Wedding photography is a popular industry, and it can be difficult to stand apart from your competitors. Although photography styles, pricing, work models, and deliverables vary, there’s a lot of competition to beat.
SEO is one way wedding photographers can make their websites stand out. SEO can sound scary, but it’s easier to understand than you think. This article is a comprehensive guide explaining everything you need to know about SEO for wedding photographers. I hope it helps you earn more business!
Wedding Photographer SEO Goals
Any business’s goal for SEO is to drive more traffic to your website. SEO helps you find traffic from the right sources, AKA people who are actually interested in your services. Couples planning their weddings turn to search engines to find services and information. You can be a source of guidance and value for these couples. Even if it doesn’t work out for you to work with them, it may lead to a future referral. You never know what could happen!
The point is to drive as much traffic to your website as possible. Not all these people will turn into customers, but the more leads you have, the more you’ll convert. It’s just basic statistics! Every wedding photography business should have a lead funnel, starting with search engine optimization.
Why Do Wedding Photographers Need SEO?
As mentioned, the industry is saturated. Thousands of wedding photographers across the nation are competing for leads. SEO helps your website appear prominently in search results (ahead of your competition), making it more likely that potential clients will discover your photography services.
With SEO, you don’t need to rely on social media, WeddingWire, or The Knot. You don’t own your followers or control the traffic going to these sites. You might even be paying for your website to be listed. By focusing on SEO, you can boost your website traffic organically.and make it easy for brides to find your services.
Common SEO Mistakes
Alright, let’s talk about some common SEO mistakes wedding photographers make. That way, you can avoid them when you start to plan and implement your SEO strategy.
Not Having a Google My Business Profile
A Google My Business profile helps you appear in local search results. When couples search for wedding photographers in their area, Google My Business listings are often among the first search results. This visibility is essential for attracting local clients. Even if you’re a destination photographer or are willing to travel, it’s important to have a Google My Business account.
Keyword Stuffing
Although keyword research and targeted keywords are important, you can go overkill. Don’t just add the keyword for the sake of doing it. Overloading your content with keywords in an unnatural way can harm your SEO. Focus on using keywords naturally and in context.
Poor Site Speed
This is a huge issue with wedding photographers because you’re posting your beautiful wedding photos on your website (as you should for your portfolio!) However, these file sizes can GREATLY impact your page speed. Did you know users are 80% more likely to bounce if a page takes longer than two seconds to load? A high bounce rate tells Google that people aren’t finding your content valuable.
A page with tons of photos or videos takes significantly longer to load. Before posting photos, run them through TinyPNG; it’s a website that reduces the file size without compromising the quality. It would also be worth it to download the photos on your site, run them through TingPNG, and re-upload them. I know this is time-consuming and annoying, but it will greatly improve your page speed and therefore, your SEO ranking.
Tips to Get More Leads as a Wedding Photographer
Wedding photographers have an intense busy season during the summer and fall months. That means winter and spring are likely the best time to focus on lead generation. You don’t have time to sort through unqualified leads. So, how do you get qualified leads who are ready to book your services? Follow these tips.
Start a Blog
I know this means adding more to your plate (although, you could outsource it!), but a blog greatly helps your SEO ranking. It allows you to target specific keywords that may not fit on one of your main pages. By including these keywords naturally in your blog posts, you can improve your chances of ranking for those terms in search results.
With blogs, you can link to other pages on your website to take visitors on a journey to help them get to the end goal of submitting a lead form. It enhances the user experience by answering questions they might not know they have.
Blogs also show your expertise! Write about topics you’re an expert on and show potential clients how great you are. Blogs can be a game-changer for your SEO ranking.
Encourage Online Reviews
When you wrap up with a client, ask them for a review! Testimonials give potential clients real stories about what it’s like to work with you. Social proof is a powerful way to generate new leads. In reality, people trust other people’s experience with you more than you telling them what it’s like to work with you. They want to hear from people who have actually done it! You can’t blame them; we all do it! You might as well take advantage of it.
Here are some places wedding photographers ask for reviews:
- The Knot
- Yelp
- WeddingWire
You can also put these reviews on your website! Splash these reviews anywhere you can to improve social proof of your services.
WARNING: Unfortunately, some people use reviews in unethical ways. I don’t believe you will, but as a reminder, do not:
- Post fake reviews
- Edit people’s words to have a different meaning
- Post reviews without permission
- Pay for reviews
Keyword Research for Wedding Photographers
Before starting keyword research, you need to understand your audience and the type of couple you want to attract. Do you specialize in destination weddings, candid photography, traditional photography, engagement sessions, or something else? Knowing your niche will help you identify relevant keywords.
Next, think about more specific keywords you’d like to rank for. It could include:
- Wedding photographer
- Engagement photography
- Bridal portraits
- [Your City] wedding photographer
- [Your Area] engagement photography
- Outdoor rustic wedding photography
- Black and white vintage wedding photos
The more specific you are, the better. Those keywords can be less competitive and easier to rank for.
Finally, use SEO tools to research and analyze your keywords. Tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Moz, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest provide data on search volume, competition, and related keywords. It will help you identify keywords that are performing well and can inspire new content ideas for you.
Content Ideas for Wedding Photographers
Content is an important pillar for your SEO ranking. You need to have quality content on your website to show Google you’re a credible, trustworthy, and legitimate source for them to display in search results.
The hard part is thinking of what to write about! That’s why I’m here. These are some SEO-friendly content ideas for wedding photographers:
- How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Photographer for You
- An Ideal Timeline for Wedding Photography
- How to Pose for Wedding Photos
- Top Questions to Ask a Wedding Photographer
- My Favorite Wedding Venues to Shoot at in [your city]
- The Top Fall Engagement Photo Shoot Locations in [your city]
Why are they SEO-friendly? They answer popular questions engaged couples have while promoting your services without being too salesy. There are tons of content ideas for wedding photographers out there. What other content ideas can you think of?
SEO FAQs
Should I focus on local SEO as a wedding photographer?
YES! Even if you’re willing to travel, it’s important to optimize for local SEO to appear in search results specific to your location.
Is it important to have an active social media presence for SEO as a wedding photographer?
An active social presence can indirectly affect your website’s traffic and visibility. It won’t necessarily boost your search result rankings, but it will drive more traffic to your website.
Is it worth investing in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising as a wedding photographer, in addition to SEO?
I recommend starting with SEO to see how it improves your website traffic and lead generation. Remember, SEO takes time to see results. Give it adequate time to show you how well it’s working. This usually takes 3-6 months. Then, you can consider PPC advertising.
Alright, I think that’s all I have for you! I hope this guide to SEO for wedding photographers helps your business thrive on Google. If you have any questions or want to work with me to improve your SEO ranking, book a call with me!
About Âme Creatives
I’m a Showit Design Partner and SEO expert who specializes in crafting websites and branding for you: the successful female entrepreneur who is crushing business goals… but doesn’t have the branding or website to match. I’m an expert at being able to create a beautiful brand that fully represents YOU. Ready to work together? Send me a message!
