by guest author Richard
Assigning tags and categories to WordPress.com posts
At WordPress.com we have the ability to assign tags and categories to our posts. Categories are typically used to broadly group posts whereas tags allow you to more finely classify your posts. As an example, if you were blogging about watercolor paintings, you might want to use a category such as Art or Painting and then use watercolor as a tag. In general though, when it comes to search engines, both tags and categories are treated equally – as keyword tags.
WordPress.com global tagging system
WordPress.com also has something that they refer to as “global tags” which is a site-wide global tagging scheme started back in February of 2006 (tags came along in September 2007). For each tag or category created by a blogger, there is a corresponding WordPress global tag page. As an example, using the “art” tag, the page would be http://wordpress.com/tags/art/ and will show all blog posts made on all WordPress.com blogs that have the “art” tag or category.
Global tags and local tags
When you look at a typical WordPress.com blog, you will see categories and tags listed in two places: the category/tag cloud widgets in the sidebar (if they are in use) and either above or below the post itself (except in a few themes where tags/categories are not shown with the post).
If you click on the tag or category name above or below the post, it will take you to the WordPress global tag page for that particular tag or category. If you click on a tag or category name in the category or tag cloud widget, it will bring up all posts on your blog to which you have assigned that tag or category (local).
WordPress.com tagging system – a way for others to find your blog
The global tags pages create what amounts to a community bulletin board where you posts are automatically listed and accessible to anyone providing yet another way for people to find your blog. Many people use the “Blog Surfer” (Dashboard > Blog Surfer or admin bar > My Account > Tag Surfer) to keep track of blog posts using tags or categories of interest to them. Again, another way for people to find your blog.
Whether WordPress or bloggers benefit more from global tags when it comes to search engines and pagerank has been subject of very heated debate and will not be covered here.
“The tag pages drive hundreds of thousands of pageviews to bloggers they would not get otherwise. ” — Matt Mullenweg of WordPress/Automattic.
I have nothing to refute that claim and believe it is probably true, but I also believe WordPress.com benefits much more than bloggers when it comes to the global tag scheme. Still, when it comes to getting viewers to your blog, every little bit helps.
Related posts: WordPress.com tagging tips: don’t be a spam-dexer
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Actually, while it has the potential, it’s not a true statement. I get very little traffic via my tags. If WordPress.com had a more community-oriented concept going with the tags and forums, then they would probably help with traffic. Still, every little bit helps.
And I hit the submit button before I finished. Sorry. I helped create a A Tagging Bookmarklet for WordPress and WordPress.com Users that puts site search tags on your WordPress.com blog if you want to keep traffic on your blog and not invite them to go away.
Which is the problem I have with tags on our WordPress.com blogs. I want the tags on our blog posts to link to our own content with the option of including tags that reach to related content on WordPress.com. Since I can’t control who uses what tag for which, I might be sending someone out to something unrelated and inappropriate, which doesn’t say much for my integrity, does it? By adding site search tags to my blog posts, I give readers an option. Link to content I have control over or link to click away from my blog and maybe find related information.
Lorelle, thanks for the comments. I’m doing little actual blogging on .com lately as I have gone self-hosted, but I remember reading about your tagging bookmarklet a while ago and thought it was a good idea. I will start recommending it on the forums. I agree that it should be up to the blogger whether to link to the global pages or not, but we bloggers have little control or sway over what staff does.
As far as hits from the tags pages, I do get a few on my only active .com blog, but as you say, it is a small percentage.
Thank you Richard for writing this article and allowing me to publish it. My thanks also to Lorelle for bringing the bookmarklet to our attention. FWIW this baby blog doesn’t get many hits by way of the tag pages either (shrug).
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But global tags do not actually work globally, because even if I have tags in English and then click on such a tag in my post I’ll get results only from WordPress blogs in Russian (ru.wordpress.com), not in English or both.
@andyash
I’m aware of your dissatisfaction with the system in place as I volunteer to answer technical questions on the support forum. You are likewise aware that the correct approach is to communicate directly with Staff on this issue http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/ If you want to see a change then posting your unhappiness into comments on posts that were published in 2008 is not an effective approach. Moreover, IMHO it’s unlikely that there will be any change made. Therefore, I think you ought to consider moving to self hosting a wordpress.ORG blog and web hosting is not expensive and wordpress.org blogs are not part of the wordpress.com tagging system.
@timethief
Thanks of still answering, I actually just left a remark on Global not actually being global here, that’s all. ;-)
As for .org – no option, too much of a hassle. As for self-domain here – no option, as WP only accepts PayPal transactions, rather than cards.
Oh the joys of tags. :)
Timethief,
I actually came by to tell you of a new story on my site that you may enjoy when I notice this article on tags.
Some time ago, I was seeking a blog site that would help in reaching my target audience. I did a Google search on “Successful Christian Blog”. I thought I found an interesting site. It turns out that you may know the person. The guy was posting on the WordPress.com forum with those very words.
Before I took my leave, I happened to glance at his collection of tags. Did you guys know that underage sex was one of the tags in his post? I had to do a double take when I saw it.
It seem some people really overdo tags.
Here is hoping that I got the right ones and not overkill.
Oh my! I hope you reported the blog to Staff http://en.support.wordpress.com/contact/
Didn’t know I was supposed to. I think the guy was doing whatever it took to promote his site. That is why it was there. You guys did confront him about the appropriateness of where he was posting.
As it was over a year or two ago, I’d assume someone said something. Talk about tag abuse.
A year or two ago, he. Well I suppose we needn’t worry about that now. I’ve also seen some posts with huge blocks of tags that were irrelevant.
That is why I took a look at the articles dealing with tags. I just didn’t want to throw tags at my post. I wanted to learn how to be effective with such a tool.
In my most recent post, I was referencing a story about a woman’s struggle with Medicare. My post was not about Medicare so I didn’t add a tag saying Medicare.
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