When I first started blogging, I had to do quite a bit of research to figure out how to optimize WordPress for SEO. One of the things I did a lot of searching on was whether or not to use tags, and how to optimize their use for generating more traffic.
The reason it was a struggle to figure out all the advantages and disadvantages of using a tag cloud is because there is so many conflicting reports and opinions on the subject. After much research, testing the implementation of it myself, and asking successful bloggers for their opinions, I’ve realized it’s a decidedly bad idea to use a tag cloud, and will give you 10 reasons to support my viewpoint.
1. They look bad. Have you ever actually seen a tag cloud that looks good? Have you ever clicked on the links within the tag cloud? If you answer no, then there’s the perfect reason you shouldn’t use it.
2. They repeat. A lot of tags will become needlessly repeated, such as the same tag being use twice but one of them is pluralizes. Even WordPress themselves struggles with this issue, look what you see when you are trying to search for plugins to install:
3. They create needless copies of the same content. Google already indexes your posts, and the archives your posts are on, and the categories your posts are on, and the author archives your posts are on, and now the tag pages, too! If you DO end up using tags, at least give the tag pages a noindex.
4. They simply don’t generate any extra traffic. From talking it over with other bloggers and testing out myself, I simply haven’t seen any traffic increase whatsoever. Try using them for a little while and track the activity they’re getting with Analytics and see for yourself.
5. It’s a pain to tag stuff. It’s gets old after a while, always trying to come up with relevant tags for every single post. Don’t waste your time on tags, write more articles instead!
6. They don’t really help your visitors find the content they’re looking for. When web admins use tags, posts that have absolutely nothing to do with each other can use the same tag. Visitors are much better off using the search function or hunting through category pages.
7. They’re redundant. Going along with the final point of reason #6, you’re wasting your visitors time with the tag cloud when you should instead be encouraging them to use your search bar or the category archives. Help them find what they need by destroying your tag cloud.
8. They take up real estate. The tag cloud floats around on every page, where much more useful information (or even ads) can go. You’re not utilizing the sidebar space to it’s full potential by filling it with a bunch of random keywords.
9. They can confuse new visitors. For people who don’t spend a lot of time on the web, they won’t understand what the tag cloud does. They may click on a keyword, expecting something other than an onslaught of pages that may remotely refer to that word. Test out the tag cloud on someone you know who isn’t web savvy. Ask them if they think it’s useful, and you’ll see what I mean.
10. Better alternatives. You’re MUCH better off replacing your tag cloud with a plugin that will list your most popular content. Users can visit your most popular content with a simple click. Visitors are never patient, make things as simple as possible for them.
I hope the reasons above have provided you some insight as to why tag clouds have an overall negative effect on a website, whether it be in search engine optimization or just the way it looks and flows. Leave me some comments on your thoughts about tag clouds.