All right, let’s talk about something that makes most photographers groan louder than a foghorn: photography SEO. Yeah, I know, it’s not as fun as a new lens, but it’s what gets your photos seen.
This whole thing kicked off when Google’s John Mueller and Martin Splitt chatted about SEO for photographers on their “Search Off the Record” podcast. Martin’s not just a tech guy, he’s also a legit underwater photographer. So he’s out here wrestling with the same problems we all have, except he’s got the inside scoop from Google HQ.
So let’s break down what he said, minus the jargon, and with some real-world advice you can actually use.
Why Photographers Still Need Websites
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Do I really need a website? Isn’t Instagram enough?”
Yeah, sure, and technically, you can live off gas station hot dogs too. Doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
See, Instagram’s fine for showing off, but you don’t control what’s around your photos. Your stunning black-and-white landscape might sit right between someone’s brunch plate and a screaming political meme. On your own site, you control the whole mood.
And when it’s your space, you can actually tell full stories. Fine art photographers especially, your images need breathing room. You can lay them out, explain the concept, build a journey. Hard to do that when your “gallery” is one swipe away from your cousin’s dog photos.
Then there’s quality. Instagram crunches your files like it’s saving space on a 2005 flip phone. Your site? Full resolution, full control, full glory.
And let’s not forget business. If you’re trying to book clients, a clean website says “pro.” A social feed says “hobby.” Your site is your shop window.
Different Types of Photography Websites Need Different SEO
Not every photographer’s chasing the same goal. Some of you want gigs, others want gallery shows, and a few are just trying to sell stock photos and pay for that new 70–200mm lens.
Service-Based Photographers (Weddings, Events, Portraits)
You folks need traditional, location-based websites. You want to show up when people type “wedding photographer London” or “event photographer near me.”
Your SEO plan here should focus on local search… things like making your location obvious, using your city in headlines, and connecting your site to the places you actually work.
If you want to get smart about that, check out Local Keyword Research and Content Creation. It walks you through how to actually find the phrases people in your area are searching for, instead of just guessing.
Also, keep your site simple: explain what you do, show examples, drop your contact info everywhere. And yeah, print your site URL on your business cards, old school still works.
Fine Art Photographers
If you’re more about storytelling and exhibitions than client bookings, your site needs to show your vision, not your rates. You might have separate pages for different projects or shows, plus some text explaining the meaning or technique behind the series.
You’re not competing for “best fine art photographer”… you’re building your name. Think less like a business listing, more like a digital gallery.
Stock Photographers
Now this crew is a little different. Stock shooters live and die by keywords. You can’t just take random shots and hope they sell, you’ve gotta think like a data nerd with a camera.
For instance, a photo of a skyscraper could be tagged as “skyscraper Warsaw” or “business success, power, money.” The words change who finds it… and who buys it.
So yeah, research what’s trending, track seasonal stuff like holidays, and keyword the heck out of your uploads.
Brand vs. Generic Terms
Here’s one of the biggest “duh” moments from the podcast: a lot of photographers shoot themselves in the foot with their brand names.
If you call your business “Underwater Photography,” congrats… you’ve made yourself impossible to Google. Because that’s not a brand; that’s a search term.
Instead, use your name. “Martin Splitt Photos” will always be easier to rank for than “Underwater Photography.” People remember names, they forget keywords.
And if you’ve already made that mistake, you’re not alone. It’s actually one of the classic website content mistakes that can quietly tank your SEO before you even know what happened.
Essential Technical SEO for Photography Sites
All right, let’s talk about the behind-the-scenes stuff. Not the sexy part, but the stuff that keeps your site from sinking.
Step 1: Use Google Search Console
It’s free, easy, and basically your website’s progress report. It tells you what people are searching before they find you, and whether anyone’s actually Googling your name.
Once that’s set up, you can go deeper with structured data, that’s where Step-by-Step: How To Implement Entity SEO comes in. It shows you how to help Google understand your site, not just crawl it.
Step 2: Give Each Image Its Own Page
If you want your photos to show up individually in image search, each one needs its own URL. Don’t shove 50 shots on one endless scroll.
A page with a single image and a clear description tells Google, “This is the image,” which gives it a better chance to show up when someone searches for it.
Step 3: Optimize Gallery Pages
Think of your gallery pages like the aisles in a store, each needs a label. Add a short intro, some location info, maybe the story behind the set.
Martin even admitted he skipped this on his own site, so hey, it happens. But a few paragraphs can really help both users and search engines understand what they’re looking at.
When you add that text, pay attention to where you put your main keywords: titles, headers, and image descriptions matter most. For a quick cheat sheet, check out SEO Keyword Placement: The 4 Critical Spots That Actually Matter.
Step 4: Responsive Images
Basically, serve smaller files to phones and bigger ones to desktops. It won’t boost rankings directly, but it keeps your site fast, which keeps visitors happy.
Step 5: File Types and Watermarks
JPEGs are still the workhorse of the web. Google supports newer formats like WebP and AVIF, but you don’t need to stress about them unless you’re super technical.
And good news… watermark away. Google doesn’t punish you for it.
Image Search vs. Web Search
If you upload the same photo to Instagram and your website, Google might recognize them as duplicates in image search but not in web search. Doesn’t really hurt you either way. Just make sure people can find your website link from your socials, and you’re fine.
Videos: Whole Different Animal
A lot of photographers dabble in video now, and that’s cool, but video SEO is its own circus. Editing, color grading, syncing shots, it’s a lot.
If you do post video, make it the star of the page. People clicking a video thumbnail want a video, not a gallery with a random clip buried at the bottom.
Content vs. Technical SEO
Even Martin Splitt, literal Google guy, admitted he wasn’t sure if his own site’s content was “good for search.” So if you’re second-guessing your blog posts, don’t sweat it.
You can have perfect tech and still flop without solid content. You need both: structure and storytelling.
What About AI-Generated Images?
Somebody asked the big question: will AI replace photographers?
Martin’s answer was simple, not anytime soon. Photography is about human connection. AI can whip up fake sunsets, but it can’t capture the feeling of being there or interacting with a real person. So your job’s safe… for now.
Key Takeaways for Photography SEO
- Use your name as your brand, not a generic keyword.
- Give each image its own landing page for better discoverability.
- Add real descriptive text to your galleries.
- Set up Search Console and peek at it now and then.
- Learn how to rank locally: our guide to Google Maps and local search results shows you how.
- Use your website and social media for different goals — not the same thing.
- Match your SEO strategy to your business type.
- Don’t waste time chasing generic keywords you’ll never beat.
- For a wider playbook that fits small studios, check out our SEO for Small Businesses: A Practical Guide.
Bottom Line
Photography SEO isn’t black magic. It’s just knowing what you want to be found for, creating content that makes sense for that goal, and keeping your tech solid enough that Google doesn’t give up on you.
And above all, take photos worth finding. Because no amount of SEO can fix boring shots.