How to create a Tags list to easily pick tags for a wordpress.com blog post

TAGS are late arrivals in wordpress.com blogs and the tagging system leaves a lot to be desired. There’s no automated list to choose tags from – making it hard to choose tags for a post.

It is possible to bypass the problem provided you have Firefox. If you don’t yet have it, go ahead and download it! WordPress works best with Firefox.

Install the Firefox extension Scribefire. It’s an inconspicuous yet powerful blog editor that integrates with Firefox smoothly.
What Scribefire is capable of doing is beyond the scope of this post. Here we will learn how we can easily create a tags list to look up to and put under a new post, to prevent accidental omissions, spelling mistakes, different phrasings etc. Install ScribeFire Now.

Before we do this Tags List thing, do the following:
Analyze your blog carefully. What do you REALLY write about? If you are a focussed blogger, chances are you just have a handful of topics you concentrate on; Your basic interest areas will serve as important starting points. For example, I blog mainly wordpress help, blogging tips, web tools and interesting media.

After you are done identifying your main subjects, your next job is to identify what a specific post where you want to put tags is all about. For example, this post is about “WordPress help”.

Your next job is to pick some tags that further define your post. For me, some keywords that define this post could be “Blogging Help”, “Scribefire”. “Tags list”. “How-to”, and “Tips and tricks” .

You have just three seconds left to perform the above tasks. 3….2…….2 and half…….

Okay, fine, let’s not hurry. Let’s take our time and do this patiently. Once we get it done, we can reuse the Tags List again and again. So, don’t hurry. It’s worth your time!

Now that you are mentally prepared to do the job, click the Scribefire icon on the bottom of your Firefox.
Now follow these step-by-instructions:

1. Create a new note.
Write your basic interest areas – one interest area per line. Now make them “bold”.

2. Under a specific interest area, write down all the keywords you are likely to enter in posts of that subject. These keywords will serve as tags in future.

When you are done, give your note a proper name (something like “Tags List” maybe) and save it. Minimize your “Scribefire” window.

Writing your main topic areas in bold letters will help you look for tags for a specific area easily.

Now, when you are done writing a post, click your “Scribefire” again and open the note “Tags List”. What’s the main topic of your post? Glance at the tags listed under that topic. Simply copy the tags, minimize your “Scribefire” window, and paste the tags in the “Tags” field under the post. If you feel that one or two tags don’t quite belong to the post, just select and delete them.

As you keep on blogging, your tags will increase. Don’t forget to update your “Tags List” whenever you use a new tag for a topic. Constantly updating you “Tags List” will help you use relevant tags for a post at all times without error.

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Here is a sample Tags List for a blog that concetrates on tips for improving your home life. The main interest areas are cooking, pets, housework, children and sex.

The sample Tags List

1. Cooking
Microwave oven, cake, recipe, kitchenware, frozen food

2. Pets
Vet, dog, cat, dog food, dog biscuit, breeding

3. Housework
Housework tips, chores, springcleaning

4. Children
schooling, books, safety, babysitting, daycare, toys, Harry Potter

5. Sex
Um…..I don’t want to elaborate stuff here…use your imagination!

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Further readings
1. How to have Tags list in a wordpress.com blog
In case you don’t want to have a Tag Cloud in your side bar, but a simple Tags list for your viewers.

2. How to create a customizable Tag Cloud for wordpress.com blogs
In case you do want the Tag Cloud, but don’t like the way it looks by default. Or if you want to have it in a page/post instead of the side bar.

3. Top 5 ways to promote your Tag Cloud
Yes! It IS possible to promote your blog in this way!