How do you Tag Threads Properly?
 

I know tags should be terms that one would use in a Google search, right? For example, the Pet Flipping thread. There are tags at the bottom for The Puppy Store. But when I google "the puppy store, Santa Ana" I don't get this thread. Instead I get the actual store, it's yelp reviews, and other puppy stores around the country. What else would make it more easily searchable?

I've noticed a lot of threads have tags that are words no one would ever use to search for that particular topic, so essentially that tag is "wasted" since each person only gets two tags per thread.

So how do you tag the right way?

I'll try to explain how I use tags.

Using the example of "the puppy store Santa Ana" tag, I agree, not many would do a tag search here on YT for the those particular words unless the person who tagged it that way wants to be able to find that particular thread. Not really useful to YT as a whole but useful to that person. A Google search would find any sites with the words "puppy store" or "puppy" or "store". (BTW, I tagged that thread with flipping & pet flipping. Now if someone looked for either of those, all three recent threads will come up in a tag search.)

Now, if I wanted to see the threads tagged with "carrier" for instance, there are lots of threads tagged with it. That tag is useful to everyone here on YT not just the person that tagged it. A Google search for "carrier" will give you pages upon pages that contain the word & many would be about other topics.

The first word in a string of words is what is found by the Tag Search. When I tag something I try to think of two terms that describe the contents of the thread/post. It's all about the relevance when I tag.
Some tagged threads here on YT do show up when Googled. I think it has to do with the information in the thread. The more we as a community tag, the more those tags will show up in Google searches.

I thought that was some kind of search engine thing done automatically by whatever program YT uses. I know some threads have a ton of tags at the bottom. (Just look at anything about bad breeders and there are a gazillion tags about Tanisha Breton at the bottom) I have never intentionally tagged anything. Am I missing something? I will have to go back and look at everyone's posts, including my own. I rarely look at the tags. :thinking:

Ok, that makes sense. Never thought about it.
I found YT through google when I was searching about a medical issue Huey was having...

I found YT in the same way. In ways, I only wish I would have found it sooner but then we wouldn't have our wonderful Tuffy who came from a dog broker. I had no idea how deceitful & unethical some breeders are or that there was such a thing as a dog broker. I thought if they were AKC registered they were somehow more ethical. Boy, have I learned a lot! :D

I wish I had known about YT when I brought Huey home, too. I don't think it would have changed how I aquired him because I wasn't in the market for a yorkie (or any dog for that matter) at the time. He was almost 4 when I found it, but like you, I have learned a ton and will do it differently next time, but also wouldn't change Huey for the world. I was lucky that Huey was a gift from a friend and I didn't pay anything for him (except the $500 in supplies I bought before bringing him home...)

Ahh, ok I think I understand a bit more. I thought if we tagged stuff, those words would be easier for Google to find.

That was my belief too. That it was more for google searches. Learn something new every day

The YT tags are just words on the page to Google. Although they do hold a little more weight because they are anchor text links linking to the thread in YT search.

Google will analyze the tags with the rest of the page as a whole and determine their relevance. Then it is a matter of ranking in search results.

It's best if those words appear in the title of the thread (I know, usually not going to happen) and many times within the thread. For Google purposes, write the keywords in your post too. Of course, Google has to crawl the page first, so it won't show up immediately.

I am so grateful for this thread. I learned some things today.

Here's a link to the Sticky I had posted in the How To Library: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...orkietalk.html