Many WordPress users like to use a custom permalink structure  which includes the blog post category in their url for additional SEO value. If you create relevant, keyword-rich category names for your blog, having them in the permalink can be useful. If you are one of these people, you NEED this plugin in your life!

If you want to utilize the category name in your urls, you would use this custom structure in your Permalink settings:

So your url for a blog post would look something like this:

www.yoursite.com/seo-tips/how-to-rank-in-google

Where Seo Tips is the category assigned to that post.

However, if you’ve been using this structure you may have noticed that if you select multiple categories for a blog post, WordPress does not give you a way to select which category shows up in the url, therefore potentially foiling your SEO wizadry. According to the Codex:

When you assign multiple categories to a post, only one can show up in the permalink. This will be the lowest numbered category

This is not very helpful. But what is helpful is a nifty little plugin called Hikari Category Permalink

This is a very simple plugin with the sole purpose of letting you choose which category appears in the permalink when you are using multiple categories. After installing it, you will see that when editing a post, as you mouse over your categories, the word ‘permalink’ will appear next to each category (see below).

Simply click that link to designate the permalink category for that post. That category will then appear in bold after you update the post.

Voila! You may now proceed with your SEO wizadry.

*header image courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickergiant/3769771267/

I hope you found this post useful. If you enjoyed it, consider signing up for updates via email. I help entrepreneurs and businesses learn how to use WordPress - with patience and hand-holding, I turn technophobes into technopros. I also help businesses develop an effective online marketing strategy and compelling web presence.