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Original poster

I Don't Get Tags.

33 replies

Pavlovthecat · 23/10/2012 21:33

Well I sort of get them. I know they are keywords, linked to what the post is about. I even get the difference between categories and tags I think.

What I am unsure of is, does a tag have to be one word, or words that are together, like 'pain' or 'back pain' or can it be/should it sometimes be a sentence, or several words?

for example, one of my posts is about returning to work while in medication and with back pain which is now a disability. Do I put the tags in seperately as 'work' 'back pain' 'disability'. or would I put 'work and disability' as one tag? and 'work and back pain'.

Have I even explained myself properly?

And another question, which might need to be a seperate thread - how do I highlight the key words in the sentences, to make them bold and stand out for google spidery thingies to pick up, you know the whole SEO stuff, but so they are only bold for SEO/searches and no bold in the post itself? You get me?

this is soooooo complicated. And I am not even doing a self hosting site.

OP posts:
YoungDebbie · 23/10/2012 23:55

You've lost me on the bold issue, as I didn't know turning a word bold would make it show up more on search engines - doesn't sound likely to me, but what do I know?! However, re tags - yes, you can have more than one word in a tag, and then that's known as a "search string" because it's more of a phrase than just a word. But if you put "work and disability" then that would only be a match for "work and disability" and not "work" and "disability", in the Wordpress listing under specific tags. But I suppose you could put all three of those in as tags and see! Then check in your Wordpress stats to see which of these tags is getting the most hits in the week after you've posted the piece with those tags, and you'll see which is most popular and will know to use it again in future. Wish it all worked just as well without tags though - does my head in!!

pebbles77 · 24/10/2012 12:27

That's really helpful YoungDebbie - I'm also confused however I've just bought SEO for Dummies and hoping to start reading tonight :)

ZombTEE · 24/10/2012 17:36

You don't have to bold the words within the text to get the Google Spiders to find them.

You do need to use meta tags within the code of your site to tell Google what your site is about and then use header tags (any HTML with ) with your keywords in them. You can get plugins to help you with Meta Tagging and SEO, BTW.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 24/10/2012 18:22

where do I put the meta tags? in the HTML section? I think I get it not

thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 24/10/2012 18:23

do I have to pay for plug-ins? I have seen them/heard of them but guessed they probably cost £££.

OP posts:
ZombTEE · 24/10/2012 20:10

Nope, usually free! yoast.com has been recommended to me as an excellent SEO plugin.

The Meta Tags, if you don't use a plugin, would actually go in the base CSS files. Do you have a self host blog?

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 24/10/2012 20:40

no don't have a self host site. I am not clever!

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Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 24/10/2012 20:40

i will go check out that link, thank you!

OP posts:
ZombTEE · 24/10/2012 20:44

Oh, then you can't use plugins! Sorry. [hgrin]

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 24/10/2012 20:58

oh crap! So. I get what I am given? how hard is a self hosting site? it is v difficult isn't it?

When I am not so new to all this, can I change my blog over to a self hosting one? or do I have to start all over again?

OP posts:
ZombTEE · 24/10/2012 21:13

No, it isn't hard at all, actually. Millions do it.

You do not have to start over. You need to find a host and they can help you with what you need to do.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 24/10/2012 21:25

wordpress have a self hosting site don't they?

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Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 24/10/2012 21:26

I will give it a go soon then, I will learn a bit more about blogging generally first, then when I am ready to go 'pro'! I will take a look.

Thanks for your help.

OP posts:
MmeLindor · 25/10/2012 21:49

You can go self-hosted with WP. If I were you, I'd do it now cause otherwise you will lose some readers when you move.

I use Hostgator and they are pretty decent. You can register your domain through them too.

pebbles77 · 25/10/2012 22:29

MmdLindor - why will you lose readers when you move? if i'm currently with wp.com but want to go to .org (i bought my own domain) - will people lose where i am - if that makes sense - won't i be able to keep my domain?

sorry if this is a silly question

thanks

MmeLindor · 25/10/2012 22:52

If you keep the same url then no one will notice - but if you go from eg. saltandcaramel.blogspot.com to saltandcaramel.com then you will lose people - or if your blog has been linked on another blog, then the link will go to your old blog.

You can set up a redirect, of course, but in my experience, if you are thinking of moving, do it when you are starting up then you can get your blog set up as you like and then start building readers.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 26/10/2012 10:26

I will have a lot, thanks mme. I am just worried as I am not 'techy' at all. I love the idea of doing it as a self-hosted blog, but also worried I am biting off more than I can chew, seeing as blogging is new to me too. I don't want to mess it up badly and then not be able to get it all back to where it was.

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Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 26/10/2012 10:26

look not lot Blush

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Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 26/10/2012 10:33

Arrgh!!

Now I am very confused. So wordpress.org - that is not a host? what is it then? so, lets say I get a host such as the one you suggested mme? what do they do that wordpress doesn't? what does wordpress do that they don't?

I was thinking I was just going to 'go for it' but now, I am changing my mind. I thought wordpress.org was the self-hosting site! But it is talking about choosing a host.

OP posts:
MmeLindor · 26/10/2012 15:51

ok, look at it this way.

Wordpress is your paper, with lines and boxes in which to write. Wordpress.org or Blogger, or Tumblr is the software that enables you to blog. It gives you the framework (the pages, tabs etc)

Hostgator is your box in which to store your paper - your binder of women's stuff

Hostgator (or whoever) is the host of your domain. It is the storage place.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 26/10/2012 19:40

Oh I seee really not sure I got what it takes to do it on my own!

OP posts:
QueenMaeve · 26/10/2012 20:40

me neither pavlov. I did try to set up a wordpress one but gave up after a while. I know my blogger one is not ideal, but I think I will stick with it for a while. If things progressed any more on the blog I maybe would look into paying someone to do one for me.
Do the seo's make a huge difference do you think? I just like the idea of my blog posts being organic, I don't like the idea of just including certain words for traffic.

Original poster
Pavlovthecat · 26/10/2012 21:01

I try not to think too much about seo, try to make it organic, but when writing I think, will this get anyone looking? If I change that general word for a specific one will that help? Thinking a little about the right word makes my posts a bit less general and more concise, I sometimes think people know whati mean, when actually I have said it! So for me, seo is more about actually saying the words! Rather than real proper seo of placing keywords.

Not sure if that makes sense?

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MmeLindor · 26/10/2012 23:21

It might be worth looking into getting someone to do your set up for you, if you really don't want to do it yourself. it really isn't too big a job, and shouldn't cost much.

In fact, I am wondering if I should start offering to do this. I have done it for commercial customers, but I never thought of doing it for bloggers - cause I assumed that most of them are willing to do it themselves.

MmeLindor · 26/10/2012 23:23

oh, and as to SEO

I don't think that great SEO will make a crap blog successful, but great SEO could make a great blog be seen and that increases the chance that the blog will be successful.

If the writing is bad, then the best SEO in the world will not help because people will find the blog, and click away.

I can often tell if a blogger has written a post with SEO in mind.