What do you know about categorization? Categorization improves SEO, so it is a very important task when creating a site.
That said, many people don’t know specifically about categorization, and it can be confusing if you don’t know where to start.
In order to solve the above problems, this time we have summarized the outline and tips of categorization and the effect on SEO. Use this article as a reference to master categorization and improve the SEO effect of your site.
What is categorization in the first place?
Categorization is a method to organize content such as blogs and homepages by category to make it easier to read, and it is actually an effective method for SEO measures.
This is because improving the readability improves user satisfaction, and the managed site gets a high evaluation from Google.
Even if you submit an article on the homepage, you need an environment where you can find it so that many people can see it. There are many cases where users first access from the landing page, but if they are not categorized, they will not be able to find appropriate articles, which can lead to an increase in reader withdrawal rates.
Imagine an organized room. In a well-organized room, you can see at a glance what is where, so you can find the information you want without stress. On the other hand, it takes a lot of effort and time to find the information you want from a messy state.
In other words, when content is cluttered around the site, it becomes difficult for users to know where to put it. This is where the categorization method comes into play.
See below for more information on categorization.
3 ways and tricks for proper categorization
As an optimal categorization method,
- Divide into categories up to 3 hierarchies
- Include keywords in category titles
- set breadcrumbs
And so on. Let’s categorize appropriately by keeping three points in mind.
1. Divide into categories up to 3 hierarchies
Limit your categorization to three levels. If the categories are too subdivided, the number of categories will increase, and readers may find it difficult to grasp the content.
For example, when considering the categorization of a site that introduces types of smartphones, smartphones will be the major category first. Further subdividing, there is a classification according to the difference in OS such as “android” and “iPhone”, and from there it will be further divided by specific model names such as “iPhone 13” and “iPhone 13 Pro”.
If you categorize up to 3 layers, it will not only be easier for readers to read, but you will not get lost in category classification when submitting articles.
Read Also: What Is a Crawler?
2. Include keywords in the category title
It is effective to include keywords in the category title.
Including keywords in the title and text of an article has the same structure as increasing the SEO effect, and adding keywords that you want to be displayed higher in the category title is effective as an SEO measure.
For example, if you set the category name to “Windows” for the article “Thorough explanation of why Windows PCs are recommended!”, a synergistic effect of keywords will be created as an SEO measure.
If the category title is something that catches the reader’s attention, there is an advantage that it is easy to click. Above all, aiming for a content structure that is easy for readers to understand is the most effective for SEO measures.
On the other hand, readers are more likely to leave a site that takes time to find the article they want to read, even if the content is comprehensive.
Therefore, when creating category titles, be sure to include keywords.
3. Set up breadcrumbs
Setting up breadcrumbs is also important. Breadcrumbs show the current location of the site with directions from the home, leading to the creation of a site that is easy for users to use.
It also has the advantage of making it easier to visually grasp the structure of the entire homepage. If there is a lot of information that can be understood at a glance, users can browse the site without stress.
In addition, the optimal category structure makes it easier for crawlers to crawl, making it easier for the entire homepage to get a good rating. In order to create a website that is easy to be displayed high in Google searches, it is very important to think about breadcrumbs from the perspective of Google’s crawlers as well as readers.
Add breadcrumbs to your site to increase user satisfaction.
Appropriate categorization improves user convenience
Proper categorization improves user experience. A well-organized and easy-to-read homepage will help users to find the information they want without hesitation, which will not impair their satisfaction.
In addition, Google’s crawlers also have criteria for giving high ratings to sites that are meaningful to users, so it can be said that appropriate categorization makes it easier for sites to get high ratings.
The first thing to do in categorizing is to create category pages for each genre and tag. After creating category pages, it is effective to put links to each category page on the sidebar or menu on the top page of the site.
Categorization also leads to improved site traffic and conversions. Let’s categorize appropriately and incorporate ideas to improve user convenience.
Be careful not to be too specific when categorizing
When categorizing, it is important not to be too specific.
If you subdivide too much, the number of categories will increase, creating confusion when categorizing. Also, if the number of categories increases, it is not possible to grasp everything, so there is a disadvantage of selecting inappropriate categories.
In the unlikely event that the content is evaluated as similar content due to the overlap of keywords, it will cause a significant decrease in the search ranking of Google.
If Google publishes similar content or articles, it will consider it copy content and tend to negatively rate the entire site. Such sites are likely to receive a low rating because they are difficult for both crawlers and users to understand.
If you really want to separate them finely, it is recommended to use tags. Tags can categorize content in the same way as categories. The big difference between categories and tags is the presence or absence of a hierarchical structure.
It’s easier to understand if you think of categories as folders and tags as sticky notes. Categories are functions that aggregate articles and content, and tags highlight the summary of articles. It is effective to use tags to subdivide articles.
Be careful not to be too specific when categorizing.
Appropriate categorization can be expected to have an SEO effect
Appropriate categorization can be expected to have an SEO effect. The reason for this is that categorization clearly shows the attributes of the content to users and crawlers.
For example, there are many cases where users do not notice the existence of content without categorization, even if the information they want is posted on the site. It is necessary to separate categories in order to have good content seen.
In addition, since highly specialized sites are evaluated in SEO, it is also effective to divide them into specialized categories. The more specialized the content of the articles, the more articles there tend to be, so categorizing them will give them a cleaner look.
And professional and easy-to-understand sites are highly rated by Google, so you can maximize your SEO effect.
In order to operate a site with high-quality, highly specialized content, it is important to categorize it appropriately and make it easy for users to find the information they need.
Summary
This time, I explained “Overview of categorization”, “Outline of categorization and 3 tips”, and “Effect on SEO”.
Even if you increase quality content, if the site is not categorized, the SEO effect may be halved.
Categorization is essential not only for crawlers, but also for creating a site that is easy to see for users. Using the points introduced in this article as a reference, let’s aim for a site that is easy to understand visually.