Unraveling the Enigma of the Read More Tag in WordPress

Understanding the Read More Tag

If you are a savvy content creator, who uses WordPress as your cradle, then you must be acquainted with the intriguing tool called Read More tag. This feature allows users to display a brief summary of their posts on their home page or archive pages. The feature is a lifesaver for bloggers who want to keep their home page neat and organized. It provides visitors with a sneak peek into the post, enough to encourage them to click on the full post.

The Read More tag can be added to any kind of post, pages, or custom post types, and it serves as a powerful tool for enhancing user experience by providing visually appealing summaries.

Why use the Read More Tag?

Now that you have peeled the layers of the Read More tag, you might be wondering to yourself, why should I use it? It’s time to unravel the reasons:

1. Improves User Experience:

   Read More tag presents posts in a fascinating way, which creates a visually appeasing experience for users.

2. Reduces Load Time:

   With a full-length post on the homepage, the load time can be a killer. The Read More tag saves visitors from the trouble of waiting and provides swift access to the website.

3. Improves SEO:

   A well-structured homepage with an efficient loading speed helps increase the chances of higher rankings on search engines such as Google.

How to Use The Read More Tag?

You have arrived at the core — How to use the Read More tag. The procedure is impeccably simple:

1. Open the Post Editor:

   To use the Read More tag, you must first open the post editor area of the post.

2. Edit Your Post:

   Edit the post by scrolling down and selecting the point where you want to add the tag.

3. Add The Read More Tag:

   You can either click on the “Add Read More Tag” button in the block editor, or manually add the tag by using the code: 

   <!-- more -->

4. Preview Your Post:

   To confirm the inclusion and correctness of the tag, preview your post before publishing it. You should now see the Read More tag displayed where you added it.

Customizing Your Read More Tag

Do you like to don your Read More tag differently? If so, then here is how you can customize it using CSS:

1. Open the functions.php file:

   To customize the Read More tag, add your custom code in the functions.php file of your WordPress theme.

2. Add the Custom Code:

   Add the below code to the functions.php file to change your Read More link text to “Read More About This Topic”:

   function custom_excerpt_more($more) {
         global $post;
         return ' <a class="moretag" href="'. get_permalink($post->ID) . '">Read More About This Topic</a>';
   }
   add_filter( 'excerpt_more', 'custom_excerpt_more' );

3. Save Changes:

   After adding your custom code, refresh your post, and check if the Read More tag now says “Read More About This Topic.”

Conclusion:

If you made it this far, you must have unraveled the enigma of the Read More tag. The feature is facile to incorporate and has an incredible impact on user experience. Reduced load times, improved SEO, and customized layouts all serve as a powerful tool for content creators who want to magnify their exposure. If you haven’t used the Read More tag yet, now is the time to unleash its potential.