As photographers, we constantly hear that we need our website and blog to have good SEO. But. . . how exactly do we do that? Here are the top four areas that you should focus on first:
Content
I believe content is number one. As I study some of my most popular posts, it is the content that is bringing in the results. As photographers, it’s easy to rely on our images, and these are obviously important. But if we want to rank higher on search engines, we need more than just images—we need written content. In addition to your photos, you should be posting blog posts regularly. I understand that writing isn’t for everyone, but try to be as descriptive as possible in every post on your blog.
Next, take a look at your homepage. We originally made the same mistake with our homepage as many other photographers do—we had a beautiful welcome page, but it lacked written content. All we had was a great photo and our footer and header, and when it came to SEO, that was really hurting us. So, I encourage you to add more content to your homepage. Make sure you know the keyword that you are targeting, and think of your homepage like a summary of your business. Then, each page of your site can go more into detail about what you offer and who you are.
Alt text
Alt text is basically a description of your image, and it’s extremely important for your SEO. Having this description will help web crawlers understand what the photo is and index it properly. No matter the platform you use, make sure you take the time to add alt tags—it’s simpler than you think. When writing these descriptions, make sure to include your keyword in the alt tag itself. See below for an example of where you can upload your media and add your alt tags in WordPress:
Yoast
If you use WordPress, you should install the Yoast plugin. To use this plugin, you simply put in a keyword that you are targeting for the post. Yoast will then analyze your content and give you a score for how well your SEO is for that particular post. I love that they use a stoplight symbol for this. Red means your post is not optimized, yellow means you have some work to do, and green means GO. The plugin also breaks down the specific areas where you need to improve. It will let you know if your images don’t have your keywords in the alt text, if the title is too long, or if you don’t have enough words in your post. I cannot say enough about this tool and all it does! You can download the basic version of the Yoast plugin for free, or buy a premium version that offers a more in-depth analysis.
Internal linking
A lot of us know that external linking is a great way to build trust with Google, especially if those links come from a reputable site. However, let’s not forget about internal linking. Internal linking connects one page in your website to another page or post. It helps the web crawlers navigate your site easier and possibly index your new content quicker. Plus, linking to other posts or pages is helpful for your users and can keep readers on your site for a longer period of time. That’s a win-win for everyone!
One thing that I have learned is to take SEO one step at a time. Start by taking a week or two to implement just one new change. This way, it won’t feel overwhelming and will become more of a habit. This SEO thing is a marathon and not a sprint—it takes time, patience, and perseverance. So stay at it and I promise, your efforts will eventually pay off.
