If you’re a photographer looking to get found on Google, I’m guessing you’ve heard one thing over and over again: You need to blog.
Sigh.
I get it. The emphasis on blogging can be unwelcome, either because it sounds way too time-consuming and intense, or because you’ve tried it before and it didn’t work.
As a business owner, you have so much on your plate. There’s no point pouring time and effort into something that isn’t going to get you real results. So here’s the truth:
A blog is one of the best ways to make your site more findable, connect with your audience, and establish yourself as a true professional. But only if it’s done right. Half-baked blogging doesn’t help anyone, least of all you. So whether you’re just getting ready to take the plunge, or are wondering how you can make this time better than your last attempt, here are my top 5 tried-and-true tips for creating and maintaining a photography blog that can be one of the most powerful tools in building your business.
1. Do Your Keyword Research
There’s a reason this is the first step in getting the most out of your photography blog. If you don’t know what your ideal client is searching for, then you don’t know which words and phrases to use to help them find you.
Researching the best keywords for your photography business takes some time, but it allows all your other strategies to be effective. So before you do anything else, find out what words and phrases your target audience is likely using to search for services like yours, so that you can use those keywords in your website and blog.
Bluehost has an easy step-by-step guide for performing keyword research, and you can also find out more about the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords here.
2. Learn the Basics of SEO
You can write awesome content all day long, but if it’s not formatted so that search engines can figure it out, it won’t perform well.
SEO can feel intimidating, but it’s really not as scary as it sounds. Half the battle is just figuring out the jargon! Once you learn the definitions of some of the more common terms, you’ll be able to understand the basics of optimizing a blog post for SEO.
If you’re not sure where to start, I’ve got some easy SEO tips for your blog here.
3. Optimize Your Website
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Your blog supports your website, not the other way around. Before you start blogging, I recommend putting your creative efforts into making sure that your website is optimized.
Once you’ve done your keyword research and mastered the essentials of SEO, you’ll be able to create a well-organized website with pages optimized for your top keywords.
Having an optimized website allows you to leverage your blog more effectively, because you’ll know which keywords you’ve already optimized for, and which ones you should use as the theme for new content. Your blog can do the work of supporting your primary keywords without cannibalizing them, as well as filling in with secondary and even tertiary keywords.
4. Post to Your Blog Consistently
Consistency isn’t always easy, and it does require thinking ahead. But the results are worth it! Consistency shows both readers and search engines that you are reliable and you are professional enough to update your blog on a regular basis.
Posting consistently doesn’t have to mean posting frequently (although posting more often helps). Just figure out a schedule that works for you, even if it’s just once a month, and stick to it.
Try to stay more-or-less consistent in your topics too. I sometimes see new photography bloggers who blog all kinds of stuff: their sessions, favorite recipes, a book review or two. Blogging at random isn’t going to help your keyword strategy. To get the most out of your photography blog, figure out your audience and your niche, and post content tailored to your ideal client.
A consistent blog can have several different topics, but they will all relate to your business and your ideal client. For example, if you’re a newborn photographer, you can blog about your sessions, favorite places to buy baby clothes and furniture, tips for new parents, nursery décor ideas, etc. Not all of these are directly about newborn photography, but they all appeal to the same audience.
5. Focus on Creating Original, Quality Content for Your Readers
And speaking of appealing to your audience, remember: It’s really easy to get obsessed with keywords, or to burn out and start taking shortcuts with your content. If running a successful blog were just about churning out content, you could turn it over to AI. But it’s not. A successful blog is about providing value to your readers.
So learn about SEO and use it well, but don’t obsess over it. Do your keyword research, but remember that what you find out is supposed to help you support your ideal client in finding answers and solutions, not become a tool for browbeating them into using your services.
Instead of getting caught up in the details, focus on creating original, high-quality content. Then you can use your bag of SEO tricks to make sure that your blog is as helpful and easy-to-find as possible.
A Photographer’s Best Friend
Your photography blog really can be your best friend when it comes to ranking on search engines and standing out from the crowd. It takes effort to start a successful photography blog, especially at first, but blogging is the gift that just keeps giving. It gets easier and easier as time goes on, and in the long run it will save you time, connect you with more people, and make you a happier business owner.
Keep it Simple: Sign Up for a Blog Subscription Package
If you’d love the benefits of blogging but are still hesitant about the time and effort involved, please get in touch! I provide done-for-you blog services so that you can have all the rewards of blogging with none of the hassle. Choose from RedFox Blogging’s variety of blog subscription packages or ask me about creating a custom package just for you. I’m excited to help you see what your photography blog can do!
