What are IAB categories? How it is used for domain categorization? What are its benefits of website categorization for SEO, domain authority and increasing business.

Categorization allows humans to organize things, objects, and ideas that exist around them and simplify their understanding of the world.

Categorization helps users navigate or browse through collections, Web sites or search results. By grouping too many discrete items into understandable categories, users can quickly eliminate what is irrelevant or not interesting, and just pay attention to what matters most.

You can use the website: https://www.cyren.com/security-center/url-category-check-gate 

for categorizing a domain. The website I used most to categorize domains.

Interactive Advertising Bureau

Before we go further, let’s just quickly delve into what is the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). The Interactive Advertising Bureau is an advertising business organization that develops industry standards, conducts research, and provides legal support for the online advertising industry. The organization represents many of the most prominent media outlets globally, but mostly in the United States, Canada and Europe. 

The domain category (a.k.a. IAB category) is based on the IAB Tech Lab Content Taxonomy. These categories are comprised of Tier-1 and Tier-2 (if available) level categories widely used in services like advertising, Internet security, and filtering appliances.

As with most data from IP2Location, your business can leverage the IAB categories to customize ads and content to target web users coming from the various IAB categories.

The domain is categorized based on the content it has. It helps to target the audience. The last extension is most helpful to categorize a website. It also helps the user to identify or to expect what content a website had. 

Website categorization plays a huge role in keeping a website orderly. Think of categorization as a decluttering tool for websites. It is impossible to find anything useful in a cluttered space so do not expect website visitors to make any sense out of a website with no categorization.

Often, people tend to worry over whether to use categories or tags, but both are very important, especially for improving rank on search engine results page (SERP).

If you appropriately use categories on your website, you will experience a lot of improvements on the site which would reflect in the analytics report. The first thing to keep in mind about the category is that it helps to give your website a good structure for both web visitors (for easy navigation) and web crawlers (to index your website faster). A well-structured website would automatically improve content accessibility and content usability which, when combined, would determine the ultimate success of the site.

Take a look at these 5 benefits of content categorization for blogs and websites.

1. It increases content engagement: Beyond just making a website appear orderly and tidy, categories can help improve the level of engagement on a website. It can greatly impact the duration visitors stay on the website, and the longer they stay, the more content they want to engage in. This is usually the case if the website has good content generating a high number of page views. This in turn, would reduce the bounce rate on the site. It is important to note that search engines are also observing how visitors interact with the website, to determine if such a website would keep appearing on the top pages of search engine results page (SERP).

2. It increases website traffic organically: The objective for wanting to be an SEO compliant website is to be well positioned to be ranked high by search engines. For a website to generate more organic traffic, extra attention has to be paid to how blog contents are categorized. What short tail keywords are your target audience likely to enter into search engines when they are looking for the kind of material you have written? This should be somewhere at the back of your mind when creating categories for the blog or when grouping contents under a category. Tags and categories work hand-in-hand to improve organic searches. So be sure to get it right with the tags for each content that is under a category.

3. It greatly improves user experience: The first impression that people have about the website can determine whether they will stay longer on the site and even visit the website regularly or not. User experience is a significant factor in the success of any website’s growing followership. Creating a website with simple categories that are easily accessible to visitors makes them want to engage more with the content shared. That is the way to build loyal readers. You need to be in your reader’s mind in every line of the material you have written and be sure to interlink helpful category link or post link in such a way that it would make it easier to get more insights about what they are reading (if they wish to learn more about the topic).

You can link helpful categories in pages and post to make it easy for visitors to navigate contents on the website. Even if you don’t do much interlinking on the website, with a clearly defined category visible in corners of the site where visitors can easily have access to it, they will willingly go through the website themselves because you have simplified navigation. Search engine web crawlers are always on the lookout for high performing links, especially the ones that people engage with a lot. So add useful post link or category link to improve the SEO of the website.

4. It helps a site to build focus: There is nothing as annoying as stumbling on a website that has no focus, it puts people off easily, especially the focused and serious types of web visitors. You can’t be talking about fashion today on the website and talking about politics tomorrow. The only exception is if it is a news website or an entertainment blog. Having specific categories on the site helps define the focus of the website. It makes it easy for you to know what to focus on and likewise, it makes things clearer for visitors to decide what the website is all about.

Additionally, it also simplifies the process for search engine web crawlers to index the site under a specific category. This ensures that when people search for terms related to the categories you write about, your SEO compliant website would be well-ranked on search engine results page. If you want your website to grow into an authority in a niche, then you need to keep your website categories streamlined to focus on a particular niche.

5. It can be used to manage content topics: As mentioned earlier, using categories for a website is not just about trying to reap the benefits of being SEO compliant but most importantly putting the needs of your readers in mind. One great advantage of using categories is that you can give further details about the kind of content that visitors will find under that category. This is usually written in the description area when creating the category or where you can edit existing categories (for those using WordPress websites). Also in WordPress, depending on the theme chosen for the website, descriptions of each group will show when the cursor hovers over a selected category or when the category is clicked. These descriptions can also appear as snippets on search engine results page. For this, you will need to creatively categorize the website based on short tail keywords frequently used for the niche in which you are writing.

Below we have a list of all the IAB categories:

You can categorize domain easily from name and top level domain also within 5minutes.  Value Category Name IAB1 Arts & Entertainment IAB1-1 Books & Literature IAB1-2 Celebrity Fan/Gossip IAB1-3 Fine Art IAB1-4 Humor IAB1-5 Movies IAB1-6 Music IAB1-7 Television IAB2 Automotive IAB2-1 Auto Parts IAB2-2 Auto Repair IAB2-3 Buying/Selling Cars IAB2-4 Car Culture IAB2-5 Certified Pre-Owned IAB2-6 Convertible IAB2-7 Coupe IAB2-8 Crossover IAB2-9 Diesel IAB2-10 Electric Vehicle IAB2-11 Hatchback IAB2-12 Hybrid IAB2-13 Luxury IAB2-14 MiniVan IAB2-15 Motorcycles IAB2-16 Off-Road Vehicles IAB2-17 Performance Vehicles IAB2-18 Pickup IAB2-19 Road-Side Assistance IAB2-20 Sedan IAB2-21 Trucks & Accessories IAB2-22 Vintage Cars IAB2-23 Wagon IAB3 Business IAB3-1 Advertising IAB3-2 Agriculture IAB3-3 Biotech/Biomedical IAB3-4 Business Software IAB3-5 Construction IAB3-6 Forestry IAB3-7 Government IAB3-8 Green Solutions IAB3-9 Human Resources IAB3-10 Logistics IAB3-11 Marketing IAB3-12 Metals IAB4 Careers IAB4-1 Career Planning IAB4-2 College IAB4-3 Financial Aid IAB4-4 Job Fairs IAB4-5 Job Search IAB4-6 Resume Writing/Advice IAB4-7 Nursing IAB4-8 Scholarships IAB4-9 Telecommuting IAB4-10 U.S. Military IAB4-11 Career Advice IAB5 Education IAB5-1 7-12 Education IAB5-2 Adult Education IAB5-3 Art History IAB5-4 College Administration IAB5-5 College Life IAB5-6 Distance Learning IAB5-7 English as a 2nd Language IAB5-8 Language Learning IAB5-9 Graduate School IAB5-10 Homeschooling IAB5-11 Homework/Study Tips IAB5-12 K-6 Educators IAB5-13 Private School IAB5-14 Special Education IAB5-15 Studying Business IAB6 Family & Parenting IAB6-1 Adoption IAB6-2 Babies & Toddlers IAB6-3 Daycare/Pre School IAB6-4 Family Internet IAB6-5 Parenting – K-6 Kids IAB6-6 Parenting teens IAB6-7 Pregnancy IAB6-8 Special Needs Kids IAB6-9 Eldercare IAB7 Health & Fitness IAB7-1 Exercise IAB7-2 A.D.D. IAB7-3 AIDS/HIV IAB7-4 Allergies IAB7-5 Alternative Medicine IAB7-6 Arthritis IAB7-7 Asthma IAB7-8 Autism/PDD IAB7-9 Bipolar Disorder IAB7-10 Brain Tumor IAB7-11 Cancer IAB7-12 Cholesterol IAB7-13 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome IAB7-14 Chronic Pain IAB7-15 Cold & Flu IAB7-16 Deafness IAB7-17 Dental Care IAB7-18 Depression IAB7-19 Dermatology IAB7-20 Diabetes IAB7-21 Epilepsy IAB7-22 GERD/Acid Reflux IAB7-23 Headaches/Migraines IAB7-24 Heart Disease IAB7-25 Herbs for Health IAB7-26 Holistic Healing IAB7-27 IBS/Crohn’s Disease IAB7-28 Incest/Abuse Support IAB7-29 Incontinence IAB7-30 Infertility IAB7-31 Men’s Health IAB7-32 Nutrition IAB7-33 Orthopedics IAB7-34 Panic/Anxiety Disorders IAB7-35 Pediatrics IAB7-36 Physical Therapy IAB7-37 Psychology/Psychiatry IAB7-38 Senior Health IAB7-39 Sexuality IAB7-40 Sleep Disorders IAB7-41 Smoking Cessation IAB7-42 Substance Abuse IAB7-43 Thyroid Disease IAB7-44 Weight Loss IAB7-45 Women’s Health IAB8 Food & Drink IAB8-1 American Cuisine IAB8-2 Barbecues & Grilling IAB8-3 Cajun/Creole IAB8-4 Chinese Cuisine IAB8-5 Cocktails/Beer IAB8-6 Coffee/Tea IAB8-7 Cuisine-Specific IAB8-8 Desserts & Baking IAB8-9 Dining Out IAB8-10 Food Allergies IAB8-11 French Cuisine IAB8-12 Health/Lowfat Cooking IAB8-13 Italian Cuisine IAB8-14 Japanese Cuisine IAB8-15 Mexican Cuisine IAB8-16 Vegan IAB8-17 Vegetarian IAB8-18 Wine IAB9 Hobbies & Interests IAB9-1 Art/Technology IAB9-2 Arts & Crafts IAB9-3 Beadwork IAB9-4 Birdwatching IAB9-5 Board Games/Puzzles IAB9-6 Candle & Soap Making IAB9-7 Card Games IAB9-8 Chess IAB9-9 Cigars IAB9-10 Collecting IAB9-11 Comic Books IAB9-12 Drawing/Sketching IAB9-13 Freelance Writing IAB9-14 Genealogy IAB9-15 Getting Published IAB9-16 Guitar IAB9-17 Home Recording IAB9-18 Investors & Patents IAB9-19 Jewelry Making IAB9-20 Magic & Illusion IAB9-21 Needlework IAB9-22 Painting IAB9-23 Photography IAB9-24 Radio IAB9-25 Roleplaying Games IAB9-26 Sci-Fi & Fantasy IAB9-27 Scrapbooking IAB9-28 Screenwriting IAB9-29 Stamps & Coins IAB9-30 Video & Computer Games IAB9-31 Woodworking IAB10 Home & Garden IAB10-1 Appliances IAB10-2 Entertaining IAB10-3 Environmental Safety IAB10-4 Gardening IAB10-5 Home Repair IAB10-6 Home Theater IAB10-7 Interior Decorating IAB10-8 Landscaping IAB10-9 Remodeling & Construction IAB11 Law, Gov’t & Politics IAB11-1 Immigration IAB11-2 Legal Issues IAB11-3 U.S. Government Resources IAB11-4 Politics IAB11-5 Commentary IAB12 News IAB12-1 International News IAB12-2 National News IAB12-3 Local News IAB13 Personal Finance IAB13-1 Beginning Investing IAB13-2 Credit/Debt & Loans IAB13-3 Financial News IAB13-4 Financial Planning IAB13-5 Hedge Fund IAB13-6 Insurance IAB13-7 Investing IAB13-8 Mutual Funds IAB13-9 Options IAB13-10 Retirement Planning IAB13-11 Stocks IAB13-12 Tax Planning IAB14 Society IAB14-1 Dating IAB14-2 Divorce Support IAB14-3 Gay Life IAB14-4 Marriage IAB14-5 Senior Living IAB14-6 Teens IAB14-7 Weddings IAB14-8 Ethnic Specific IAB15 Science IAB15-1 Astrology IAB15-2 Biology IAB15-3 Chemistry IAB15-4 Geology IAB15-5 Paranormal Phenomena IAB15-6 Physics IAB15-7 Space/Astronomy IAB15-8 Geography IAB15-9 Botany IAB15-10 Weather IAB16 Pets IAB16-1 Aquariums IAB16-2 Birds IAB16-3 Cats IAB16-4 Dogs IAB16-5 Large Animals IAB16-6 Reptiles IAB16-7 Veterinary Medicine IAB17 Sports IAB17-1 Auto Racing IAB17-2 Baseball IAB17-3 Bicycling IAB17-4 Bodybuilding IAB17-5 Boxing IAB17-6 Canoeing/Kayaking IAB17-7 Cheerleading IAB17-8 Climbing IAB17-9 Cricket IAB17-10 Figure Skating IAB17-11 Fly Fishing IAB17-12 Football IAB17-13 Freshwater Fishing IAB17-14 Game & Fish IAB17-15 Golf IAB17-16 Horse Racing IAB17-17 Horses IAB17-18 Hunting/Shooting IAB17-19 Inline Skating IAB17-20 Martial Arts IAB17-21 Mountain Biking IAB17-22 NASCAR Racing IAB17-23 Olympics IAB17-24 Paintball IAB17-25 Power & Motorcycles IAB17-26 Pro Basketball IAB17-27 Pro Ice Hockey IAB17-28 Rodeo IAB17-29 Rugby IAB17-30 Running/Jogging IAB17-31 Sailing IAB17-32 Saltwater Fishing IAB17-33 Scuba Diving IAB17-34 Skateboarding IAB17-35 Skiing IAB17-36 Snowboarding IAB17-37 Surfing/Bodyboarding IAB17-38 Swimming IAB17-39 Table Tennis/Ping-Pong IAB17-40 Tennis IAB17-41 Volleyball IAB17-42 Walking IAB17-43 Waterski/Wakeboard IAB17-44 World Soccer IAB18 Style & Fashion IAB18-1 Beauty IAB18-2 Body Art IAB18-3 Fashion IAB18-4 Jewelry IAB18-5 Clothing IAB18-6 Accessories IAB19 Technology & Computing IAB19-1 3-D Graphics IAB19-2 Animation IAB19-3 Antivirus Software IAB19-4 C/C++ IAB19-5 Cameras & Camcorders IAB19-6 Cell Phones IAB19-7 Computer Certification IAB19-8 Computer Networking IAB19-9 Computer Peripherals IAB19-10 Computer Reviews IAB19-11 Data Centers IAB19-12 Databases IAB19-13 Desktop Publishing IAB19-14 Desktop Video IAB19-15 Email IAB19-16 Graphics Software IAB19-17 Home Video/DVD IAB19-18 Internet Technology IAB19-19 Java IAB19-20 JavaScript IAB19-21 Mac Support IAB19-22 MP3/MIDI IAB19-23 Net Conferencing IAB19-24 Net for Beginners IAB19-25 Network Security IAB19-26 Palmtops/PDAs IAB19-27 PC Support IAB19-28 Portable IAB19-29 Entertainment IAB19-30 Shareware/Freeware IAB19-31 Unix IAB19-32 Visual Basic IAB19-33 Web Clip Art IAB19-34 Web Design/HTML IAB19-35 Web Search IAB19-36 Windows IAB20 Travel IAB20-1 Adventure Travel IAB20-2 Africa IAB20-3 Air Travel IAB20-4 Australia & New Zealand IAB20-5 Bed & Breakfasts IAB20-6 Budget Travel IAB20-7 Business Travel IAB20-8 By US Locale IAB20-9 Camping IAB20-10 Canada IAB20-11 Caribbean IAB20-12 Cruises IAB20-13 Eastern Europe IAB20-14 Europe IAB20-15 France IAB20-16 Greece IAB20-17 Honeymoons/Getaways IAB20-18 Hotels IAB20-19 Italy IAB20-20 Japan IAB20-21 Mexico & Central America IAB20-22 National Parks IAB20-23 South America IAB20-24 Spas IAB20-25 Theme Parks IAB20-26 Traveling with Kids IAB20-27 United Kingdom IAB21 Real Estate IAB21-1 Apartments IAB21-2 Architects IAB21-3 Buying/Selling Homes IAB22 Shopping IAB22-1 Contests & Freebies IAB22-2 Couponing IAB22-3 Comparison IAB22-4 Engines IAB23 Religion & Spirituality IAB23-1 Alternative Religions IAB23-2 Atheism/Agnosticism IAB23-3 Buddhism IAB23-4 Catholicism IAB23-5 Christianity IAB23-6 Hinduism IAB23-7 Islam IAB23-8 Judaism IAB23-9 Latter-Day Saints IAB23-10 Pagan/Wiccan IAB24 Uncategorized IAB25 Non-Standard Content IAB25-1 Unmoderated UGC IAB25-2 Extreme Graphic/Explicit Violence IAB25-3 Pornography IAB25-4 Profane Content IAB25-5 Hate Content IAB25-6 Under Construction IAB25-7 Incentivized IAB26 Illegal Content IAB26-1 Illegal Content IAB26-2 Warez IAB26-3 Spyware/Malware IAB26-4 Copyright Infringement