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WordPress WordPress Basics Managing Content in WordPress Categories and Tags in WordPress

Posted by A X
A X
12,842 Points

Full definition of a Category vs. a Tag

In Zac's video on Categories and tags he never really fully explained what each of them do, especially tags.

I'm going to assume that a category is a way to organize your content within your web-blog (I don't see this having a use in a web site...or if there is one, can you elaborate?). However, are Wordpress tags the equivalent of search engine meta-tags? If not, what exactly are they?

Thanks for your help!

1 Answer

Craig Watson
Craig Watson
27,930 Points
Craig Watson
Craig Watson
27,930 Points

Hi Abby,

To start with the very basic but very helpful way of thinking about Categories and Tags in WordPress you have to think of them as a way to organise your content.

Using Categories and Tags within the website side of your WordPress site would be to use them again in a way to organise your content. For this you would be looking at organising a custom post type such as projects.

You can assign Categories and Tags to a specific post type allowing you to organise your content separately.

WordPress.com has a nice explanation of Tags, as well as a similar explanation of Categories.

Don't worry that these are on WordPress.com same principles apply.

To answer your question about search engine meta tags, no they are not. To add meta tags you would use something like an SEO plugin.

Not to over complicate things but just to illustrate the importance of understanding how these work, WordPress has the option to create custom taxonomies. You can read more on that here.

I hope this helps a little :)

Craig

A X
A X
12,842 Points

I'll check out your links within the next few days and let you know if I have more questions. Thanks for your help!