When creating content in a Content Management System (CMS) it’s not uncommon for posts to end up in the uncategorized section. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including the lack of a default category or the failure to assign a category to a post. Whatever the reason, having posts in the uncategorized section can have SEO drawbacks as it can make it harder for search engines to understand the content and context of the post.
Why posts land in uncategorized
There are several reasons why posts might end up in the uncategorized section. One common reason is that the CMS doesn’t have a default category set up. When a user creates a new post, they may not always remember to assign a category, and if there is no default category, the post will end up in the uncategorized section. Another reason is that the user may not have the necessary permissions to assign categories, or they may not be aware of the importance of categorization.
Step-by-step cleanup in WordPress
Cleaning up uncategorized posts in WordPress is a relatively straightforward process. The first step is to create a default category. This can be done by going to the Posts section of the WordPress dashboard and clicking on Categories. From there, you can create a new category and set it as the default. Once you have a default category, you can start retro-tagging your uncategorized posts. This involves going through each post and assigning it to a relevant category.
Creating default categories
Creating a default category is an important step in preventing posts from ending up in the uncategorized section. To create a default category in WordPress go to the Posts section of the dashboard and click on Categories. From there, you can create a new category and set it as the default. You can also create multiple default categories, depending on the needs of your website.
Automating taxonomy rules
In addition to creating default categories and retro-tagging posts, you can also automate taxonomy rules to help prevent posts from ending up in the uncategorized section. This can be done using plugins such as Yoast SEO or Jetpack. These plugins allow you to set up rules for categorizing posts based on certain criteria, such as keywords or authors.
Retro-tagging and automation in other CMSs
While the specifics may vary, the process of cleaning up uncategorized posts is similar in other CMSs. In Drupal for example, you can create a default category by going to the Structure section of the dashboard and clicking on Taxonomy. From there, you can create a new category and set it as the default. In Joomla you can create a default category by going to the Content section of the dashboard and clicking on Categories.
