Taxonomy SEO – How to Optimize Your WordPress Category Pages

Even if you’ve been moving difficult to amended your WordPress site’s SEO, you whitethorn not person considered taxonomy SEO.

Over nan years of trying different SEO strategies, we person discovered that optimizing class pages and different taxonomy archives tin importantly amended a website’s rankings connected hunt motor results pages (SERPs).

In this article, we will show you really to optimize your class pages and different taxonomy archives for SEO successful WordPress.

Why Are Category Pages Important for WordPress SEO?

In WordPress, taxonomies are utilized to shape a website’s content. They fto you group related posts together, helping your website visitors quickly find what they need.

The default WordPress taxonomies are categories, which enactment arsenic a website’s array of contents, and tags, which tin beryllium thought of arsenic an scale section.

Some websites besides adhd subcategories and custom taxonomies to benignant their contented successful moreover much ways. For example, galore eCommerce plugins automatically create a civilization Product taxonomy.

When your website contented is cautiously organized, visitors and hunt engines tin easy navigate it, resulting successful happier users and improved hunt rankings.

Our guideline on SEO champion practices for sorting your content teaches you really to usage categories and tags effectively.

But successful this tutorial, we will attraction connected really to amended SEO by optimizing WordPress class pages.

What Is a Category Page successful WordPress?

Each taxonomy has an archive page that includes a title and explanation arsenic good arsenic a database of posts contained successful that taxonomy.

For example, our WPBeginner Tutorials class page has nan title ‘700+ Best Free WordPress Tutorials’. A elaborate explanation follows, wherever we explicate really our tutorials thief you study WordPress to amended your website, and we database immoderate celebrated tutorials.

We besides see a nexus to our YouTube transmission for those who for illustration to watch videos.

After nan class description, you will find a database of posts successful nan Tutorials category, starting pinch nan astir precocious published ones.

By default, class archive pages are indexed by Google and different hunt engines.

In this screenshot, you tin spot that our Tutorials class is included successful Google hunt results. The listing includes nan class page’s title and description.

Clicking nan nexus will return you consecutive to nan Tutorials class page connected WPBeginner.

Improving Category Page SEO successful WordPress

Optimizing nan contented connected your WordPress class pages is an effective measurement to amended your website’s SEO erstwhile done correctly.

We urge utilizing the All successful One SEO (AIOSEO) WordPress plugin. It’s the best SEO plugin for WordPress and helps you optimize your tract for hunt engines without needing immoderate method SEO knowledge.

You tin entree galore of nan Taxonomy SEO features successful the AIOSEO free version. Additionally, nan premium type of AIOSEO offers precocious features for illustration removing nan class base, optimizing civilization taxonomies, TruSEO on-page study for taxonomies, and more.

You tin study really to instal and configure AIOSEO successful our guideline connected how to group up All successful One SEO for WordPress correctly.

Now, let’s return a look astatine really to optimize class pages and different taxonomy archive pages successful WordPress. You tin usage nan links beneath to jump to nan conception you are astir willing in:

1. Avoid Keyword Cannibalization Between Categories and Posts

One interest pinch taxonomy SEO is that your class pages whitethorn compete pinch WordPress posts for nan aforesaid keyword. This is known arsenic keyword cannibalization and tin create a confusing business for hunt engines.

We talk much mostly astir really to hole keyword cannibalization issues successful our guideline connected how to amended your integrated click-through complaint successful WordPress.

There are a fewer ways to debar cannibalization issues erstwhile it comes to class archive pages.

For example, immoderate websites target different keywords erstwhile optimizing class pages and blog posts. Other websites debar nan problem by asking hunt engines not to scale categories.

Let’s return a look astatine these 2 approaches truthful you tin take nan 1 that champion suits your website.

Choosing Not to Index Category and Tag Archive Pages

Some users extremity hunt engines from indexing their class and tag archive listings. This encourages hunt engines to prioritize their existent posts and pages. It besides prevents keyword cannibalization from categories and tags.

You request to navigate to All successful One SEO » Search Appearance and click nan ‘Taxonomies’ tab.

Now look for nan ‘Show successful Search’ mounting nether Categories and prime nan ‘No’ option.

Next, you request to scroll down and do nan aforesaid point for tags.

Once you click nan ‘Save Changes’ fastener astatine nan apical aliases bottommost of nan page, hunt engines will nary longer scale your class and tag archive pages.

Since they won’t look successful hunt results, you will not request to optimize them for SEO. However, you whitethorn still wish to travel immoderate of nan steps beneath to amended personification experience.

Optimizing Categories and Posts for Different Keywords

Another attack users return to forestall keyword cannibalization is to target different keywords connected taxonomy archive pages and posts.

For example, ideate a reappraisal website that covers moving shoes:

• The class page for this taxable would target nan wide keyword of ‘Running Shoes’. The explanation could see an overview of nan different types of moving shoes and a buyer’s guideline to choosing nan correct moving shoes.

• Meanwhile, nan individual posts would reappraisal circumstantial types aliases models of moving shoes. They mightiness target long-tail keywords for illustration ‘best stableness moving shoes’, ‘lightweight moving shoes for marathons’, and more.

By utilizing this approach, some nan class page and nan individual posts tin rank for applicable keywords without competing pinch each other.

The class page will enactment arsenic a hub, attracting users pinch a wide liking successful moving shoes. The individual reviews will beryllium displayed connected hunt results for users pinch much circumstantial needs.

This improves nan website’s wide SEO capacity by targeting a wider scope of applicable keywords and providing a much broad personification experience.

Tip: When optimizing class pages for SEO, you whitethorn wish to hide your tags from hunt engines utilizing nan method above. This will guarantee location is nary keyword cannibalization betwixt your categories and tags.

2. Optimize nan URL Structure for Categories

Your class URLs should beryllium short, easy to understand, and see applicable keywords. Luckily, WordPress uses an SEO-friendly URL structure for categories, posts, and pages.

By default, your categories will person URLs (or permalinks) that look for illustration this:

This URL starts pinch nan website’s domain sanction followed by nan class guidelines prefix, which is ‘category’. After that, you spot a slug that identifies nan category.

In this case, that’s ‘running-shoes’, wherever a hyphen is automatically utilized to abstracted different words.

This building useful good for astir websites. However, depending connected your needs, you tin alteration nan guidelines to a different word, for illustration ‘topics’.

Simply spell to Settings » Permalinks successful WordPress admin and type nan guidelines you wish to usage into nan ‘Category base’ field. Make judge you click nan ‘Save Changes’ fastener to shop your settings.

If you alteration nan class guidelines to ‘topics’, past class permalinks will now look for illustration this:

Note that you tin alteration nan tag guidelines from ‘tag’ to thing other connected nan aforesaid page.

Some users for illustration to wholly region nan class guidelines prefix to simplify their class URLs. The prefix doesn’t person immoderate SEO benefit, and removing it shortens nan URL and makes it easier to read.

You tin easy do this utilizing a premium characteristic of All successful One SEO. Simply navigate to All successful One SEO » Search Appearance and past click connected nan ‘Taxonomies’ tab.

Now, nether nan ‘Categories’ section, click connected nan ‘Advanced’ tab and prime nan ‘Yes’ action adjacent to ‘Remove Category Base Prefix’.

Your class permalinks will now look for illustration this:

For elaborate instructions, spot our guideline connected how to alteration nan class guidelines prefix successful WordPress.

3. Set nan Default SEO Title and Description Format for Categories

All successful One SEO lets you customize nan default format for really categories look connected hunt motor results pages.

You tin find these settings by navigating to All successful One SEO » Search Appearance and opening nan ‘Taxonomies’ tab.

AIOSEO uses move tags to group nan default formats of nan SEO title and explanation of your categories.

By default, hunt engines will show nan title arsenic nan class title and tract title. The meta explanation will simply beryllium nan class description.

If you glimpse astatine nan Preview section, you tin spot really this will look successful hunt results.

These default settings will activity for astir websites, but you tin customize them by adding aliases removing move tags.

This format will beryllium utilized to group nan first meta title and explanation of each category. In nan adjacent section, we’ll show you really to customize them for circumstantial categories.

4. Add a Helpful Name and Description for Each Category

You should adhd a short explanation to each class page to springiness users a amended knowing of nan contented they’ll find.

As you saw above, class names and descriptions are displayed connected hunt motor results pages and whitethorn promote much users to click your link.

Besides that, Google looks for adjuvant and readable contented connected your website erstwhile deciding what to rank highest successful hunt results.

First, caput complete to the Posts » Categories page successful your WordPress dashboard. This will show a database of your existing categories and subcategories and let you to add caller categories.

Now you request to click nan ‘Edit’ nexus adjacent to nan class you wish to adhd contented to.

This will return you to nan class edit screen, wherever you tin adhd a title, slug, and explanation for your category.

The slug will beryllium utilized successful class URLs and should beryllium kept short and simple. However, nan class sanction will beryllium displayed astatine nan apical of class archive pages, truthful this tin beryllium longer and much descriptive.

Choose a sanction that accurately reflects nan contented wrong that category.

You should besides adhd a compelling explanation of astatine slightest 300 words that expands connected nan class sanction and introduces nan topic. This tin beryllium akin to a blog station introduction.

You tin constitute this successful plain matter successful nan Description field. If you would for illustration to adhd headings, formatting, images, aliases links to nan description, past you will request to usage HTML code.

For example, HTML heading tags will look for illustration this:

You tin adhd HTML utilizing anchor tags for illustration this:

And you tin adhd images for illustration this:

Don’t hide to click connected nan ‘Update’ fastener to prevention your changes.

This class sanction and explanation will beryllium displayed connected your website and hunt motor results pages by default.

Alternatively, if you are utilizing the Pro type of All successful One SEO, past you tin group a different SEO title and meta explanation for your category.

Simply scroll down nan class page until you spot nan ‘AIOSEO Settings’ section. Here, you tin override nan default SEO title and explanation formats you created successful conception 3 above.

Just delete immoderate aliases each move tags and type nan matter you wish to use.

Now, you’ll request to repetition this process to adhd titles and descriptions to each your categories. After that, you mightiness for illustration to do nan aforesaid point pinch your tags by visiting Posts » Tags.

5. Optimize nan Content of Each Category Description for SEO

You tin besides optimize each class explanation nan aforesaid measurement you optimize your blog posts for SEO. This will thief your class pages rank higher successful hunt results.

This starts pinch doing keyword research to make judge that your class explanation includes phrases users are apt to hunt for.

Wherever possible, you should add soul links to amended navigation and thief hunt engines understand nan narration betwixt your categories and posts.

For example, you could see links to related categories and subcategories successful nan explanation and besides adhd links to your class pages successful related blog posts. You tin besides automatically display subcategories connected class pages.

Also, make judge that you optimize immoderate images you usage for hunt engines.

Finally, you tin amended nan header utilizing AI. Optimizing nan class sanction will make it guidelines retired and motivate users to click it erstwhile they spot it successful hunt results. One of nan champion ways to do this is utilizing our free Headline Analyzer.

6. Add Breadcrumb Navigation to Your WordPress Website

Breadcrumbs are an other navigation strategy that you tin adhd to your WordPress website to thief users find your content.

They fto users spot wherever they are located successful nan level of your website. They besides thief hunt engines for illustration Google crawl your website much efficaciously and understand nan building of your site. This tin thief your website rank higher for applicable keywords.

We usage breadcrumbs connected WPBeginner, and you tin spot them connected each class page and post:

For elaborate instructions connected really to adhd them to your website, spot our guideline connected how to show breadcrumb navigation links successful WordPress.

If you person an online store, past you tin travel our beginner’s guideline connected how to adhd breadcrumbs successful WooCommerce.

Now that you’ve learned astir taxonomy SEO, you whitethorn for illustration to spot immoderate guides related to different ways to amended website SEO successful WordPress:

• How to Properly Change, Move and Delete WordPress Categories
• Best Online Content Optimization Tools for WordPress
• Beginner’s Guide to Image SEO – Optimize Images for Search Engines
• WordPress Site Settings That Are Critical for SEO Success
• How to Check if Your Website is SEO Optimized
• How to Add nan Ultimate SEO Dashboard successful WordPress
• How to Avoid Keyword Stuffing & Fix Over Optimization successful SEO
• How to Double Your SEO Traffic successful 6 Months (With Case Studies)
• How Long Does Website SEO Take to Show Results? (Real Data)

We dream this tutorial helped you study really to optimize your WordPress class pages. You whitethorn besides want to spot our guideline connected whether categories aliases tags are champion for SEO aliases our ultimate guideline to WordPress SEO.

If you liked this article, past please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You tin besides find america on Twitter and Facebook.

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About nan Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff astatine WPBeginner is simply a squad of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi pinch complete 16 years of acquisition successful WordPress, Web Hosting, eCommerce, SEO, and Marketing. Started successful 2009, WPBeginner is now nan largest free WordPress assets tract successful nan manufacture and is often referred to arsenic nan Wikipedia for WordPress.