What are blog tags?
Simply put, blog tags are a means to categorise the different posts on a blog using keywords that a reader might use to search for a specific piece of content.
If you wish to learn more about this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: What are the benefits of using blog tags?
The benefits of using blog tags include the following:
- It allows visitors to quickly find content on your blog
- It may help keep visitors on your blog longer
- It allows you to identify what topics people want to see in your industry
Let us take a look at each one in more detail.
First, blog tags make it so much easier for visitors to find the content they are interested in on your blog or website. And even if they do not have a specific topic in mind yet, since your most popular tags are most likely written in bigger letters, you are still giving them a clear starting point.
Second, blog tags may also help you keep each visitor on your blog longer because if they enjoy one of your posts, all they have to do is click on its tags to instantly find all the other posts that are similar to it and keep on reading.
Third, blog tags also allow you to pinpoint which topics you should write more about. All you have to do is check your most popular tags—and that of your main competitors as well—and you will instantly see the exact topics your target audience is interested in, effectively eliminating the need for guesswork.
Question #2: How do I write effective blog tags?
To write effective blog tags, you will need to put yourself in the shoes of your website visitors and figure out what keywords they might use to find specific content on your blog.
For example, if you are running a fitness blog, a visitor looking for posts about protein supplementation, might use the following keywords to search for relevant posts:
- Best protein supplements
- Protein supplementation
- Top protein supplement
These are the exact blog tags you would want to use for posts that talk about the topic.
A word of caution, though: make sure that you only use blog tags that actually fit each post perfectly. Mixing in ones that are only loosely related to a post makes it more difficult for visitors (and you) to find relevant content. defeating the purpose of using blog tags in the first place.
Question #3: What is the difference between blog tags and categories?
The main difference between blog tags and categories is their broadness. Categories are like the umbrella topics under which the posts on your blog are grouped. Blog tags, on the other hand, are more descriptive identifiers of the topic of each post.
For example, if you are running a travel blog, you might have categories such as:
- Travel Destinations
- Travel Tips
- Travel Deals
Under the category ‘Travel Tips’, you might have posts with tags such as:
- Travel prep
- Travel must-haves
- Travel no-nos
Take note, however, that you can use the same blog tags across different categories. For example, the tag ‘travel must-haves’ can be used for all the following posts, which all belong to different categories:
- 10 Things to Pack for Your First Seoul Trip (Travel Destinations)
- 5 Things Every Travel Bag Must Have (Travel Tips)
- 8 Travel Essentials That Are On Sale Right Now (Travel Deals)
Question #4: Should I always use blog tags?
No, you do not always have to use blog tags, but that does not mean you should not.
Again, as we have seen earlier, it not only makes your visitors significantly more likely to stay on your blog longer, but also allows you to identify the exact topics they want to see. Besides, it only takes a few seconds to add tags to every post, so there is really no reason to not do it.