SEO Tips For Photographers
In today’s digital world, having a stunning portfolio isn’t enough—photographers also need to be found. That’s where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes in. Whether you're a wedding photographer, portrait artist, or photographing landscapes, smart SEO practices can help you rank higher in search results, reach your ideal clients, and grow your business.
While social media platforms are great for visibility, they’re ultimately rented space—algorithms shift, reach fluctuates, and you don’t truly own your audience. Your website, on the other hand, is your digital home. It’s a space you control, where your content lives permanently and where SEO can have a lasting impact.
In this article, we’ll break down easy-to-implement SEO tips tailored specifically for photographers—so you can spend less time chasing algorithms and more time building a strong, searchable foundation for your brand.
Image by Bettina Vass Photography
Edited with Limited Release Veritas Presets
First things first— make your website easy for visitors to navigate
Before we get into optimizing keywords and other SEO tips, one of the BEST things you can do for your SEO is to keep your website visitors on your website. Just because they found you, doesn’t mean they’ll peruse your content or book you. One of the biggest takeaways I found when searching for my own wedding photographer is that there are a lot of hard to read, difficult to navigate photography websites out there, and one way to stand out from the masses is to make sure your site actually functions.
Here are some basic tips for your website that will ultimately help your SEO:
Make sure the location(s) you serve are clearly visible, preferably above the fold (aka, visible before someone starts scrolling your website). People shouldn’t have to hunt down where you’re located.
Test your website on desktop AND mobile. Not all website templates are created with both in mind, and not all website builders automatically optimize for mobile. Most web traffic is mobile now, so make sure your site looks AMAZING on your phone, because that’s how most people will be looking at it.
Look at other photographers’ websites— not to copy them, but to make sure you’re not all saying the same thing. Certain phrases have become common on photo websites, especially within the same genre, so do your research to make sure you stand apart.
Avoid landing pages— yes, they’re pretty and they make your photos look awesome… but they increase the number of clicks a visitor has to make to get to your content, and if they have a long load time, they’ll probably navigate away from your website instead of clicking “ENTER”.
Image by Soko Photos
Edited with Quest 46 Camellia
Tips from Photography Website Specialist Alex at ForegroundWeb
Don’t hide your contact info or contact form— people expect a contact link in your navigation menu bar, so add one if you don’t already have one. If you have a contact form at the bottom of your website, you should still add an anchor link to it in your navigation menu.
Simplify your navigation menu— you don’t need every single page on your website to live in your menu. People get overwhelmed, so give them a few options or make dropdown menus for things that can be grouped together (like your service pages, portfolio galleries, etc). Prioritize the actions you want your web visitors to take— this can apply to your whole homepage as well.
Don’t get too cute— while it might be tempting to name your blog something cute like “love stories” or “memories” or something, people might not know what that means just by first glancing at your website, and Google definitely doesn’t know that means “blog”.
This might seem obvious but… Remove any demo or “Lorem Ipsum” copy from your website! It looks like your site is unfinished if you still have stand in text on your site and it reads as unprofessional.
Let’s get into some SEO specific tips
These tips are meant to be beginner-friendly action items you can start implementing on your website immediately or use to help you build your website if you don’t have one. Most are tips from wedding photography SEO specialist Sara Does SEO, who did an AMA on Reddit about the topic. They are not wedding-specific and are great for any photographer who wants to improve their SEO.
Image by Image by Soko Photos
Edited with Quest 47 Frontier
Make your website useful for human beings— not bots, the algorithm, or Google. This might sound counterintuitive, but search engines are “smart” enough to know when you’re trying to game the system, and the people visiting your site might find your keyword babble off-putting. So, focus on the people you’re trying to serve.
SEO is slow for new businesses, so build trust and authority through reviews and backlinks. Google wants to show quality websites and businesses to people using their search engine. Set up your Google Business page and ask some trusted clients to leave you reviews. Backlinks are a bit harder— but you can start by following the tips in this article: What Are Backlinks for SEO
If you do different types of photography (for example, if you’re a family photographer, wedding photographer, and senior portrait photographer), make separate pages for each instead of dumping them all into a “services” page. You can include an intro, links or embedded galleries, FAQs, and even pricing, if you want.
Keyword SEO Tips for Photographers
If you’re not already aware, Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines like Google when looking for something—like “Seattle wedding photographer” or “natural light portrait session.” In SEO, keywords help search engines understand what your website or blog post is about. By including the right keywords in your website content—such as page titles, image alt text, headings, and blog posts—you make it more likely that your site will show up when someone searches for those terms.
Where to add keywords on your website:
Page Titles (Title Tags): Appears in search engine results and browser tabs.
Example: “Seattle Wedding Photographer | [Your Name]”
Meta Descriptions: The short blurb under your title in search results. Keep it engaging and include your main keyword.
Headings (H1, H2, H3): Use your main keywords in headings to structure your content.
Example: H1: “Candid Wedding Photography in California”
Body Text (Page Content): Naturally weave in keywords throughout your content. Avoid keyword stuffing—write for humans first.
Image File Names: Rename images with descriptive, keyword-rich file names.
Example: “yosemite-elopement-bride-groom.jpg”
Alt Text (Image Descriptions): Important for accessibility and SEO. Describe the image using relevant keywords.
URLs (Page Slugs): Keep them short, clear, and keyword-relevant.
Example:
/oregon-coast-elopement-photography
Blog Posts: Blog regularly and target different keywords per post, can include location-based and service-based terms.
Captions and Image Galleries: Add keyword-rich captions when possible.
Testimonials and About Page: Include phrases your clients use to describe your work.
Image by Anna Jung-Hwa
Edited with Quest 47 Frontier
Keyword tips from Sara Does SEO:
Don’t obsess over ONE keyword or keyword phrase— diversify your keywords all over your website! Google doesn’t like “keyword stuffing”, or overusing the same keyword everywhere. It makes your website read as spammy, and you might be knocked down in rankings or hidden from visitors if Google thinks you’re spam. Instead, focus your keyword on one page you’d like to rank or show up with— that can be your homepage, about page, a service page, etc.
Don’t use the same keyword for all of your blog titles— your blogs may start to compete with each other if you have more than one with similar titles, like “Summer Wedding at Seattle Botanical Garden” or “Seattle Portrait Photography Session” etc. You might do better with blogs with more specific titles for venues and locations, not just your city, state, or province.
If you have multiple blogs for the same venue or location, write a blog spotlight for that place and put photos from your different sessions there! It helps when people are searching for specific venues or locations to see a blog with multiple session examples, and you can update it with new photos when you photograph there again.
You might want to blog about every session or wedding (I know I do), but what is more useful to visitors are blogs with high-quality, in-depth topics in which you’re an expert. Google will also rank in-depth blogs higher— typically, blogs with over 300 words do well. Examples for blog articles might be “Top Engagement Photo Locations in Kansas City” or “Tips for Your First Boudoir Photography Session”, which more people might be searching for and find your website through your blog. These articles can be updated over time and are a great way to get web traffic for something you only have to write once!
Keyword tips from Alex at ForegroundWeb to collect keyword ideas:
Use Google Autocomplete
When you start typing in one of your main keywords or keyword phrases (like “Seattle portrait photography”), see what else autocompletes in the search box. If any seem relevant to you, incorporate them into your web copy somewhere.
Use the "People Also Search For” Area
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the search results for one of your main keywords and see what else Google thinks people search for.
Image Search “Bubbles” - Go to the Images tab when searching your keyword and see what else pops up at the top of the page in the “bubbles”.
Look at high-ranking websites for your keyword and look at how their page titles are structured for the keyword. You can imitate (not outright copy) how the titles are formatted to help your pages rank better.
SEO may feel overwhelming at first, but it’s one of the most powerful tools for growing your photography business long-term. Unlike social media, which can shift at any moment, your website is a permanent, controllable platform that works for you 24/7. By strategically using keywords, optimizing your website’s user experience, and creating helpful, relevant pages, you make it easier for your ideal clients to find you. Start small, stay consistent, and over time, your efforts will help build a stronger, more visible online presence—so you can focus more on what you love: capturing beautiful moments.
What are your favorite SEO tips? What other photo business topics should we cover? Tell us in the comments!