How to Create Blog Categories in Shopify: A Simple Guide

Creating a blog is like setting up a cozy corner of your online store where you can share stories, updates, and valuable insights with your audience. It's a fantastic way to engage with your customers and keep them coming back for more. But, just like any well-organized library, a blog needs categories to help readers find what they're looking for quickly and easily. This is where Shopify comes in as a handy tool to help you set up your blog categories effortlessly.

In this post, we'll walk through the process of creating blog categories in Shopify. We'll cover why categories matter, how to set them up, and some tips to make sure they're working effectively for your store. So, if you're ready to take your Shopify blog to the next level, let's get started!

Why Blog Categories Matter

Before diving into the nitty-gritty of creating blog categories, it's helpful to understand why they are important. Think of blog categories as the aisles in a grocery store. When you're shopping, you want to know where the bread is or where the dairy section starts. Blog categories give your readers a similar map to navigate through your content.

Categories help in several ways:

• Improved User Experience: Categories make it easier for readers to find related posts, keeping them on your site longer.
• Better Organization: They help you organize your content logically, making it easier to manage.
• SEO Benefits: Well-structured categories can improve your site's SEO, as search engines appreciate organized content.
• Increased Engagement: By guiding readers to related content, categories can encourage more interaction with your blog.

Now that we know why categories are crucial, let's look at how to create them in Shopify.

Setting Up Your Blog in Shopify

Before you can start adding categories, you need to have a blog set up on your Shopify store. If you haven't done this yet, don't worry, it's quite simple. Here's how:

First, log in to your Shopify admin panel. On the left-hand side, you'll see a menu. Navigate to Online Store > Blog Posts. Once you're there, you'll have the option to create a new blog if you haven't already. Click on Create Blog, give your blog a catchy name, and hit save. Voila! You've got yourself a blog.

With your blog set up, you're ready to start thinking about categories. But remember, not every post needs to fit neatly into a category. It's okay to have a few standalone posts that don't quite fit into your existing categories.

Creating Blog Categories

Alright, now comes the fun part—creating your categories. Shopify doesn't have a built-in feature for blog categories like some other platforms, but you can still achieve a similar effect by using tags. Tags in Shopify act like categories by grouping similar posts together. Here's how you can set them up:

1. Go to Blog Posts: From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Blog Posts.
2. Add a New Tag: Click on any blog post to edit it. On the right side, you'll see a box labeled Tags. Here, you can enter any tags you think are relevant to the post. These will act as your categories.
3. Use Consistent Tags: To get the most out of your tags, use consistent naming for similar types of content. For instance, if you have several posts about baking, you might use the tag "Baking Tips."
4. Save Your Changes: Once you've tagged your post, make sure to save your changes.

Repeat this process for each of your blog posts, using the same tags for similar content to effectively create your categories.

Displaying Categories on Your Store

Now that you've got your categories set up using tags, you'll probably want to display them on your store to make it easy for visitors to find content. While Shopify doesn't automatically list these tags, you can use a bit of creativity (and maybe some help from a developer) to show them on your site.

One common approach is to create a custom page that lists all your categories. You can manually create links to each tag, which will direct users to a page displaying all posts under that tag. Here's a simple way to do it:

1. Create a Page: In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Pages and click Add page. Name it something like "Blog Categories."
2. Add Links to Tags: In the page content, you can add links to your tags. For instance, if you have a tag "Baking Tips," you can create a link to /blogs/news/tagged/baking-tips.
3. Arrange Categories: Organize these links in a way that makes sense for your visitors, maybe using bullet points or a list.
4. Save and Publish: Once you're happy with how it looks, save and publish the page.

With this setup, visitors can click on a category and see all related posts, enhancing their browsing experience.

Using Liquid Code for Advanced Category Management

If you're comfortable with a bit of coding, you can use Shopify's Liquid code to manage and display categories more dynamically. Liquid is Shopify's templating language, and it allows you to pull in data from your store in creative ways. For example, you can automatically list all tags used in your blog posts without having to manually update your categories page.

This method requires editing your theme's code, so it's best left to those who are comfortable with coding or working with a developer. Here's a basic idea of how you might do it:

Add a new section in your theme that loops through all the blog posts and collects unique tags. Then, display these tags as links. This dynamic approach ensures that your categories page is always up to date with the latest tags.

For those who aren't as tech-savvy, Shopify's support or a professional developer can be a great help in setting this up.

Tips for Effective Blog Categories

To make the most of your blog categories, here are a few tips:

• Keep It Simple: Don't overcomplicate your categories. Stick to a few broad topics that cover most of your content.
• Think About Your Audience: Consider what categories your audience would find helpful. What topics are they interested in?
• Regularly Review Categories: As your blog grows, take time to review and update your categories. This ensures they remain relevant.
• Use Descriptive Names: Choose category names that clearly describe the content. Avoid jargon or overly creative names that might confuse readers.

Keeping these tips in mind will help ensure that your categories are working hard for you and your readers.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the best intentions, it's easy to make a few mistakes when setting up blog categories. Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for:

• Too Many Categories: Having too many categories can overwhelm readers and make your blog feel cluttered. Aim for a manageable number.
• Inconsistent Tagging: If similar posts have different tags due to inconsistent naming, it defeats the purpose of categorization.
• Ignoring Analytics: Use your blog analytics to see which categories are most popular. This data can help you refine your categories.
• Neglecting SEO: Make sure your category names are optimized for search engines to help your blog get discovered.

Avoiding these mistakes will help you maintain a clean, effective blog that's easy for both readers and search engines to navigate.

Integrating Categories with SEO

Categories can play a big role in your blog's SEO strategy. Search engines love well-organized content, and thoughtful categorization can help your pages rank better. Here's how categories can help with SEO:

• Improved Crawlability: Categories help search engines understand the structure of your site, making it easier for them to index your pages.
• Keyword Targeting: Use category names that include relevant keywords to help those pages rank for those terms.
• Internal Linking Opportunities: Categories naturally create opportunities for internal linking, which is great for SEO.

While there's no magic bullet for SEO, effective use of categories can certainly give you a leg up.

Keeping Your Categories Updated

As your blog grows and evolves, so too should your categories. Regularly reviewing and updating your categories ensures they stay relevant and useful. Here are some signs it might be time for a refresh:

• New Topics: If you start writing about new topics, consider adding new categories to accommodate them.
• Changes in Audience Interests: Keep an eye on your readership's interests and adjust your categories if needed.
• Content Overlap: If you notice significant overlap between categories, it might be time to consolidate.

By staying on top of your category management, you'll keep your blog fresh and engaging for your readers.

Final Thoughts

Creating blog categories in Shopify might seem a bit tricky at first, but with the right approach, it's a breeze. By using tags creatively, you can effectively organize your content, making it easier for readers to find what they're looking for. Plus, well-structured categories can give your SEO a boost, helping your store reach even more potential customers.

If you're looking to take your ecommerce blog to the next level, consider working with an agency like Pattern. We specialize in not just driving traffic, but in turning that traffic into paying customers. Our approach is all about results, creating programmatic landing pages and conversion-focused content that helps your brand stand out. And we know that SEO should be a part of your broader growth strategy, not just a standalone effort. With Pattern, you can be sure that every investment in SEO is working hard for you, delivering real ROI.