Ever wondered if adding a WordPress post to multiple categories is a smart move or an SEO disaster? Many bloggers and website owners assume that assigning multiple categories boosts visibility, but could it actually confuse search engines and hurt rankings? In this post, we’ll dive deep into whether a post should belong to more than one category, how it impacts SEO, and the best practices to keep your site structured and user-friendly.
A WordPress post can be in multiple categories. However, this does not mean the post exists in two places; it remains a single post but is accessible from multiple category pages. 😀
Does It Confuse Readers & Search Engines?
Yes & No.
For Readers:
It usually helps rather than confuses, as users can find the post under different relevant topics. However, if overused (adding too many unrelated categories), it may make navigation messy.
For SEO (Search Engines):
WordPress automatically prevents duplicate content issues by ensuring that each post has one canonical URL (the main version that search engines recognize). However, if multiple category URLs display the same post, this can cause duplicate content issues unless managed properly.
Best Practices for Using Multiple Categories
- Use Only 1 Primary Category: WordPress allows you to set a primary category (via popular SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO plugin or Rank Math).
- Avoid Too Many Categories: Stick to 1-2 relevant categories per post.
- Use Tags for Cross-Referencing: If a post fits into multiple categories, sometimes tags can be a better alternative.
- Set a Canonical URL: Use an SEO plugin (like Yoast SEO or Rank Math) to define the main URL Google should index.
If a post genuinely belongs to multiple categories, it’s fine to categorize it accordingly—but keeping it structured and SEO-friendly is the key.