From websites to social media, tags are everywhere. But what exactly are they for, and how should you use them to your advantage?
🔖 What *is* a Tag?
A tag is a short word or phrase used to label and group related content. While categories divide your content into broad sections (like chapters), tags are more flexible — they highlight shared themes, topics, or keywords that can span across categories.
Think of categories as containers, and tags as threads that weave through your content.
- 📂 Categories are fixed, hierarchical, and often required
- 🏷️ Tags are optional, many-to-many, and cross-cutting
- 🧠 Tags are ideal for nuance — e.g.
#griefmight appear under therapy, writing, or gallery
🌐 Using Tags on Your Website
On a personal or professional site, tags serve a structural purpose. They connect related content, support navigation, and help visitors discover more.
- 🗂️ Group content across different categories
- 🧭 Support exploration — visitors can follow a tag to discover related ideas
- 🔗 Enable internal linking (good for SEO & usability)
- 🧱 Build future tag pages — even if you’re not doing it yet
- 🧹 Improve site organization, even behind the scenes
Best format for visible tags:
- ✅
Symbolic Play(for readability) - ❌
symbolic_playorsymbolicPlay(technical-looking)
Best format for URLs or internal IDs:
- ✅
/tags/symbolic-play/ - ✅ Slugify in code, not in front matter
📱 Tags on Social Media
Hashtags help posts get discovered — especially on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X.
- 🏷️ Use without spaces: e.g.
#symbolicplay - 🧑🦯 Use CamelCase for accessibility:
#ExpressivePlay - 🧵 Use 3–8 tags per post — enough to be seen, not spammy
- 🔍 Mix broad + specific:
#PlayTherapy,#ToyShelf - 📊 Research before posting — align with your community's terms
❌ Avoid punctuation, emojis, or symbols in hashtags. They break the link.
📈 What About SEO?
Tags can benefit SEO, but only if they're used in a structured way.
- ✅ Create tag index pages (e.g.
/tags/symbolic-play/) - ✅ Make pages crawlable with title, meta, and internal links
- ✅ Use tags as internal links across your content
- ❌ Don’t use tags as decoration (they won’t help ranking)
- ❌ Avoid "thin" tag pages (just 1–2 items = low SEO value)
Remember: tags aren’t magic SEO tools, but they help connect your content in meaningful ways — for both humans and search engines.
💡 Summary: When and Why to Use Tags
| Use Case | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 👀 Human navigation | ✅ High |
| 🔗 Internal linking | ✅ SEO + UX signal |
| 📄 Tag index pages | ✅ Helpful if structured |
| 📈 Search ranking | 🤏 Indirect, contextual |
| 🎯 Personal site structure | ✅ Long-term usefulness |
✅ Final Tips
Tags are powerful tools to increase visibility and structure — but use them with purpose:
- 🔍 Research keywords and trends in your niche
- 🎯 Balance specificity and discoverability
- 🧠 Think of tags as themes, not just labels
- 🌱 Don’t overuse — better to curate than clutter
In short: tag thoughtfully. Whether you're writing, sharing, or organizing — tags help your ideas find their place, and help others find them too.
