10 Essential SEO Tips to Get Found on Google

Master SEO: 10 Essential Tips to Boost Your Website Traffic

Most photographers with an online presence want exactly one thing: to show up on the first page of Google. And yes, that dream is completely achievable — without throwing money at ads every single month. What it DOES take is a system, a plan, and a little patience.

In this post, you’ll get 10 actionable SEO tips that actually work for small business owners and family photographers. Think of this like your personal SEO checklist — you don’t have to do everything at once, but every step you take compounds over time and works for you around the clock.

Quick note: I originally wrote a version of this post back in 2020 and have updated it with current best practices. SEO evolves, and so should your strategy!

Before we get into it, if you’ve been wanting a structured system to track your marketing, backend organization, and business operations all in one place, check out my Backend Organization System for Family Photographers (Trello Board). It’s one of my favorite tools for staying consistent without the chaos.

What Is SEO and Why Does It Matter for Photographers?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving your website so it shows up higher in search results when potential clients type in queries related to your business.

For family photographers, strong SEO means your dream client in your specific city can type “Nashville family photographer” (or wherever you’re located) and actually find YOU — not just the 10 photographers who’ve been paying for ads. The best part? Once your SEO is working, it keeps working even when you’re out shooting a session or spending time with your own family. That’s the kind of marketing system we love around here.

10 SEO Tips to Boost Your Website Traffic

1. Create (or Claim) Your Google Business Profile

If you have not done this yet, carve out 2-3 hours and do it this week. Your Google Business Profile (formerly “Google My Business”) is what makes your business show up in local search results and on Google Maps. Past clients can leave reviews, share session photos, and help build the credibility that makes a brand-new potential client trust you before they even click your website link.

My recommendation? {follow this [step-by-step guide} to create your Google Business page.

The reviews alone make this worth the effort. Word-of-mouth referrals are great, but having 25 five-star reviews sitting right there in Google search results? That is marketing doing the heavy lifting for you.

2. Keep Your Branding Consistent Across All Platforms

This one sounds simple, but it matters more than most photographers realize. Your Facebook Business Page, Instagram profile, Pinterest account, and website should all have the same profile photo, bio language, and branding. Consistency helps potential clients recognize you no matter where they find you first — and it signals to search engines that your business is legitimate and established.

Think of it like how every Starbucks looks basically the same, no matter what city you’re in. That familiarity builds trust fast.

3. Use Pinterest as the SEO Powerhouse It Actually Is

Pinterest is not just a place to save recipes and holiday decor. It is a search engine, and a really effective one for photographers. When you create keyword-rich pins and boards, your content can show up both in Pinterest searches AND in Google search results. That means one pin can drive traffic to your website from two separate platforms at once.

I have personally received client inquiries directly from Pinterest, without paying for a single ad. If you’re not treating Pinterest like part of your SEO strategy, you’re leaving free traffic on the table.

Want to learn more about SEO and Pinterest? Here is an older podcast episode where I cover that topic: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/using-pinterest-trends-to-create-evergreen-blog-content/id1597803600?i=1000717139135

4. Blog Consistently for Long-Term SEO Growth

Blogging is not dead. I know it can feel like a lot of effort for a slow payoff, but here’s the honest truth: it is one of the most reliable long-term marketing systems available to a solo photographer. You don’t need to post daily or even weekly. Starting with two posts per month is enough to build momentum.

Every blog post is a new page that Google can index. Every page is another opportunity for your dream client to find you. Over time, those pages stack up and build real topical authority in your niche — which is exactly what gets you ranked.

If you want a step-by-step system for blogging with intention (and not just throwing posts out there and hoping for the best), check out my Blogging and Organic Visibility System for Family Photographers.

5. Do Your Keyword Research (It’s Not Optional)

Keyword research is the process of figuring out exactly what phrases your ideal clients type into Google when they’re looking for someone like you. Without it, you’re guessing — and guessing wastes time.

When you know your keywords, you can write content your audience is actually searching for instead of content you just assume they want. This is one of the biggest mindset shifts I made in my own business. Once I started looking at Google Search Console data and researching actual search terms, my traffic improved significantly because I was creating content with a clear purpose.

Free places to start your keyword research:

• Google Autocomplete (just start typing your topic in Google and see what comes up)
• The “People Also Ask” boxes in search results
• “Searches related to” at the bottom of a Google results page
• Your own Google Search Console (if your site is already set up there)

6. Write Better Meta Descriptions

A meta description is the short summary that appears under your page title in Google search results. Most photographers skip this entirely, which is a missed opportunity. A well-written meta description tells the searcher exactly what they’ll find on your page and gives them a reason to click.

Aim for 150-160 characters, include your primary keyword, and write it like you’re talking directly to your ideal client. It doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be there and be intentional.

7. Make Sure Your Website Works on Mobile

More than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site is hard to navigate on a phone — tiny text, images that don’t load correctly, buttons that are too small to tap — you are losing potential clients before they even read a word about you.

To check how your site looks on mobile, open it in incognito mode on your phone and on a device you don’t normally use. What you see is what your clients see. If you need help optimizing your website platform, customer support is a great resource. I use Showit, and their support team has always been incredibly responsive when I have questions.

8. Create Content That Actually Serves Your Audience

Good SEO is built on good content. When your blog posts, web pages, and portfolio sections genuinely answer questions your ideal clients are asking, Google takes notice. Content that keeps visitors on your site longer and earns backlinks from other websites sends strong signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and worth ranking.

The three main types of content worth investing in are written content (blogging), video content (YouTube), and audio content (podcasting). Blogging has the lowest barrier to entry and is the easiest place to start. If you’re ever ready to branch into YouTube, the search potential there is remarkable — YouTube is its own search engine with a massive audience of people actively looking for information.

9. Build a System to Monitor Your Analytics

You cannot improve what you don’t measure. Setting up a regular practice of checking your Google Search Console and website analytics will show you exactly what content is bringing people to your site, what pages they’re spending time on, and where they’re dropping off.

This doesn’t have to be complicated. Block 30 minutes once a month to look at your data. Over time, you’ll start spotting patterns — which keywords are driving impressions, which blog posts are performing, and where there’s an opportunity to create more targeted content. Data-informed decisions will always outperform gut-feeling decisions when it comes to your marketing.

10. Submit Your New Content to Google Search Console

Once you publish a new blog post or update an existing page, you can submit that URL directly to Google Search Console and request indexing. This tells Google that new content exists and speeds up how quickly it appears in search results.

I learned this specific tip from my business peer, Brittany Herzberg, and I want to give credit where it’s due — it’s such a simple habit that makes a real difference in how quickly your content gets picked up.

FAQ: SEO for Family Photographers

How long does SEO take to work? Most websites see meaningful traffic growth from SEO within 3-6 months of consistent effort. SEO is a long-term investment, not a quick fix — but it pays off in organic traffic that doesn’t require ongoing ad spend.

Do I need to hire someone to do my SEO? Not necessarily. Many solo photographers handle their own SEO effectively using free tools like Google Search Console, Google Business Profile, and their website platform. Understanding the basics and implementing them consistently is more important than having an expert on retainer.

What is the most important SEO tip for photographers? Consistent, keyword-informed blogging paired with a claimed and updated Google Business Profile gives photographers the strongest organic foundation. Both work together to build local search visibility over time.

Can Pinterest really help my website traffic? YES. Pinterest acts as a visual search engine, and well-optimized pins can drive consistent traffic to your website for months (or even years) after they’re published.

You Don’t Have to Do All of This at Once

SEO is not a one-time project. It’s an ongoing system — and the good news is, you don’t have to tackle all 10 of these tips in a single afternoon. Start with the one that feels most approachable (Google Business Profile is a great first move), and build from there.

The photographers who see the biggest SEO results are not the ones who do everything perfectly at launch. They’re the ones who show up consistently, keep adding content, and treat their website like the marketing tool it actually is.

If you want to get serious about your marketing systems (SEO included), I’d love for you to check out my Family Photographer’s Marketing Society monthly membership — it’s built specifically to help photographers like you stay consistent, strategic, and moving forward every single month.

And if you’re curious about where your marketing currently stands, download the free Family Photographers Marketing Trends Report — I update it annually, so you always have current data to work from.

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Meet Your Favorite Marketing Strategist and Business Coach for Family Photographers (Dolly DeLong Education)

Hi, I’m Dolly DeLong, a Nashville-based family photographer, marketing strategist, and systems educator for family photographers who want structure, clarity, and consistency in their marketing.

My photography journey began in 2006, and over the years, I built a sustainable family photography business while navigating motherhood, client work, and the realities of running a solo creative business. Along the way, I discovered something unexpected: I loved the backend just as much as the creative side.

What started as organizing my own workflows turned into helping other family photographers simplify their marketing, build repeatable systems, and stop relying on last-minute posting or panic marketing.

Today, I focus exclusively on helping family photographers intentionally market their businesses (not with trends but with consistently showing up).

I offer two ways to work with me:

• The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society: a systems-first membership that provides a clear weekly marketing cadence for Instagram and email, so you always know what to focus on without starting over.

• 1:1 Strategic Marketing Support for established family photographers who want hands-on guidance in building a sustainable, SEO-supported marketing system.

Through my blog, podcast, and YouTube channel, I teach family photographers how to think like marketers, plan ahead, and create marketing rhythms that support both their business and their family life.

I still photograph families around Nashville because it’s one of my greatest joys. But helping family photographers build calm, consistent marketing systems that actually fit real life is a close second.

I’m so glad you are here, reading this blog, listening to the podcast, or watching the embedded YouTube video. I hope this educational content was helpful. Please let me know what future systems content you would like me to create!