In plain English
Every post gets at least one. Categories can nest, which makes them the structural taxonomy rather than the descriptive one.
A small number of well-used categories produces archive pages worth indexing. Twenty categories with two posts each produces twenty thin pages.
What to know
Hierarchical
Parent and child categories.
One required
Posts default to Uncategorised otherwise.
Generates an archive
Per category.
Few is better
Each with enough content to matter.
Why it matters
Category archives are frequently overlooked landing pages. With a description and enough posts, they can rank for the broad topic while individual posts rank for specifics.
Common mistakes
×Too many categories, so each is thin.
×Posts left in Uncategorised.
×Category archives with no description or intro.
×Using categories where tags would suit.
FAQs
How many categories should I have?
As few as the content genuinely divides into. Five to eight is common.
Should I add descriptions to category pages?
Yes, if you want them to work as landing pages.
WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM
Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.
I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.
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