Honestly, one of the best ways I was found my new audiences as a newer photographer was through the SEO strategy I’m going to share with you today and I have no doubt that’s what eventually led me to going full time with photography. Because photographing friends and family is nice, but of course in order to go full time you have to find people searching Google for a photographer like you.

By the end of this video, you’ll understand the important elements of SEO for photographers, how to optimize your website and images for Google, and how to use keywords effectively to rank higher in search results.

Master SEO: How to Show Up on Google as a Photographer!

1. Have an organized and clean website structure

One of the metrics Google is looking at when determining if it’ll rank your website highly on their search results is if people stay on your website when they click onto it.

The longer they stay on your website, the more Google likes you and will favor you in search results.

Make sure your website is well structured, gives clear next steps to the viewer, and flows well.

You may have heard terms like “bounce rate” and this is the number of people who land on your website then click off immediately. The lower your bounce rate, the better.

2. Have a mobile-friendly website design

When we’re working on our websites as photographers, we’re using a desktop which means sometimes it looks great on desktop but super clunky on mobile. I’ve totally done this! MOST people will find your website on their phone, so this is a huge priority.

The question is, how do you know if your website is a mobile friendly design?

The simplest way to find out is to look at your phone on your website and ask yourself:

• Is the font easy to ready?
• Is it easy to navigate?
• Can I see the photos well?

Overall, you’re just trying to make it a great user experience on mobile.

3. Have a fast page load speed

We know that these days we have the attention span of a gnat, right? Your website has to load FAST for people or they’ll click away and find another photographer with a fast loading website.

Slow-loading websites lead to higher bounce rates, which negatively impacts your ranking on Google.

You can check your website’s load speed and get free recommendations on how to improve it at gtmetrix.com

4. Image optimization

Optimizing your images is like giving them superpowers so you can be found on Google!

First, give your images descriptive filenames. Instead of using generic names like “IMG_1234,” choose something more specific that describes what’s in the image, like “sunset-beach-photography.” These names act like clues that tell Google what your image (and website) is all about.

Next, add alt tags and captions to your images. Alt tags are like short descriptions that provide additional information when someone can’t see the image, such as people using screen readers. Use alt tags to describe the content of the image using relevant keywords. For example, if you have a photo of a birth, the alt tag could be “birth photography kansas city mercy hospital.”

Again, this is telling Google what the image is but also what your whole website it about because Google can’t read photos so you have to tell it what the photos are about.

If you want to show up on Google as a photographer make sure you always give your images alt text and file names that are relevant to what you’re photographing and how you want to be found on Google!

Every little detail counts when it comes to SEO, so don’t underestimate the power of image optimization in boosting your online visibility as a photographer!

5. Post quality content

If you’ve ever heard people talk about how blogging helps your website show up on Google as a photographer, it’s because when you update and refresh your website with new information, Google looks at that as you being relevant.

Google’s goal is to give people high-quality results for their search terms and if you’re regularly updating your website, Google will likely find you relevant. Create well-written blog posts that appeal to your dream client! It’s a win/win – you’re refreshing your website AND creating things that people actually want to read.

And remember, the longer they stay on your website, the more Google will show rank you higher in search results.

6. Create a keyword strategy

This is essential my friends! Do a little research and identify the keywords your target audience uses when searching for photographers.

How do you do this?

Well think about what you would search if you were looking for a photographer like you:
“(your city) Baby Photographer?”
“Birth Photographer in (your city)?”

You could even ask your friends on Facebook or Instagram what they would search for and get a list of ideas.

Then, incorporate these keywords into your website’s meta tags, headings, titles, and that beautiful blog content you’re creating.

BUT – and this is important – remember to use them naturally and avoid keyword stuffing.

Keyword stuffing would look something like this…

“Welcome to my Oklahoma City Birth Photography Website! As an Oklahoma City Birth Photographer I can’t wait to be your Oklahoma City Birth Photographer!”

That’s extreme, but you get the idea. Use the keyword naturally and strategically.

A well-executed keyword strategy really increases your chances of appearing in relevant search results!

If this episode was helpful to you, I would love it if you text it to your photography biz bestie who might benefit from hearing this information and if you haven’t done so I would love it if you would take a minute to leave the show a review. Each and every review helps the show reach more people, which allows me to keep doing this for free. So thank you in advance for sharing your honest opinions about the show!

And remember my friend, if you have a passion, it’s not an accident, because not everyone loves the thing that you love. So whatever your passion is it is there for a reason. I hope that you’re going to follow that passion and make it happen.

Have a great week!