SEO for Photographers Who'd Rather Be Holding a Camera

You're elbow-deep in nappies and soft toys, the lighting's just right, the newborn is miraculously asleep, and everything's perfect—until you remember you haven't posted to your blog in six months. Or updated your Google Business profile. Or done anything remotely related to SEO. Again.

The good news? Ranking locally as a photographer doesn't have to consume your evenings or your will to live. You can make smart, consistent moves that actually work—and still have time to edit that one photo where the baby finally smiled.

Write What You Shoot (and Where You Shoot It)

If you're already out there documenting adorable chaos in places like Chelsea, Battersea, or that one exceptionally minimalist flat in South London, you've got content waiting to be written.

Instead of agonizing over what to post, just write a simple blog post about the session. Not a novel—just a few paragraphs. Mention where the shoot took place and keep it casual, like:

"I recently had the joy of photographing a newborn session in a bright Chelsea flat. The natural light was incredible, and baby Max had the sleep schedule of a retired housecat—perfect for some dreamy shots."

This kind of content does two things:

• It signals to Google that you're active and relevant in specific locations.
• It helps potential clients searching for something like "newborn photographer Chelsea" actually find you.

Yes, geotagged blog posts are still a thing. And yes, they still work.

Alt Text Is Not an Afterthought

Look, no one enjoys writing alt text. It's the broccoli of website maintenance—boring but essential. When uploading images, don't settle for "IMG_9483.jpg." Give it a name that includes keywords naturally:

"newborn-baby-asleep-in-mother-arms-south-london.jpg" is better. For the alt text itself, something like: "Newborn baby sleeping in mother's arms during a natural light session in South London."

That description hits location, subject, and context. Google likes that. Visually impaired visitors like that. You will like that, when your images rank in image search and start sending you actual traffic.

Avoid stuffing in too many keywords, though—this isn't 2009, and we are no longer in the shadow of the keyword cramming apocalypse.

FAQs Aren't Just for Corporate Monoliths

You might not have a customer support department or a chatbot named Greg, but you do get the same questions over and over. And that's exactly why you should build an FAQ-based landing page. Instead of just answering those questions via DMs or email for the tenth time, turn them into gold. Some examples:

• "When's the best time to book a newborn session?"
• "Do you bring props, or do I need to?"
• "What if my baby cries the whole time?"

Each of those questions, when turned into a well-written section, becomes a searchable content block. You'll be surprised how often people type those exact queries into Google—especially at 2 a.m. while rocking a screaming newborn.

And yes, you can answer with warmth and reassurance. You're not writing a tech manual. This is about showing up in searches and sounding like someone they'd actually want in their home.

Why Long-Tail Keywords Beat the Braggy Ones

Let's talk about search terms. "Best photographer UK" might sound like the golden ticket—but it's not. First, it's ridiculously competitive. Second, it's vague. Third, unless you have Beyoncé's PR team, it won't convert.

Instead, focus on long-tail keywords. They're more specific, less competitive, and way more aligned with actual client intent. Try:

• "gentle newborn photographer South London"
• "natural light baby photos Battersea"
• "at-home newborn photography Chelsea"

These are emotionally resonant, location-specific, and realistic. They describe what people want—a gentle, relaxed experience. If someone is googling that at 3 a.m., they're not casually browsing. They're looking to book.

And when your blog post or FAQ page uses that exact phrasing—naturally, not robotically—you're not only visible, you're relevant. And relevance is what Google cares about now. Not who can yell "best photographer" the loudest.

Set a Pace You Can Actually Stick To

Here's the part where most photographers fall off the wagon: consistency. But before you start drafting a weekly blog schedule that will inevitably be abandoned by mid-July, let's get real.

You don't need to post every week. You don't even need to post every month. What you do need is a sustainable rhythm. That could be:

• One blog post every six weeks about a recent shoot
• One FAQ update or client question turned into a post
• Seasonal content (e.g., "How to prepare for a winter newborn session")

The goal is to let Google know you're active—not that you're running a content farm in your basement. Quality over frequency. Every time.

Google Business Profile: Boring but Brutally Effective

If you haven't touched your Google Business Profile since the day you set it up (probably under duress), go back and update it.

Add real images from sessions—recent ones. Keep your contact info accurate. Use the "posts" feature occasionally, even just to share a photo and mention the location. Those little nudges matter.

Encourage happy clients to leave honest reviews, and gently suggest they mention location and what they liked ("she was so patient during our Clapham newborn session"). That's keyword magic, but without sounding like an infomercial.

Social Media Can Help... If You Let It Work For You

Social doesn't have to mean dancing on Reels or posting daily. Use it to reinforce your SEO strategy instead of letting it eat your life.

Post a teaser from a session and link back to your blog. Share a Story answering a common question and direct viewers to your FAQ page. The content doesn't have to be different—it just needs to be distributed.

Think of your site as the mothership. Everything else—Instagram, Facebook, whatever the kids are using now—should lead people back to where they can actually book you.

SEO Without Sobbing

Look, you're not trying to build an empire. You're trying to book amazing clients, shoot beautiful work, and maybe sleep once in a while. A lightweight SEO plan isn't about gaming algorithms—it's about putting out signals that help the right people find you.

Write posts about real sessions in real places. Use alt text that says something useful. Build a page that answers questions your inbox is already groaning under. And let long-tail keywords carry the load, instead of chasing hyper-competitive nonsense that leads nowhere.

Set a manageable pace. Stick to it. Keep your business profile updated and your website quietly humming.

You don't need a course. You don't need a guru. You just need to show up online the same way you do in your sessions: calmly, clearly, and with just enough swaddle to hold it all together.

Article kindly provided by magicrainbowphotography.com