Using Tags Strategically for Content Discovery

When I first built Jottings, I knew tagging had to be more than just a nice-to-have feature. It's the nervous system that connects your ideas, helps readers find what matters to them, and turns scattered thoughts into explorable content.

But here's the thing: most people tag haphazardly. They throw random tags on posts and wonder why their tag pages feel messy. I want to show you how to think about tags differently—as a strategic system for discovery, not just metadata.

Why Tags Matter More Than You Think

Tags do three things for your microblog:

First, they're discovery mechanisms. When someone visits your tag page for "startup-learnings" or "book-notes," they're reading a curated collection on a specific theme. It's like having automatic topic-based newsletters built into your site.

Second, they create RSS feeds. Each tag on Jottings generates its own feed. If someone likes your Python content but doesn't care about your daily life musings, they can subscribe to just the #python feed. This is powerful—you're giving readers agency over what they consume.

Third, they shape how you write. When you know you'll have a public #ideas page and a #career page, you start thinking more consciously about what you're saying. Tags force clarity.

The tag cloud on your site becomes a visual map of what you write about. It tells visitors: "This person writes about these topics." That's your voice, crystallized.

The Art of Tag Cardinality

Here's where most people go wrong: they either over-tag or under-tag.

Over-tagging (10+ tags per post) destroys your taxonomy. Every post becomes tagged with "thoughts," "notes," "ideas," "musings," "observations"... you see where this goes. Your tag pages become bloated. When you have 50 different tags that each contain 2-3 posts, you've not actually created discovery—you've created noise.

Under-tagging (0-1 tags per post) defeats the purpose. Your content stays siloed. Readers can't follow themes.

My recommendation: 2-4 tags per post. One primary category, maybe one sub-topic, perhaps one meta tag about the post type. That's it.

For example:

• "Scaling SaaS to 100k ARR: Lessons learned" might be: #startup-learnings + #saas
• "Why I switched from NextJS to SvelteKit" might be: #development + #sveltejs + #reflection

Notice the pattern? There's usually a main bucket, maybe a subtopic, and occasionally a perspective tag. This keeps your taxonomy breathing room.

Broad Tags vs. Specific Tags

This is the tension you'll feel as you develop your system.

Broad tags (e.g., #writing, #design, #business) make sense if you publish frequently in that category. They capture a vibe. They become destinations on your site.

Specific tags (e.g., #next-js, #customer-interviews, #pricing-psychology) showcase depth. They attract people searching for niche expertise. They age really well—ten posts on #stripe-integration form a mini-guide.

The sweet spot? Lead with one specific tag, support with one broad tag. A post about your API payment implementation is primarily #stripe (specific, useful) and secondarily #development (broad, contextual).

Here's a mental model I use: If someone clicks on this tag, would they get a coherent reading experience? Would it feel like a curated topic, or a random grab bag?

If it feels random, your tag isn't working.

Building Your Tag Taxonomy Over Time

You don't need to plan your entire taxonomy upfront. That's paralyzing, and it won't stick anyway.

Instead, start with 5-10 core tags. The categories you know you'll write about consistently. For me, that was things like #startup, #coding, #thinking, #product. Let the system breathe for a month.

As you publish, you'll notice patterns. Maybe you're tagging way more content about specific technologies—that suggests you should create #sveltejs, #cloudflare, etc. Maybe you're creating lots of one-off tags that never appear again—those should probably be absorbed into broader categories.

This is iterative. You're not carving these in stone.

Here's a pro tip: Jottings now has AI tag suggestions. When you're writing a post, it learns from your existing tags and suggests relevant ones. This keeps your taxonomy consistent without the mental overhead of remembering every tag you've ever created. You can accept, modify, or reject suggestions. It's like having a librarian in the background keeping your filing system organized.

Your Tag Cloud is Your Personal Brand

The tag cloud on your home page is one of the most important design elements on your site. It's a visual snapshot of what you care about, what you make, what you think about.

Readers should be able to glance at your tag cloud and understand your voice in seconds. If I see a tag cloud with #philosophy, #music, #code, #coffee, I have a sense of who you are. That's the point.

This is why taxonomy matters. Messy tags mean a messy tag cloud, which means a blurry personal brand.

Monetizing Your Tag Strategy

Here's something most people don't consider: tags are a distribution advantage.

If you're serious about building an audience, consistent tagging means readers can subscribe to specific tag feeds. Someone interested in your React posts can follow just that feed. You've essentially created micro-audiences within your audience.

This becomes incredibly valuable if you ever want to offer premium content—premium subscribers might get early access to #patreon-only posts, or exclusive deep-dives on technical topics. Your tag structure becomes the foundation for that business model.

Getting Started with Tags

Start simple. Don't overthink it.

1. Audit your past posts. What themes emerge naturally? Create tags for those.
2. Create 5-10 core tags. The ones you'll use 80% of the time.
3. Use 2-4 tags per post. One main topic, maybe a subtopic.
4. Revisit every 30 posts. Are there new patterns? Any tags used only once? Consolidate.
5. Use AI suggestions if you're using Jottings. Let the system learn your taxonomy.
6. Promote your tag pages. Link them in your nav, mention them in relevant posts. Make discovery easy.

Tags aren't boring metadata. They're the structure that turns a collection of thoughts into an explorable knowledge garden. Get them right, and you've built something sustainable.

If you're ready to put your writing on your own domain with smart tagging built in, give Jottings a try. It's designed for exactly this kind of thinking.

Happy writing.