the real story on post titles, categories, tags

It’s easy to slosh the same words around all these parts of a blog post, so what’s the REAL story? Would appreciate your input on:

Title:

  • use the name of the content provider/company/website, the model(s), movie title and/or/verses some invented descriptive title. Examples (fake):
    Troy Boxer at X Pictures
    Troy in Military Boys
    X Pictures: Troy blows the troop
    Blowing the Whole Troop

Categories:

  • only use one, no more?
  • use the model name, content provider’s name/website, movie title, any categories that relate (in this case: sucking, oral, military men, etc.

Tags:

  • use as many as you want?
  • use name of your own blog
  • same things used as in categories…what’s really the difference?

Re: the real story on post titles, categories, tags

I meant to have a question mark after each “use…” They are questions, so it should be “use…?” Thanks.

Re: the real story on post titles, categories, tags

Six of one, half dozen of another. In other words, there are going to be a lot of different opinions and you’ll have to wade thorugh the minefield to figure out which suits your needs, which actually works too.

For myself, I look at a blog post as a mini book. The Title is something to grab the reader’s attention. Depending on the theme of my blog, I will use the title of the post, to make them interested, a hook so to speak.

Certainly don’t use’ harry’s blog dot com’ in the title, but will use a keyword that is appropriate. Such as’ Harry’s got Troy Fucking Max’

Categories to me are the chapters of the book. So I use one, such as ‘bareback’ or ‘safer sex’ or ‘amateur’ or, well you get the picture.

Tags, are a real bone of contention. You will get many answers, as to both how many to use, and to what end are they there for. Myself, I look at them as ways for my customers to find related posts. So if I am using a post about a guy from Butch Dixon, or Blake Mason, and have them both in a category of Amateurs. then my tags will relate to the men, such as ‘hairy’ ‘uncut’ ‘blond’ ‘bald’ etc. I try to use about 5 tags, sometimes less, sometimes more.

Sometimes I just get carried away, but bottom line is that, for me, I use tags to give my customer’s another way to find the posts, that are similar to the subject.

The one thing I have learned, over the decade, is that many will claim to be experts, but it is subjective. Search Engines are fickle, and change, and NO ONE knows exactly how they derive their results. Plus, what works for you, or me, may not work for someone else. I’d spend less time worrying about that, than trying to simply make the experience for the customer better. That, after all is what makes you the money. Traffic, is, well always a struggle, and always needs change of tactics, of procedures.

hth
Ian

Re: the real story on post titles, categories, tags

Thanks for creating this post Tim. I’ve had similar questions off and on but never took the time to write them down.

Thanks to Gaystoryman too for an easy to follow answer.

I hope more people respond to hear other opinions as well.

Re: the real story on post titles, categories, tags

Thanks, Ian, that is sensible, and interesting to read about your approach. Yes, it’s that SEO argument I am reading all over, leaving me confused.

Yes, Paul, I think this is important for everyone. I see bits and pieces about categories, titles, etc. But a post is all of those together that “should” have some rhyme or reason behind it…like Ian was explaining the post as a book with chapters.

I’m super interested in a good dialogue on this, too.

Re: the real story on post titles, categories, tags

Thanks Tim, this is really helpful.