Categories are the table of contents for your blog. On the surface, your list of categories says to readers, “This is the sum of what this blog is about.”
On a deeper level, they help shape ideas for posts and keep your content focused. At the meta level, they help search engines structure and sort your content for better indexing.
Needless to say, categories matter! Here are some tips to help you manage them effectively.
Consider Whether Or Not Old Categories Still Fit
Perhaps you originally started blogging about personal motivation, for example, but have now settled into time management or making money. To avoid burying posts in unrelated categories, reconsider what your categories are. If necessary, create new ones and reorganize your content so it makes better sense. You can always create a category called “Old” or “Retired” and put the posts that don’t flow with your blog anymore there.
Resist the Urge to Keep Adding Categories
If you constantly add categories as you go, you run some pretty big risks. Your blog could become unfocused, with content that is seemingly all over the place. You could also end up with this giant list of categories that resembles more of an index than a table of contents. That’s fine, but if you want to keep your content in check, try glancing at your existing categories before adding new ones. You may already have a category that your new post fits into just right.
Think Long Term
I created a list of categories before I even had content to put in all of them. It was an exercise in planning. It’s good to think about where you want your blog to go. Try putting together a list of between 5 and 10 topics that you want your blog to cover. Even if you don’t have the content for all of those topics yet, you will have a nice framework for future content.
Use Categories as Primary Navigation
When your category list is defined and manageable, you can display it prominently as navigation for your readers. This doesn’t work as well when your category list is huge, which is why keeping it simple will go a long way. The idea is to help steer your readers in the right direction quickly.
Consider Customizing Your Category Pages
One way to help your category page search engine rankings, as well as to provide a better experience for your readers, is by placing unique, introductory content on the category pages. You can create a description for each category and then configure your theme so that the description is displayed (in most themes, category descriptions are not displayed by default).
Your Turn: Using Categories
What have I left out? How do you use categories? Do you feel they create a better experience for readers (e.g., getting them to stay on your blog longer, find relevant content, etc.)?
About Tia Peterson
Hi, any tutorials on how to create custom content for the Genesis theme framework. Thesis is rocking with the new intro text for categories, but StudioPress hasn’t kept pace!
Thanks for the tip. Can you point me to an article that explains how to add descriptions to category pages?
My categories help keep me in the boundaries of my blog’s focus. I’ve reworked them a few times when I saw that I was all over the place with my postings. I’ve also added a few that I want to be blogging about, but never seem to get to the topic.
They’re a great gauge between what I think my blog is about and what it actually is about. My tags on the other hand are out of control. I need a lot more discipline there.
Brad Harmon recently posted..A Smart Phone could Cost You Your Job
This was really a knowledgeable post…Expecting more posts like this
Hi Dave – Got it. :) More coming your way.
Cheers,
Tia
Tia Peterson recently posted..How to Get More Local Business Using Blogging and Social Media
Hey Tia, I needed to see this post today to confirm that I’m on the right track with my new blog. I think I got the categories pretty well organized for now. I just hope I don’t go astray. Thanks for the tips! I don’t use Thesis but I’m going to check the link you gave Evelyn, I’m sure I’ll get something out of it.
Ileane recently posted..Basic Blog Tips
Ooooh, Ileane! A new blog! I can’t wait to check it out.
Yeah, surely you will get something out of that tutorial. Speaking of, I ought to put it into place now. :)
Cheers,
Tia
Tia recently posted..Two Cents Tuesday- Some Blogs Get Better with Age
Thanks Kiesha.. You are correct about having too many categories. Readers do not like to be overloaded with choices. Keep it simple and make the categories into an easy to use navigation menu works rather well. Thanks for the tips.
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Hi Aaron – You’re very welcome!
Tia Peterson recently posted..How to Get More Local Business Using Blogging and Social Media
Hey Tia,
I think we are all guilty of creating multiple categories that make no sense at the beginning. Now, my categories are keyword search driven.
Chat with you later…
Josh
Josh Garcia recently posted..Effective Link Building Strategy You Don’t Want to Ignore
Hi Josh – Yep, and of course there are some who have only one category – the Uncategorized category. :) Hopefully this post is relevant and useful to people in both situations!
Tia Peterson recently posted..Two Cents Tuesday- Some Blogs Get Better with Age
On Target! I agree that categories can keep things organized and help readers find more articles in the same vein as the one they just enjoyed.
Doug recently posted..Black-Out
Thanks, Doug. They morph over time and become really essential as the blog grows.
Tia Peterson recently posted..How to Get More Local Business Using Blogging and Social Media
Thanks for the great advice. I have NO categories and was just thinking about how to do it… the timing is impeccable. The law of harmonious attraction in action!
You’re welcome, Rob! I’m going to check out your link and make sure you’re using categories now! lol :)
Tia Peterson recently posted..How to Get More Local Business Using Blogging and Social Media
Hi Tia!
I didn’t realize how important categories were until just a few days ago…lol.
I recently did a major overhaul on my categories. I was totally clueless when I first started bloging, but now I’ve gotten a handle on things. I think is does make for a better experience for the reader.
Great tip about customizing category pages! Something I should consider doing.
Take care!
-Evelyn
Evelyn recently posted..Finding the Time for Blogging
Hey Evelyn – Creating custom category pages would be a great idea all around. For a good Thesis tutorial, see http://www.sugarrae.com/thesis-tutorial-creating-custom-categories/.
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Thanks Tia! I’ve bookmarked the site. :)
Evelyn recently posted..Finding the Time for Blogging
I use my targeted keyword phrases as my category names – helps a little with SEO.
Andrew
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Absolutely! I didn’t do that with BizChickBlogs as it sort of morphed into what it is now, but I do that with my other blogs.
The nice thing is that if people are wanting to do this still, it’s not too late. Just add the categories and assign posts to them now.
Thanks for the additional tip!
Tia Peterson recently posted..Two Cents Tuesday- Some Blogs Get Better with Age
Thanks for your amazing ideas.
I have never paid attention to the Category page.
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You’re welcome! Well, once you start using them in new ways, you could see a notable difference in the way people use your site as well as in search engine visibility.
Tia Peterson recently posted..Question of the Week- Do You Consider Yourself Influential
Tia, my categories are in such a state of disarray that I don’t even display them. I had no idea what I was doing when I first started out so I was creating categories for everything under the sun. Live and learn :)
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Ha! Sounds familiar. You can still make sense of them by removing the ones that no longer fit and then changing the names of the remaining ones!
Tia Peterson recently posted..Live What You Love- 50 Questions to Ask Yourself
Wonderful post idea(o: What I did was remove or altered the few categories that did not get any clicks. This seems to work very well.
I toyed around with even removing the categories all together but feel, like you, that it lets the reader know what I have on the site. Therefore, it’s here to stay.
Thanks for sharing these tips!
Right! Don’t remove the categories; they are good for both navigation and SEO. Keep altering until you get it just right!
Cheers,
Tia
Tia Peterson recently posted..Two Cents Tuesday- Some Blogs Get Better with Age