Over the past years, I've worked with a handful of destination wedding photographers, helping them improve their online presence. And today, I'd like to share with you these #SEOforphotographers tips:
Is SEO really important? Do people still search on google for photographers? How long does it take to appear on the first page of Google? I've done my SEO work, why don't I show up in results?? These are just some of the most common questions I hear on a daily basis and I'll try to respond to them below ...
YES, people still perform Google Searches. Consider that not everybody is on social media and you also want to target the bride's mom or cousin who is helping out narrowing the photography options for the bride or groom. Make sure your GMB (Google My Business) is up to date and include your service areas instead of your personal or studio address.
Think like your clients. When you add keywords to your site, you have to think like a bride or groom. Are couples searching for a "wedding destination" (very general term) or a "Boho Tulum Beach Wedding"? Last one targets: wedding style, location and the term beach wedding.
Create unique titles for your posts. The title of your blog posts must be unique and enticing, think of it like the subject of your story. It needs to include keywords, location (if possible), and descriptive or emotional words. Then add this title (also known as focus keyword) to the H1 heading of your post, the first paragraph, the URL, your image title & Alt Txt, and everywhere else possible. This helps attract couples interested in a specific wedding location or theme and also helps search engines clearly understand what your post is about. Here's a nice example:
Optimize. Yes, I know that as a photographer, you want your photos to look sharp and amazing but please do not upload high res files to your site! Remember that site speed is also considered a ranking factor. I use JPEGMini, it's a life saver!
Use Social Media. Social media engagement is not really a ranking factor but when used wisely, it can help generate organic traffic to your site and thus help you get more leads and attention! I love Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
SEO is important. Imagine opening up a restaurant and not telling people where it is and not having a menu. It's the same thing when it comes to SEO and your site. Your website may have a gorgeous design (I've seen a lot of those) and it may be responsive and easy to navigate and contains beautiful images but if you or your developer/designer failed to include on-site and technical SEO, how will search engines and users know your site even exists??
SEO is complex. It's not just keywords and blog posts. It's a fine mix of sooo many factors, some which you may have some or little control over like quality backlinks, user experience, site speed, bounce rate, organic use of keywords, etc.. Others, may be completely out of your control (i.e. how competitive is your area, your domain age, google ads, algorithm changes, etc..)
SEO is a long-term investment. To wrap things up, search engine optimization is an important investment but you can't expect immediate results (think more like 3-6 months). If you have a solid social media and marketing strategy, you might see results sooner or sometimes barely even notice any changes. Be patient, be consistent, upload amazing content, be willing to constantly change your game and hire a pro to help you audit and create an SEO strategy that works for YOU. Bonus point if it's someone familiar with your audience (Hint, Hint: me).
Feel free to reach out if you need some help with your site and if you found this article remotely interesting or helpful (being sarcastic here), please share!!!