As Presets designers, photographers, and photography bloggers, we know the critical importance of a website.

Unfortunately, there's a particular scenario that's repeated all too often: a fabulous photography website that isn't found by an internet search.

Consider a website that isn't unearthed during a search. That means it's not generating the level of internet-driven business it could be. So what's the problem?

The journey to finding your photography website - or anything, for that matter - on the internet isn't as straightforward as you might think. Your website needs to be optimized for search engines - also known as search engine optimization (SEO) - if you want more internet-driven business.  

What is SEO?

There are three steps to describe, in basic terms, how search engines work:

1. A user enters a search term.

2. The search engine then looks for data on the web that matches or closely matches the search terms.

3. The search engine displays a ranked list of links to websites that match those terms.

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, describes how a website appears to search engines. SEO also refers to the development of a website to match a search engine's algorithms or SEO.

Search engines use advanced algorithms to search and instantly calculate the relevance of any web page to a search term. It then shows the user a ranked list of website links it found. In other words, you want your website search engine optimized because you want to be found on the internet. 

The tricky thing about search engines and SEO is the ranking. For example, if someone types in "photographers in NYC" and you're a New York City photographer, you would want your website to be up near the top of the search engine results.

But how do you get your link up there? Well, the more search engine optimized your website is, the more likely you are to rank near the top of that search list. 

Tips to Improving SEO

Google Analytics:  Most websites today will allow you to set up Google Analytics (GA) so you can track your SEO. We can't recommend it more highly. (And it's free!) If you're at all interested in tracking your SEO - and you should be - use Google Analytics. 

Keywords: Keywords matter for SEO! Use some predictive guessing to figure out which keywords someone might use if searching for your type of business. Those keywords should appear on your website, preferably on the landing page. Let's go back to the NYC photographer search we mentioned earlier. What kind of keywords might someone use, and which keywords are the most popular and most relevant for photography businesses in your city or region?

Use Long-Tail Keywords:  In SEO, "intention" matters. Avoid highly popular, generic keywords (known as head terms) because they don't increase your ranking. Try to be more specific to your industry and geography. For example, using "best photographer" is so broad and generic that a high ranking is all but impossible. You're better off using long-tail keywords that are more unique to your specialty and location.

You'll want to use keyword phrases like "Manhattan wedding photographer," "Manhattan small wedding photographer," and other similar phrases. Just put yourself in the place of someone looking for your specific kind of photography and include those keywords on your site. This will help your SEO ranking. Also, it's important to note that users are more likely to click on a link when the search term is more specific.

Use Meta Tags:  Meta tags are text that aren't visible to a website visitor but are picked by the search engine's algorithm. They are typically displayed as a description of your site on Google's SERPs. This allows potential visitors to get a sense of your site. It's crucial to produce well-written meta text to improve your click-through rate and search result ranking. When writing meta tags, short and sweet is the way to go! They should be less than 140 characters.  

Keep an Active Blog:  Search engines love dynamic pages, meaning that sites that are updated regularly with fresh content will rank higher in searches. An excellent way to add new content to your site is to maintain an active blog about photography on your website that incorporates your keywords. Without a blog, your site will likely rank lower and be less likely to be found easily.  

Write Good Page Titles:  The title of your website should accurately describe your work. It should include selected keywords. Be sure to start with your primary keywords, end with your business name. It also needs to be concise for the search result's display. For example, a wedding photographer's title could read: NYC Small Wedding Photography | Jane Smith Photography.

Adding Content: Content is critical to SEO. Text content shouldn't just exist on your blog alone. Every website should contain text throughout its pages - yes, even a photographer's site. For example, you should have accurate page titles. Add explanations on pages, even on photo galleries. Keep the text well-written and easy to read and understand. Use keywords sprinkled throughout your pages. Add high-quality content to the "About" page and even the contact page.

Visitors to your site should understand who you are, what you do, and, more specifically, what you can do for them. Again, quality content matters because it's more likely to be picked up during an internet search. Also, a poorly written website is less likely to generate new business. Also, make sure your site is easy to navigate, displays your best images, and shows who you are as a photographer.

Social Media: Every website should link to that person's social media presence. It's another vital element for good SEO, mostly because social media can drive people to your website and vice versa. Be sure to link both ways: social media accounts to your website and your site to your social media platforms to capture visitors organically. Instagram, especially, has become more popular for creatives, so you'll want to establish a presence there. 

Patience: Also, results take time. You're not likely to see immediate results once you've implemented SEO changes. It can take several months to turn things around and see a higher ranking or greater website traffic. In some cases, it can take an average of six months. Eventually, you should begin to see changes evident in your Google analytics. 

SEO Challenges

Unfortunately, SEO algorithms change frequently, and no one really knows what entirely drives the algorithms. Search engines often change them, which means it's an organic beast you will always need to try and keep up with. (Yet another reason why staying on top of your analytics is beneficial.) To maintain your ranking, you'll need to keep on top of things.  

You need to follow search engine rules to maintain or improve your ranking. Also, search engines are now penalizing sites they recognize as using what's called "black hat" SEO techniques - inaccurately describing your site in your meta or title tags, using too many random or ill-placed keywords, or any other poor practices. You'll lose ranking in the search engine results if they believe your website isn't employing the best practices.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you've found our tips helpful to your work. While SEO is critical to improving your internet search rankings, it's only one part of an overall marketing campaign. A high-quality, visually beautiful, and well-written website is like a book with various chapters.

Each chapter is important, some more than others, but they need to be cohesive and readable as a whole. Websites are the same way. But starting with search engine optimization is like writing the critical outline and content of the story to keep you, the writer, on task and the reader engaged.