If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to organize your blog content, you’re not alone. A well-structured blog isn’t just about writing great posts—it’s about making sure your readers can find what they need, when they need it. That’s where categories and tags come in.
But what’s the difference, and why does it matter?
Categories Are Your Blog’s Big Picture
Think of categories as the broad themes of your blog or your main content pillars. Aim for 3 to 5 total. These categories should be high-level topics that align with what your audience is looking for and how you want to support them.
For example, if you’re an elopement photographer, your categories might be:
- Elopement Planning (guides and tips for couples planning an elopement)
- Elopement Locations (best spots for elopements, location guides)
- Real Elopements (stories and case studies from past clients)
- Elopement Photography Tips (behind-the-scenes, gear recommendations, posing guidance)
- Personal & Business (your journey, running a photography business, personal insights)
These are the big buckets of content. Every blog post you write should fit into one of these categories.
Tags Are the Details That Connect Content
If categories are the big picture, tags are the details. They’re the specific topics that help people dive deeper into related content. Unlike categories, a post can have multiple tags.
Let’s say you write a blog post about hiking elopements in Colorado. The category might be Elopement Locations, but your tags could be:
- Mountain top elopements
- Hiking elopement photography
- Colorado elopements
- Adventure weddings
- Best hiking trails for elopements
Tags act as connectors. When someone clicks a tag like Hiking Elopement Photography, they’re taken to a page that gathers all posts with that tag. This helps readers explore related content easily. (You’ll find some tags at the bottom of this post for other tips and tutorials like understanding blog categories and tags as an example of how this works!)
Why This Matters for Your Blog & SEO
Organizing your content well isn’t just about orderliness. It’s about usability and discoverability. Here’s why categories and tags are essential:
- Improves User Experience – Helps visitors find what they’re looking for quickly.
- Boosts SEO – Google loves well-structured websites, making your content easier to rank.
- Encourages Exploration – Readers stay longer on your site when they can click through related posts.
- Keeps Your Blog Manageable – A few strong categories keep your blog organized, while tags allow flexibility.
How to Choose Your Blog Categories
If you’re setting up or refining your blog structure, here’s a simple way to decide on your 3 to 5 categories:
- Who is your audience? What kind of support or inspiration are they looking for?
- What are your main content themes? Think about what you consistently write about.
- What do you want to be known for? These categories should align with your brand.
- Are they broad enough? Each category should have room for multiple posts over time.
- Will it make navigation easy? Keep it simple so visitors can quickly find what they need.
Once you’ve set your categories, use tags to fine-tune the experience.
Keep It Simple & Strategic
Categories and tags help create a blog that’s easy to explore, valuable to your audience, and optimized for search engines. Keep your categories broad and intentional, and use tags to connect specific details.
When you take the time to set up this structure, you create a blog that feels effortless to navigate—both for your readers and for yourself when you’re planning future content.
Looking for more brand or website support?
Hi, I’m Amy. I help entrepreneurs and creative brands tell the stories only they can tell, through intentional brand strategy, artistic design, and search engine optimized websites that feel as alive and layered as the people behind them.
Whether you’re just launching or you’re years into business with a site that no longer feels like you, search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most powerful ways to bring more of the right people to your work. And it all starts with thoughtful content, like blog posts that are easy to explore, beautiful to read, and discoverable online.
If you’re ready to shape a website (and brand presence) that speaks for you before you ever say a word, explore the services here, or reach out anytime. I’d love to help you be seen, clearly and fully.
