site that monitors and allows search of key tags to find information on websites and blogs.” Or even allows your readers to find other post on your blog which have similar tags assigned to them.
Tagging has also become popular with the development of other web 2.0 tools like Delicious, Flickr, and Technorati. What you need to be careful of however is to not overuse tags. If your site has too many tags, you can not expect your readers to get much practical or even realistic application from them. I would recommend you try to limit the number of tags to no more than 4 or 5 for any given blog post.
Category
Each post in a WordPress is filed under a category. Even if you don’t assign a category, WordPress will assign “uncategorized” to the post. Careful and thought out categorization allows posts to be grouped with other post of similar content. This also aids in the navigation of a site.
Categories are usually used to break up content into broadly identifiable selections, “index”.
If you would, think of categories like you would the index or table of contents of a book or magazine. Done right, your readers will be able to find and read more post on a particular topic (category) on your blog. Thus staying longer and reading your stuff and not someone else’s site they found in the same Google search.
Many people do confuse tags and categories. However, the difference is quite simple. Categories generally don’t change very often. While you might add new categories from time to time, tags usually change with every post.
Tags or Categories: Which One to Use?
Lorelle on WordPress had a post sometime back where she explains and answers this question. Here is a list of the differences between the two:
- Categories can have unique names. Tags need to be known names.
- Categories can have long wordy names. Tags should have short one, two, or at the most, three words.
- Categories generate a page of posts on your site. Tags can, too, but often generate a page of off-site posts on an off-site website.
- Categories are not tags. Tags can be categories.
- Categories don’t help search engines find information. Tags help search engines and tag directories catalog your site.
- Posts are usually in one to four categories. A single post can list as many tags as you want.
- Categories help visitors find related information on your site. Tags help visitors find related information on your site and on other sites.
My own preferences
I tend to like and use categories more than tags. While I do use tags and keywords as a way to increase SEO. I don’t use tags as a way to organize my blog post. I use the category feature of WordPress for this. I also am a firm believer that you should limit your categories for a single post to only one. And that you should try to limit your total number of categories on a blog to no more than 15 to 20. However, do as I say and not as I do on my own blog.
Too many of either, categories and/or tags can be a distraction for your readers from what you are really trying to do. Provide information in a way they can understand and use. If you over use either tags or categories, you might run the risk of confusing the whole process. At the same time, you want your readers to be able to find what they are looking for, quickly and easily.
Categories give your readers the chance to search for the broader search terms they are wanting to find. Tags help them to fine tune the search even further.
Leave your comments or questions about tags and/or categories. Lets keep the conversation going.
