Some questions about story tags

[WendyTrilby]

Use Your Tags — Seriously, There's No Downside.

Tags exist for one reason: to help readers find your story. So why wouldn’t you use them? It’s free visibility. Use them wisely and get discovered.

Here’s some simple advice for tagging smartly:

• Start in the EXPLORE Menu.
  Open the Tags section. You'll see a word cloud—popular tags appear bigger. You can filter by all-time, this year, or this month. Pick the biggest relevant tags. Bigger means more searched, which means more potential readers.
• Use All 10 Tags.
  Don’t leave them blank. And don’t repeat variations like “MILF” and “HOT MILF”—they’re essentially the same, and it’s a waste a tag.
• Stick to single words when you tag: Tags like “BIG FAT NIPPLES could be too specific. "BIG NIPPLES is better, but in truth, NIPPLES alone will get the most hits.
• Don't use oddly specific tags. Tags like “HOT DOG EATING CONTEST” won’t do you any favors. While it may be part of your story, if it doesn't identify a genre or subgenre of erotica, it's a wasted tag.
• Skip words that are already in your title.
  If your title is The Babysitter, you don’t need to tag “babysitter”—the title already works like a keyword.
• More Tags:
  If there are tags you wish you could include but don’t have room for, drop them in a quick note before your story. Something like: “Other tags: romance, affair, secrets.

Bottom line: Tags = traffic. Use them.

 

[SkyBubble]

Good advice.

 

[THBGato]

Don't use oddly specific tags.

Well... you're right, they probably won't help people find your story, but they can be fun, especially if you can't think of a 10th. The funniest one I've come across thus far is "the smell of weasels".

 

[Bamagan]

Well... you're right, they probably won't help people find your story, but they can be fun, especially if you can't think of a 10th. The funniest one I've come across thus far is "the smell of weasels".

I used 'I wrote this for my cat' one time.

 

[lc69hunter]

What exactly are the story tags in the Tags section used for, and in what situations are they most helpful? Is it common for readers to rely on them when searching for stories, or do they have some other purpose or come into play in some other way?

There are a few things I notice with story tags. One, the story search tool does not include tags by default, and I don't see an option to include them alongside the story text/title. You have to pick between one or the other. Have you ever specifically elected to search for stories via tags versus the title or text?

Two, seeing the tags in a story requires clicking on the Tag icon on the story itself to see them. A small thing perhaps, but is this a step most readers are inclined to take? Have you ever used the Tags field yourself to decide whether to read a story or get information about it beforehand?

FWIW, I typically put as many tags as possible in the Tags field, as well as include them in a summary before the story text. I'm wondering if simply putting the tags directly in the story text would eliminate the need to enter them in the Tags section separately at all.

Thanks!

I was just going to comment, in another thread, how many newer authors are not using tags. I use them to determine whether or not to pursue the story, or look for something else. If tagged and described properly, it can even make me read a story which is generally not in my wheelhouse.

 

[dirk2024]

What exactly are the story tags in the Tags section used for, and in what situations are they most helpful? Is it common for readers to rely on them when searching for stories, or do they have some other purpose or come into play in some other way?

There are a few things I notice with story tags. One, the story search tool does not include tags by default, and I don't see an option to include them alongside the story text/title. You have to pick between one or the other. Have you ever specifically elected to search for stories via tags versus the title or text?

Two, seeing the tags in a story requires clicking on the Tag icon on the story itself to see them. A small thing perhaps, but is this a step most readers are inclined to take? Have you ever used the Tags field yourself to decide whether to read a story or get information about it beforehand?

FWIW, I typically put as many tags as possible in the Tags field, as well as include them in a summary before the story text. I'm wondering if simply putting the tags directly in the story text would eliminate the need to enter them in the Tags section separately at all.

Thanks!

I sometimes search by tags when I'm looking for a special "flavor".

I sometimes search by the authors I am following as they are proven sources of material I enjoy reading.

I sometimes open a new story, (always) review the tags, then choose to read OR click out of the story if I don't like the tags.

Observation: Some authors are horrible at creating their tags.

 

[SkyBubble]

Do you use all ten available tags?

 

[StrangeLife]

Use Your Tags — Seriously, There's No Downside.

There is one - spoilers.

If you have a story that relies on an unexpected twist, it can get ruined if you tag it too... well, honestly.