SEO for photographers: how to get your portfolio found on Google

If you’re a professional photographer, creating an online portfolio is one of the best ways to showcase your talent, attract potential clients, and get new projects. But even a beautiful website isn’t enough if people don’t find it online.  

That’s where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in. These are techniques that will help your website appear higher on search results. 

This article will explore SEO strategies tailored to photographers, from choosing the right keywords to naming your image files so Google understands them. Everything you need to make your work stand out online. Let’s dive in! 

What is SEO for photography? 

SEO is a collection of practices that help web content be discovered, understood, and ranked by search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. 

If you have an online photography portfolio, working on your site’s SEO can help you show up when people search for services like yours. 

For example, if you specialise in wedding photography and work around Manchester, a strong SEO strategy can help you appear among the top results when someone Googles “wedding photographer in Manchester”. 

Why does SEO matter for photographers? The data speaks for itself: on Google, over 68% of clicks go to the top three results, and the first result alone gets nearly 40%. Ranking high can be the difference between landing a job or going completely unnoticed. 

SEO for photographers: 8 key tips for a standout portfolio 

Working on your website’s SEO isn’t complicated or reserved for tech experts, but it does require attention to some details. There are aspects that involve content (titles, text, images), while others are more technical, like site structure or file naming. Let’s break it down. 

Use keywords in your content 

Keywords are an essential part of any SEO strategy. They help connect your content with what users are actually searching for online. 

In simple terms, keywords are the words, phrases, or questions people type into Google (or any search engine) when looking for something. Every search has an intent, and that’s where your content needs to match up. 

There are two key things to consider: 

• Which keywords to use on your website 
• Where to place those keywords 

The first step is considering how a potential client might search for your services. For example, if you’re a food photographer based in London, you could focus on phrases such as: 

• “food photographer London” 
• “food photography studio in London” 
• “product photography food” 
• “food photoshoot” 
• “photographer for restaurants” 

This process is known as keyword research. There are tools to help you identify high-potential search terms, including valuable data such as monthly search volume, user intent, and ranking difficulty. Free options include Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs Keyword Generator. Paid tools like Ahrefs and Semrush provide more in-depth data. 

Once you’ve chosen the most relevant keywords for your services, you must place them strategically throughout your website: page titles, main text, file names, metadata, and image descriptions. 

As a general rule, each page URL should be optimised for one primary keyword, based on search volume and user intent. That keyword should appear in the page title, meta description, and naturally throughout the content. Then, you can use secondary keywords to support the main topic across the rest of the page. 

Optimise your photos and images 

A common issue on many photography portfolio websites is the overload of unoptimised, high-resolution images. While it’s important to show your work at its best, uploading large image files can significantly slow down your site. 

Why does this matter? Because page speed is a key factor in SEO. Google prioritises fast-loading websites and penalises those that are too slow.  

Plus, if your site takes too long to load, visitors may leave before they even see your work. This increases your bounce rate, which can also hurt your ranking. 

That’s why optimising your images before uploading them to your portfolio is essential. Here are some key tips: 

• Reduce image file sizes without losing quality: If you use WordPress, tools like Imagify can compress your photos automatically while keeping them visually sharp. 
• Use efficient file formats such as WebP, which offer high quality with smaller file sizes than traditional JPG or PNG formats. 
• Enable lazy loading, a technique that loads images as the user scrolls down the page, rather than all at once. 
• Pay attention to visual dimensions, ensuring your images aren’t unnecessarily large for the space they occupy. 

With these adjustments, you’ll strike the right balance between quality and performance. Your portfolio will look great, load quickly, and better prepare you to rank on Google and other search engines. 

Pay attention to the file names and alt text 

When working with SEO, every detail matters. All elements on a web page influence how Google’s algorithms read and rank it, even those that aren’t visible to your visitors. When uploading image files to your site, it’s best practice to optimise all their attributes. 

How to name photos to improve search rankings 

SEO best practices include that file names should reflect the image’s content, and if possible, include relevant keywords. 

For example, let’s say you’re a travel and nature photographer and want to upload photos from the Swiss Alps. Instead of a generic name like IMG_8273.jpg, use something more descriptive, such as snowy-matterhorn-mountain-switzerland.jpg. 

Even though your visitors won’t see the file name, search engines do analyse it to understand the image content and connect it with relevant searches. 

Here are a few quick tips for naming your photo files: 

• Be descriptive: use words that clearly explain what the image shows. 
• Include relevant keywords but keep it natural—avoid keyword stuffing. 
• Use hyphens (-) to separate words, not spaces or underscores (_). 
• Avoid accents or special characters, as they can cause errors or misunderstandings. 
• Keep a consistent structure: if your images are grouped by categories (e.g. weddings, product, portraits), reflect that in your naming system. 

The importance of alt text 

Alt text (or alternative text) is a meta attribute that briefly describes the content of an image. Its original purpose was to help visually impaired users understand images through screen readers. Over time, it has also become a helpful element for SEO. 

A well-written alt text helps Google better understand and index your content, which can improve your chances of appearing in relevant search results. If you can naturally include a keyword, even better! 

For example, if you upload a photo from a shoot for an Italian restaurant in London, a good alt text might be: “Ravioli with tomato sauce photographed by a food photographer in London.” 

Build a backlink strategy 

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to yours. In terms of SEO, they’re important because Google sees them as a sign of quality and relevance. The more high-quality backlinks your portfolio earns, the better your website will rank in search results. 

Think of backlinks as votes of confidence: they endorse your site and boost your authority in Google’s eyes.  

With that said, not all backlinks are created equal. The higher the domain authority of the site linked, the more valuable the backlink. Google considers factors such as thematic relevance, the quality and originality of the linking site’s content, and its domain history. 

On the flip side, there are “toxic” backlinks that can harm your site. If you receive links from suspicious websites, low-quality directories, irrelevant pages, or those created solely for link exchanges (artificial backlinks), your website may lose credibility and drop rankings. 

How can you get valuable backlinks for your photography portfolio? Here are four ideas: 

• Ask your clients to credit your portfolio when publishing the photos you took. 
• Collaborate with local blogs or media and offer a few images in exchange for a credit link. 
• Enter photography contests that link back to your website if you’re shortlisted. 
• Create helpful content (like guides or tips) for other photographers and share it in forums, groups, or social media. 

Create a clear content structure 

A well-organised structure improves the user experience on your online portfolio and helps Google’s crawlers better understand and rank your site. 

Make sure you use a proper hierarchy of headings (H1, H2, H3), break up your text into readable paragraphs, and organise your content into sections, such as who you are, what kind of photography you specialise in, where you’re based, and how people can contact you. 

Avoid long walls of text. Use bullet points, bold formatting, and subheadings to make reading easier. A clean, minimalist design always beats a cluttered website. The easier your portfolio is to navigate and understand, the better your results will be, both in terms of user engagement and SEO. 

If you want to dive in deeper, take a look at our complete web design guide. 

Write short, clear URLs 

URLs also play a role in SEO. Ideally, they should be easy to read, free from unusual characters or unnecessary numbers, and include keywords related to the page content. 

For example, if you’re a photographer for social events and have a gallery dedicated to christening photos, a good URL could be: 

yourportfolio.com/christening-photography 

rather than

yourportfolio.com/gallery?id=84729&type=w1

Here are a few quick tips:

• Use relevant, descriptive keywords. 
• Avoid symbols, long strings of numbers, or question marks. 
• Separate words with hyphens (-), not underscores. 
• Keep them as short as possible. 

A clear URL is easier to remember, share, and—most importantly—rank in search engines. 

Use schema markup if you have a local business 

Do you run a photography studio or office? If you offer services in a specific location, adding local schema markup can help your site stand out in search results. 

Schema markup is a type of code you can add to your website to give search engines more context. For local businesses, it allows you to display extra information such as your address, opening hours, phone number, customer reviews, and even a Google Maps link. 

We also recommend setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile, ensuring your address is accurate and encouraging happy clients to leave reviews. This improves your visibility in Google’s local results and on Google Maps. 

This enhances your online presence and can increase your click-through rate (CTR) by making your site look more complete and professional in search listings. 

You can add schema markup using tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or SEO plugins for WordPress, such as Rank Math. 

Make sure your site looks great on mobile 

These days, most searches happen on mobile devices. That’s why your portfolio website needs to be fully optimised for smartphones and tablets. 

A responsive website not only improves the user experience, but it’s also something Google considers when ranking your site. If your website looks off or loads slowly on mobile, you’ll lose visitors—and potential clients. 

Check that your layout adjusts to different screen sizes, buttons are easy to tap, and images don’t slow down the browsing experience. 

SEO checklist for your photography portfolio 

Want to make sure your portfolio is truly search engine–friendly? Use this checklist as a quick guide before launching or updating your website. Every minor detail helps improve your visibility and attract more clients! 

• Main keyword is included on each page 
• Images optimised in size and WebP format 
• Properly named image files 
• Alt text with relevant keywords 
• Clear structure (H1, H2, etc.) 
• Clean, descriptive URLs 
• High-quality backlinks 
• Optimised loading speed 

Final tips to help your online photography portfolio stand out 

Throughout this guide, we’ve explored how to improve the visibility of your photography portfolio in search engines. But before we wrap up, here are a few final tips to ensure your site is ready to impress and bring you closer to your dream job. 

Showcase your best work 

Carefully select the photos you display. You don’t need to show everything, just the work that truly reflects your strengths. Choose images that highlight your photography style, technique, and specialty. 

Clearly list your services 

Weddings? Professional portraits? Product photography? Whatever your focus, explain it clearly. Include practical details like the type of service, estimated delivery times, pricing packages, or bespoke options. 

Make it easy to get in touch 

Don’t make visitors hunt for your contact info. Always include a visible contact form, your email address, and, if relevant, your phone number or WhatsApp link. The easier it is to reach you, the more enquiries you’ll get. 

Add a simple booking system 

Adding an online booking system can make a big difference if you offer photography sessions or set packages. Plenty of tools let clients schedule appointments and make payments automatically, giving them a smooth and professional experience from the first click. 

Ready to take your portfolio to the next level? At one.com, you’ll find everything you need to build your photography website from scratch: templates designed specifically for photographers, an AI content assistant, built-in SEO tools, and custom email addresses to make your brand look more professional. It is an all-in-one, easy-to-use platform built so you can focus on what you do best: capturing unforgettable moments.