This post is unusual for me: it’s more about blogging than illustration. It’s a chance for
me to do two things:
1. Pass along some info that might be of interest to my follow bloggers
2. Pay tribute to my favorite blogging expert, especially when it comes to blogging on WordPress.com
I’ve always thought I’d be good at doing some of those famous Google Doodles. So here’s one that sums up the tip I wanted to pass along. Scroll further down for a more detailed explanation.
As many as 60% of those who find their way to a particular blog post, will get there by doing a search using Google or another search engine. Most bloggers include categories and tags when they publish a post. Does Google pay attention to those categories and tags when it does its search? Surprisingly, no– not really.
What does Google look for when it runs its search? It scans blog content for keywords that match its search criteria, i.e., the words the person typed into the search engine. If it finds a series of keyword matches, it will return a link to that post in its search results. In other words, Google is a lot more interested in blog content than it is blog categories and tags.
Are blog categories and tags a waste of time? Not at all. The only point being made here is that they are not necessary for search engine optimization, i.e., for someone to find your post by doing a search using Google or another search engine.
So why do WP bloggers use tags? To categorize the content of their posts, so others can find posts on particular subjects by searching tags within WordPress.com. As explained on this Support page, WordPress.com has a Tags page where you can browse tags and find the latest posts in those subject areas.
Am I an expert on categories and tags? Hardly. But I understand them a lot better thanks to Time Thief, especially after reading Revisiting Keywords and Tags on her One Cool Site blog, which is subtitled WordPress blogging tips, tools & tutorials. One Cool Site was the very first WP blog I subscribed to. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that my own blog and I would not be here today without Time Thief’s help. I can’t recommend her blog more highly.
One very important caution: One Cool Site is not a forum, it is not a question-and-answer site. Time Thief writes each post on a specific topic related to blogging. Comments and questions should be restricted to the subject discussed in any given post.
However: if you’re looking to expand your blogging knowledge in specific areas, you are very much in luck. Included in One Cool Site’s menu bar is a Sitemap. Clicking on same takes you to an index page with links to all published posts in reverse chronological order. Everything from a WordPress.com Beginner’s Guide to Copyright Basics For Bloggers to Why About Pages Are Essential. It’s an amazing treasure trove of knowledge on the subject of blogging.
One final note: Time Thief is a blogger who blogs on blogging. She is not a WordPress.com employee. If you need help on a specific problem, visit the WordPress.com Support site, and/or search the support forums to see if someone has already submitted the problem for discussion.
What do you think? Are you a blogger who attaches categories and tags to your posts? Did you know WordPress has a Read Blogs feature that enables you to follow all posts on topics of your choice? Hope you’ll leave a comment.
If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to subscribe. You can leave a comment and click the box that says Notify me of new posts via email, click the Subscribe button below the Portfolio Thumbnails, or just click + Follow in the blog menu bar.
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