What are tags for in WordPress? Everything you need to know!

Today we will talk about a topic of great importance when it comes to content management in WordPress: tags. If you want to improve the organization and accessibility of your posts, tags can be your best ally. But, what are tags in WordPress and what are they used for? We will answer these questions below.

What are Tags in WordPress?

Tags in WordPress are keywords or terms that are assigned to a post to describe and link related content.
For example, if you have a post about SEO, you can add tags like ‘Google’, ‘keywords’, ‘digital marketing’, among others.

This way, you can connect different posts that deal with similar or related topics.

What are Tags Used for in WordPress?

Tags in WordPress serve several key functions.
Primarily, they help users and search engines find and navigate your content more easily.

When a visitor clicks on a tag, they will be redirected to a page that displays all the entries that contain that same tag. This improves user navigation while boosting the SEO of your page by showing search engines the relationships between your content.

How to Create a Tag in WordPress?

Creating a tag in WordPress is very simple.
In your admin panel, simply go to ‘Posts’ and then ‘Tags’. Here you can create new tags by giving them a name, a slug (the part of the URL that identifies the tag), and, if you want, a description.

Once created, you can add this tag to any entry.

How to Add a Tag to My Entry?

To add a tag to your entry, you need to go to the editor of the entry you want to modify. In the right section, you will find the ‘Tags’ option. Here you can enter the name of the tag you want to add and click ‘Add’.

Take control of tags with Yoast SEO!

Noindex with Yoast SEO: If you are using the Yoast SEO plugin, you have the option to noindex your tags. Why would you want to do that? Well, it turns out that sometimes, if you have too many similar tags, search engines can interpret that as duplicate content. And that’s not good for your SEO! Therefore, if you consider that you have many similar tags, you can choose not to index them. To do this, simply go to ‘SEO > Titles & Metas > Taxonomies’ and set ‘Tags’ to ‘noindex’. And that’s it!
Use tags wisely: Tags are a powerful tool, but you should use them wisely. Try not to create new tags for every entry; instead, reuse tags whenever possible. This will help search engines and your readers understand what your content is about.

Other Ways to Manage Tags without Yoast SEO

Use another SEO plugin: There are other SEO plugins besides Yoast that can help you manage your tags, such as All in One SEO Pack and Rank Math. Both allow you to configure your tags so that they are not indexed by search engines. In our article on the 5 best SEO plugins for WordPress, you can find some good options.
Manual management: If you don’t want to use an SEO plugin, you can choose to do it manually through your theme files. But keep in mind that this option is a bit more complicated and requires programming knowledge. If you decide to go this route, you could add a ‘noindex’ meta tag on the tags page of your theme.

Use fewer tags: As a general rule, try to limit the number of tags you use. This not only helps avoid duplicate content issues but also makes it easier for your readers to find relevant content on your blog.

Relevant and specific tags: Instead of using many general tags, try to use more specific and relevant tags for the content of each entry. This can help you avoid duplicate content issues and also make your entries more useful for your readers.

Steps to Add the ‘noindex’ Tag to Tags in Your Theme Manually:

1. Open your theme’s functions file: The first step is to open the functions.php file of your current theme. You can do this by accessing the files of your website through an FTP client or from the control panel of your web hosting. Usually, you can find this file in the directory wp-content/themes/your-theme/, where ‘your-theme’ is the name of the theme you are using.
2. Add the following code to the file: Once you have opened the functions.php file, you can add the following code at the end of the file:

function noindex_tag_archives() {
    if (is_tag()) {
        echo '';
    }
}
add_action('wp_head', 'noindex_tag_archives');

This code checks if the current page is a tags page (is_tag()). If so, it adds a meta tag with the robots property set to noindex, follow. This tells search engines not to index the page but to follow the links found on it.

3. Save your changes and upload the modified file: Once you have added the code, you should save your changes and upload the modified functions.php file to your server.

And that’s it. Now, the tags pages of your WordPress site should have the noindex tag, indicating search engines not to index them.

But remember, it’s always recommended to have a backup of your files before making any changes to the code, and if you have any questions or issues, it’s best to consult with a web development or WordPress expert. If you don’t know how to make backups, I recommend reading this article on Best Backup Plugins for WordPress or signing up for free at Modulards, where you can automatically back up all your websites from a centralized dashboard.

Conclusions

Tags in WordPress are a great way to organize your content and make it more accessible to your readers and search engines. But, like any tool, it’s important to use them strategically.
By keeping your tags relevant, avoiding excessive use, and managing them properly with tools like Yoast SEO, you can increase the visibility of your blog, improve the user experience, and ultimately boost your SEO. So now you know! Feel free to experiment with tags and see the impact on your blog.

We hope this guide has helped you better understand the purpose and use of tags in WordPress. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments! We’ll be happy to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between tags and categories in WordPress?

In WordPress, tags and categories are tools for classifying and organizing content. The main difference lies in their purpose and hierarchy. Categories are used to group and organize content into broader and more general sections, while tags are more specific and used to describe details or more precise topics within a post. You can assign multiple tags to a post, but usually, only one category is used.

Are there guidelines or best practices for choosing appropriate tags in WordPress?

Yes, there are some guidelines and best practices you can follow when choosing appropriate tags in WordPress. It is recommended to use relevant and specific tags that accurately describe the content of your post. Avoid using generic or uninformative tags. It is also important to maintain consistency in the use of tags to avoid duplication or confusion. You can use keyword research tools to find popular and relevant tags in your niche.

How can I make the most of tags in WordPress to attract more traffic to my site?

To make the most of tags in WordPress and attract more traffic to your site, make sure to use relevant and popular tags with a good search volume. This increases the chances of your posts appearing in search results and being discovered by more people. Additionally, use tags strategically by creating internal links between your related posts, which can improve navigation and time spent on your site. You can also promote your tagged posts on social media and use SEO techniques to improve the visibility of your content in search engines.