Running a wordpress site can be rewarding. But getting to grips with the basics can be challenging. The difference between categories and tags is one example.
Should the post have a tag and a category or which is best a tag or a category?
What if I have the same tags as categories just to be sure at least one of them is correct?
Do I even need a category if the post has a tag?
Who sees these categories and tags in wordpress anyway?
Categories Vs Tags
It’s Categories Vs Tags. Here is an example of how you can use categories and tags in wordpress, effectively and give your Search Engine Optimisation a bit of a boost and not to mention an easier to navigate menu system. You have a menu right?
Say we are discussing widgets.
Categories
There are three main types of widget, they are the Red widget, the Blue widget and the Green widget.
These are you categories.
The main chunks are your categories.
You can have more than 3 categories, but don’t add optional extras as categories. If a new black, limited edition widget became available, add that to your categories.
Each post can have only one category.
A widget is either Red or Blue or Green, it can’t be more than one colour.
Tags
If each widget can be half full, half empty, full fat and sugar free options these would be your tags.
You can assign more than one tag to a post. A half full, sugar free, full fat widget is an option. It can have many tags.
Tags are like the options for a product, each post can have many tags but only one category.
Another Example
If the colours in categories was confusing, try considering dresses. You may own a clothes shop that specialises in dresses and want to blog about them. You could set up your wordpress tags and categories like this..
Categories
There are 4 types of dress that you sell. Evening wear, Summer wear, Winter wear and dresses for Children.
These would be your four categories. It makes it easy for the visitor to narrow down what they are looking for.
Tags
Tags would be colours and sizes of dresses available. Also you can add further detailed tags about the neckline or the fastenings, maybe the length available.
Each type of dress can come in many different colours and sizes with various fastenings and different necklines. These would work well for tags as each dress while in one category can have many tags.
Menu Items
Remember the menu I mentioned earlier?
The categories make perfect menu items.
The categories across the top of the page, part of your main menu make it easy for visitors to narrow down what they are looking for. They know if it is for a child or evening wear (category), maybe not what colour or any detail but the tags will help with that.
One Category, but many tags.
Don’t duplicate tags into categories or categories into tags.
Happy Blogging!
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