The WordPress platform has a tool called Categories, which, if used correctly, can achieve good results. In this article, we will analyze the methods of creating a WordPress category, using categories to keep visitors on the site. We will also analyze how to correctly name the categories and where to place them.
You may have wondered is it worth using rubrics or perhaps it's a worthless tool you don't need. If so, then this article is especially for you, if you are sure that the headings are needed then you will also find a portion of useful tips.
What are WordPress categories
"Headings" or as they are also called "categories" were designed to group blog posts on a specific topic. WordPress categories linking your posts into certain nodes, the information core, which also serves to improve and speed up the search for the necessary data for the reader.
Creation and name of headings quite a scrupulous lesson, although at first glance everything may look completely different - simple and natural. I assure you it is not so! It is worthwhile to take a responsible approach to the creation of headings and their filling with records, so that later you do not waste time editing them.
Correctly creating categories in WordPress
You can watch a video tutorial on creating and setting up a category, or read the text guide.
To create a rubric you need to go to the menu "Posts" / "Categories".
Going to this menu, we will see a form for creating a category, a list of already created categories, their labels, description, hierarchy among themselves, as well as the number of records in this group.
Initially, we are interested in creating a rubric, and this is what we will do further. Let's analyze the first way to create a category:
To start set the name of the WordPress category. The title should be thoughtful and appealing. We will talk about this a little later.- Assigning a shortcut to a category, which will be indicated in the url of the category. If your links and domain name are written in Latin letters, then it is worth giving labels in the same way, although this is not a rule.
- We indicate the parental affiliation of the category, if such is of course available. This is required when there are a large number of headings, or for a more specific grouping in a certain range of topics. Appointment of subheadings.
- Specify a WordPress Category Description... If you need to describe a heading for a better understanding of what this category is about, then feel free to express your thoughts in this form. You can also learn more about how to display this description.
- We go to the admin panel.
- Go to the menu item Records / All records.
- Find the post that needs to be changed.
- Click on the change button (below the post name).
- When the editing of the entry opens in the right column, we find the "Categories" block.
- We remove and deliver the necessary checkboxes opposite the headings.
- Click to update.
- Change the name of the heading block. For example, change the word heading to "Categories", "Topics" or any other word.
- Select the display method in the form of a drop-down menu.
- At the end of the heading name, add the number of entries in this category.
- Show a strict hierarchy of headings, highlight subcategories.
Having finished entering the data for the category, click on the "Add a new category" button, after which you can place your posts in it.
The second way to create a category is to add a new category directly from the text editor where you create your posts.
This creation takes place on the right side panel of the editor, in the "Categories" item. As we can see, when creating a category directly in the editor, we do not get the ability to set a label and description... But do not be upset, we can always enter this data by editing the heading as shown in the previous method.
After adding a new heading, we can immediately identify the current article in the newly created heading, this is quite convenient.
How can I change the headings of a single publication?
It so happens that you are mistaken when choosing the category to which the publication will belong. It doesn't matter, everything can be changed quickly enough.
The action plan is as follows:
In this way, you can change the headings for publication.
Setting up a category widget in WordPress
To get a list of categories in WordPress and display it on your site, you usually use the Categories widget. To add a widget to the sidebar, just go from the admin panel to the "Appearance" / "Widgets" menu tab and drag the "Categories" widget to the required area, after saving the settings, the list of categories will appear on the site pages.
After you've dragged the widget to the sidebar, you can make the following change settings:
How to name WordPress categories correctly
To name the new category correctly it is necessary to accurately determine its future content. When creating a heading, we must know in advance what entries will be in it, on what topic they will be written and what purpose they will have. It is very important!
As soon as we let's decide on the topic of the heading we have to come up with a generic title that would fit all the articles in this group. For example, our site is about cars, and we have ten posts about the VAZ car brand, which contains descriptions of ten different modifications of this model. Will the name for this heading "VAZ" be common to all entries? Of course! Based on this concept, we must name the rubrics correctly! If you do not know what to call then remember this "WHA" and give the same general name for your topic, in one or two or three words.
Where and how to host WordPress categories
How categories can keep visitors on the site
Categories are essentially a site navigation and search tool. The more interesting the names are and the more accurately they reveal the topic, the more effective their use will be.
So, back to our car site, our visitor went to the site from a search engine for a specific request about "VAZ", read what he was interested in and was already thinking to leave, but then he sees on the site a link to the category "VAZ News" or something in this spirit. HE thinks yes, what if I read outdated information and comes in to read what's new about this car brand. This method can increase the number of clicks on your site, which will give weight in the eyes of search engines and even more attract customers or readers.
In this non-tricky way, categories are able to keep your visitors on the site longer.
Finally: use headings, group records, make it easier for your visitors to search first, make interesting and informative names for headings and you will get your share of the reward for this. Hope this was helpful.
Last time we talked about how to register your account. And today - the main part, content. Our expert Marina Giller will tell you how to plan, what to post, what content sources you can use.
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For effective work on Instagram, I advise you to compile a heading list in advance and use a content plan. This will help you not only stick to your schedule, but also better understand how your actions are leading to your goals.
What types of content are used on Instagram
Traditionally, Instagram content is divided according to its purpose:
- entertaining;
- informational (useful, educational);
- selling;
- inspiring, motivational;
- mixed.
For example, if the main task for Instagram is to increase awareness as an expert, rely on useful content, if you want to engage your audience, make entertaining “chatter” posts with questions more often.
When developing a content plan for Instagram, it is desirable that all types of content are present on your blog in one proportion or another, otherwise the blog will be monotonous and may bore the audience.
What is a rubricator and why is it needed?
So why create a rubricator?
- To keep up with the publication schedule.
- To strike a balance between different directions, themes and tasks.
- To strike a balance between personal and professional.
- In order to never be tormented by the question "What to post?"
- To plan your work and prepare in advance not only texts, but also photographs.
- To drive engagement through subscriber expectations.
How to compose a rubricator
These can be different aspects of your work and personal life. But it is not necessary to disclose these topics "head-on". Be aware of the different types of content and look for a way to present the topic you want in one of the selected formats.
What to consider
One topic can be covered in several headings of different formats, but keep an eye on the balance of topics. If some topic dominates, it will be perceived as the main one.
Some rubrics may alternate and repeat less than once a week. Choose the day of the week for each category, taking into account the activity and mood of the audience. Observe, experiment, record, analyze and draw conclusions.
It is not necessary to assign headings to a specific day. You can make a more complex grid, for example, immediately for 2, 3 or 4 weeks. But it is more difficult to keep track of such a rubricator.
The number of publications per day also depends on the audience and subject matter. As a guideline, start from one publication per day, Sunday can be left as a day off.
Try to think over a category in which you can organically introduce partners for mutual PR and advertising (we will talk about this separately at the stage of promotion).
How to come up with ideas for publications
This is where post ideas usually hide:
- Your own observations made in the course of work.
- Questions from your customers.
- Questions from your readers.
- Stories and cases from practice.
- What you have learned in your professional development.
- What you would like to know early on.
So how do you generate these ideas?
Method 1. Create a file, notebook, note, where you will enter ideas for future posts. Write down everything that comes to mind, do not evaluate or discard ideas ahead of time. Try to do this right away and write it down clearly and legibly, otherwise you run the risk of not remembering what you meant later.
As you work on your content plan, take a look at your list. Are there any ideas that fit into specific rubrics?
Method 2. Imagine that you have three reels in front of you, like a slot machine. The first reel contains the rubric, the second contains an important feature of your expert brand, and the third contains the type of content. Spin the reel and look for an idea for the dropped combination!
Method 3. Brainstorming techniques, freewriting and other creative techniques for finding ideas. Allocate time specifically to generate more themes and use them for a while. Find the best place, time and state for this practice and do not force yourself if you cannot think of anything right now.
Method 4. Be careful, adjust your focus so that you look for topics in everything: in discussions with colleagues, in your news feed, in conversations in line and, of course, in your own practice. Listen to customers, record what is repeated, read the comments and do not limit yourself to "thank you", but ask your readers to find out more about how they think and what worries them. Notice the little things and patterns and be sure to write them down (see method 1).
And the most important thing. When choosing topics, keep the reader in mind! Your own interest and the authenticity of the content are very important, but the information contained in the post should be relevant to your target audience. These are usually potential clients, not your friends or colleagues. Pass your ideas through this filter.
What is a content plan for an Instagram account and how to work with it
If the rubricator is a pattern that repeats at a certain frequency, then content plan- this is a specific list of publications with an already invented topic, assigned to a specific date.
Usually a content plan is drawn up for a month. This allows you to optimize your work, plan ahead for photo content, write texts, take into account strategic marketing objectives, and so on.
Planning is easiest in an electronic calendar, such as a Google calendar, but you can use an Excel spreadsheet or even a paper calendar grid.
- Start filling your calendar with date-bound posts. Look at your plan: do you have events and promotions that need to be announced, are there any meetings and trips planned that you will talk about? Put it on your calendar.
- Add sticky, standard rubrics that don't need to come up with ideas (for example, every Friday you exchange weekly news with your readers, every Monday you play word games).
- Look at your list of ready-made ideas and categorize them.
- Come up with heading topics that didn't have ready-made ideas.
- Write down a list of tasks related to other people: arrange interviews, order illustrations, find a partner, and so on.
- Work on texts and photos can be grouped, creating all content for a week or even a month at a time. For many, this makes their work easier.
For content planning, I recommend the later.com service: application + web version. Here you can arrange all ready-made publications in time, and at the right time the application will notify you that it is necessary to make a publication (just two clicks, and a blog post!).
It is not necessary to strictly adhere to the content plan. If you have breaking news and original ideas, you can move the planned post or cancel it altogether. The content plan is about helping you, not becoming a prison. Some refuse the content plan altogether and only adhere to the rubricator, preferring to write spontaneously and according to the mood. But this is not suitable for everyone and depends on the characteristics of your character.
Features of Insta texts
Texts for Instagram have their own specifics.
It is a short format, the text length is up to 2200 characters. It is advisable to keep within this framework, otherwise the continuation of the text will have to be placed in the comments, and your text may not be read. Consider the specifics of the audience as well: in some niches, users prefer shorter text.
Only the first two lines of your text are visible on the ribbon. Try to make them as intriguing as possible so that readers will want to expand the text.
Due to the short format, it is worth giving preference to either capacious lists or narrow topics. That is, a detailed instruction like this could turn into a short list of tips, and, on the contrary, each tip could be made into a separate post.
Informal texts are quite acceptable on Instagram. You can use jargon and emoji to express your emotions. But always keep in mind the style of your brand and the integrity of your image.
Photo content
Placement of pictures can also be thought over and planned
Speaking of the visual social network, we got to the images last, but this is not surprising at all. Without proper preparation, the photo content on your Instagram will not work for your tasks. Now you know what you are doing and why, and the selection of images will not be difficult.
Concept development
If you already have a corporate identity, or at least an inspiration board for your brand, it's time to put it to work. If not, you have a great reason to do it.
- Define a branded palette, style of images, typical angles, plots and compositions, and try to follow these principles constantly.
- Do not forget that a photo is an additional layer of information. Photos can convey the mood of your project and the style of your work, values and even the image of the ideal client. Try do not evaluate pictures only from the point of view of taste, analyze what they tell the reader about you.
- Think through style elements... It can be a repeating color, an object or a group of objects that are present in the photo, your hands in the frame, your face, your figure of a certain size, a certain symbol (heart, bird, notebook, glasses, and so on). It is not necessary to use this technique on every photo, but it will help a lot.
It is important to find a balance between monotony and incongruity. After all, a positive perception of your content by readers is equally dependent on the effect of recognition and the effect of surprise.
Text on photo
Text on a photo can be a way to convey the information you need. For example, the text can indicate the topic of the post or heading, draw attention to a certain thought, advertise a promotion or event.
You can use the text all the time, from time to time, or not at all. Blogs with text in the photo are subjectively perceived as "useful", curated blog projects. Blogs without text in the photo are like personal blogs. Choose what is closer to you.
Choose up to three matching fonts for the text. It is best to use branded fonts that you will use across all sites.
You can use Photoshop and its analogues to overlay text on pictures. The Picmonkey.com service or the Phonto app (iOS and Android) will do just that. All of these tools allow you to use your fonts, not just the ones pre-installed by the developers.
So where to get pictures?
Let's consider several sources.
- are good at photography or willing to learn;
- love to spontaneously generate content;
- want to keep your blog as informal and personal as possible;
- want to show the process and the result of your work.
2. Drains. Stock photos often look stereotyped, but there are good stocks with lifestyle photos of any subject, including free ones. These photos also allow you to showcase the image of the ideal client, but photos with people on free stocks, as a rule, do not exist. However, keep in mind that stock photos are not exclusive and may be used by others. It can also be more difficult to maintain a uniform style here. And in any case, do not pass off stock photos as your portfolio.
3. Order a photo. This is your option if you want uniqueness and are willing to pay for photo content, or you need to show the result of your work, but you cannot do it yourself. A photographer can shoot your portfolio, create a series of subject photos in the same style, take your portraits. It is only important to correctly draw up a technical assignment, and here a prepared content plan with clear topics and an inspiration board will help you so that the photographer understands the task at hand.
4. Background text. This is a good option for illustrating useful posts. You can choose several backgrounds - plain or with a pattern, choose a font, create a template for such pictures and make them by analogy. Such a template can be ordered from a designer.
5. User Content. These are photos of your clients that showcase your work, photos of Instagram users (in both cases, you need to get permission).
6. A combination of several options. You can use all of these sources, but the main thing is to remember about their compatibility.
Video content
What are the use cases for video and who is it for
- Video of the work process (suitable for hand-made masters, beauty industry specialists, everyone who works with their hands).
- Backstage or the wrong side of the process (something that the client usually does not see: for example, snippets of the preparatory stage of the work, breaks between speeches).
- Project news in the genre of "talking head" (if you are the face of your own project).
- Short expert advice (especially suitable for professionals to show competence and create a sense of personal contact).
- What inspires you (events, phenomena, something beautiful, what your product takes as a starting point).
- What you learn from (mini-reports from trainings or exhibitions, reviews of specialized literature, and so on).
Category is one of the taxonomies in WordPress. It is needed in order to sort and group content into different sections. With the help of headings, a website that publishes articles on various topics can divide them into several sections.
For example: A news site may have the following headings: News, Opinion, Weather, Sports, etc.
If you do not indicate which category the entry belongs to, then it will automatically refer to the one that is set by default. In WordPress, the default is “ Uncategorized "... The administrator can change this by logging into Settings »Writing. WordPress allows you to assign a post to multiple categories, as well as assign tags to it.
How to add categories
Even while composing a post, you can create a category in WordPress. On the post editor screen, there is a headings meta box with a list of existing categories. You can refer your entry to an already existing category - for this you need to tick the box opposite or create a new one by clicking on the link + Add a new category.
You can also add a new category directly via Posts »Categories... Write down the name, add a shortcut if necessary, i.e. name variant for url. The label can only consist of uppercase letters of the Latin alphabet, numbers and hyphens. If you want to create a child category, then define a parent category for this. Enter a description and click on the Add New Category button.
How to edit categories
They can be edited via Records »Headings. Move the mouse cursor over the required name and click the Change link. You will be presented with an editor screen, where you can change the title, shortcut, add or remove a WordPress parent category, edit or add a description.
You can also delete a category from here. Be aware that by deleting a category, you will by no means delete the entries that belonged to it. If an article has it displayed, then it will automatically be assigned to the category that is displayed in WordPress by default. It is important to know that you cannot delete the default category. To do this, you will have to assign a new one, and only then can you delete it.
How to display categories
The headings widget can be used to display them in the sidebar. To do this, go to Appearance »Widgets and drag the widget to the sidebar Categories. All categories, except for those with no entries, are listed in the sidebar.
You can also add categories to the site navigation menu. To do this, go to Appearance »Menu. Click on Categories, put a checkmark in front of the names you need and click on the "Add to menu" button.
In the front-end of a WordPress site, each category has its own page. Most WordPress themes come with a category.php template that controls the display of a category archive page, each with its own structure.
What is a child heading
For example: A news site may have a heading news with child headings Local, Regional, World, etc..
You can add a child heading directly from the post editor screen or from the heading screen. To do this, simply when creating a new category (which will become a child category), you need to select the parent category.
How to translate categories into tags
Categories and Tags are predefined taxonomies in WordPress. However, they differ from each other in scale. However, as far as usage is concerned, there are no restrictions: you can create as many categories as you need. It should be understood that categories in WordPress are something like boxes, limited sections, and tags are kind of keywords. Sometimes there is a need to change the heading to tags and vice versa. To do this, go to Tools »Import and click on the link Categories and tags converter... After that, a pop-up window will appear asking you to install the importer. Click on the Install button. After you install it click on the link Activate Plugin & Run Importer(Activate plugin and run importer).
Searching for news by category allows your subscribers to read only the posts they are interested in in your community. For example, they only want to read about design or see what collection of interesting comedies you have done in the last month and you can help them with this.
Where to begin
- Infographics
- Tools
- Web analytics
- Web design
- Internet Marketing
- Content marketing
Creating a wiki page
The nicest way to search for categories can be done with an internal page (wiki page) in the community. It may look like this
How to create a wiki page is already described in detail in the article "", but just in case I will duplicate:
- copy link http://vk.com/pages?oid=-24557811&p=hi
- replace 24557811 on ID and only on ID, not on a short url like smmblog, on your own. In my case it is 38369814
- replace Hey the title of the page you want. In my case it will be Search
As a result, we got a link http://vk.com/pages?oid=- 38369814
& p = Search -
this needs to be inserted into the address bar of the browser and click enter 
Before proceeding to filling with content, let me tell you how the search by headings works
How category search works
Category Search is a common search for community news. The difference is that you add your own unique keyword to each news in advance, by which you can search for similar news.
How to go to find news in the community
First you need to go to your own or any community and click on the block of the "wall" 
After that you need to go to "Search" 
Click fill with content and bring it to this form 
I'm used to writing wiki markup code without using a visual editor. I recommend trying it - you never know you will like it (it has a lot of disadvantages)
From what we got on this page, you can do anything. It will remain for me to do the same several times for all the remaining headings.
Attaching pictures is not a problem. I'll do one example with infographics
In some cases, select headings for the site very difficult because Webmasters are trying to create a creative project that will differ from the rest, and the more meaningful the site menu items are, the better they will be perceived by visitors.
An approach to the sections on the site it is necessary to carry out in an individual form, because each site is equipped with different functionality, has certain information and, depending on this, they can be divided into types.
Select headings for the site
Also on the construction of the menu for the site, sites are divided depending on the topic, because some are broader and some are narrowly focused. To choose headings for the site, you will need to use the methods presented below.
The ideal structure of the site includes a list of the main menu items and the more competently they will be thought out rubrics, as well as the better the internal optimization is done, many factors depend. The following points can be noted with generally accepted headings:
- main - necessary for any site;
- content - a menu item that links to articles, text and other materials that ensure the interest of visitors;
- news / innovations - this item is convenient because in it you can post any news, regardless of where it happened, within the country or inside your site... Such a heading is suitable for information sites, absolutely any topic is accompanied by news, and it will not be difficult to find a source;
- services - this section is necessary for sites that provide certain tools to their users. If you have an informational project, try replacing the section with "search", "sorting", etc .;
- catalog - a heading necessary for online stores and other sites selling goods. Given the lack of a trading process, this paragraph can be changed to information about goods from third-party projects;
- blog - the presence of a blog significantly affects the development of the site. By posting relevant and useful materials, you can collect a lot of traffic, as well as interest visitors;
- forum - by providing your visitors with the opportunity to communicate, you can influence the number of returns and thereby affect behavioral factors;
- FAQ - any functionality must be accompanied by instructions for use, and if you have something to explain to your users, be sure to create a section like this;
- feedback - a necessary section of the site, which must be present on all sites. If you have difficulty creating feedback forms, place in this section contacts through which you can contact you.
Having listed the main menu items, many users will be able to select new headings for their site, and at the same time provide their site with the necessary sections.
Anyone who understands the creation of sites and has already been involved in this activity more than once knows that the assessment of competitors can help in the selection of menu items and. Depending on what kind of project you are creating, rate the most popular sites and highlight the most interesting sections in your opinion.
