SEO for photographers
A photographer's website is usually beautiful and nearly invisible to Google: huge images, very little text. A few changes let your work get found by the people searching for exactly the kind of shoot you love doing.
Last updated · By the XKey team
What do people search for when booking a photographer?
The type of shoot plus a place: "newborn photographer Blackpool", "family photoshoot Lytham beach", "headshots Preston", "product photography Lancashire", "pet photographer near me". Commercial clients search for "corporate headshots", "food photography" or "property photographer". For weddings, see our wedding business guide.
What pages should a photographer's site have?
- A page per type of shoot you want more of: what happens, how long, where, what to wear, what's included, prices and a gallery.
- Location pages for places you shoot often – a beach, a park, your studio – with tips only someone who's worked there knows.
- Prices or packages as real text. "How much does a newborn shoot cost" is a very common search.
- An about page with your photo, experience and style – clients are booking you, not a camera.
How do I keep a portfolio site fast?
Export images at the size they're shown (around 2,000 pixels wide for full-screen, smaller for galleries), compress them, and use WebP where your platform allows. Show your best 15–30 photos per gallery, and let images further down the page load as people scroll. See image SEO and check your speed with the free SEO check.
How do I help Google understand my photos?
Give images descriptive file names and alt text ("family photoshoot on St Annes beach at sunset"), and put a few sentences of text on every gallery page describing the shoot. Google reads text far more easily than it reads pictures.
How do photographers win local searches?
Set up a Google Business Profile (with a service area if you shoot on location), post new work regularly, and ask every client for a review when they receive their photos – that's when they're happiest.
Which links help photographers?
Venues and locations you shoot at, businesses you've photographed (ask for a photo credit with a link), local magazines and blogs that use your images, and photography associations' directories.
Frequently asked questions
Do photographers need text on their website?
Yes. Search engines can't judge your photos the way people do, so each gallery and service page needs a short description of what's shown and who it's for.
Should I show prices?
At least starting prices. Clients compare on budget early, and price pages match popular searches.
Is Instagram enough for a photographer?
It's great for showing work, but people ready to book often search Google. A fast site with service pages catches those searches.
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