A Topic Cloud®, similar to a tag cloud, is a visual representation of data written on a website. However, it differs from a tag cloud in that it also includes other data that tag clouds do not normally include. This additional data may include things like publication dates, author names, and other metadata.
Bloggers use topic clouds extensively to allow users to determine whether they want to stay on the blogger’s site.
Topic Cloud® takes the form of a list of short tags that briefly describe the topics discussed on a website. The more often a label is used, the bigger and bolder it becomes. A casual glance at the cloud shows users which topics are most frequently discussed. Clicking on an individual topic often causes a navigation change, such as opening a list of articles on that topic or creating another cloud.
This type of visual representation is often called a weighted list in graphic design because while it provides a list of tags, it also provides metadata. Metadata is data about data. A static list of tags will help users roughly determine what a site is about. Topic Cloud®, on the other hand, provides data about the tags. Using the Topic Cloud® can sometimes reveal trends about a site that are not immediately apparent to the naked eye. It’s also a fun tool for website owners, especially if they’re curious about long-term trends on their websites.
Bloggers use topic clouds extensively, creating a list of key phrases about frequently discussed topics so visitors can quickly assess whether or not they want to stay on the blogger’s site. News aggregation sites also use the concept, so users can see what news is “in” at the moment. Cloud keywords will also show up in internet searches, if they are coded correctly. Internet users searching for a particular topic can access a website through your Topic Cloud®.
The most basic aspect of Topic Cloud® is perhaps its static illustration of topics. However, most designers make their clouds clickable, allowing users to interact with them. A news site, for example, might display a list of articles related to the topic the user clicks on. Other designers create a series of nested theme clouds. A user might start with, for example, a cloud for the entire site. If the user sees a topic of interest and clicks on it, the topic of interest becomes the focus of a new cloud; containing related topics. From there, the user can explore the sections of the site that deal with these topics.
