Q&A #12: Google Analytics, retina images, protecting high-res images, Yoast focus keywords
Answering your questions about filtering your own visits in Google Analytics, the balance between retina image quality and website performance, selling high-res images while still protecting them, using Yoast's focus keyword feature.
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[▶️] Photography website user experience
I was recently invited for a live Facebook event (hosted by Julie Christie from Togs in Business) where I shared some insights into what photographers like you should be thinking about when it comes to photography website user experience.
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Big SEO news: you can now write longer SEO meta-descriptions
Google now displays longer description snippets in their search results. Learn what means for SEO, how to take advantage of the longer SEO meta-descriptions, and how to track your results in Google Search Console.
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Copywriters for your photography website & 10 tips on improving your own writing
Great copywriting has become an important piece in any online business these days, and can considerably improve conversion rates, you shouldn't neglect it. These are 10 tips to help you improve your writing, plus a list of professional copywriters for photographers.
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New Google Search Console design and user interface: here’s what changed and which reports are most useful
The Google Search Console SEO tool has been redesigned from scratch, with indexing and search performance reports will provide even more insights into how you can improve your website (both in Google's eyes and for your human visitors). Here's what new and how to get useful insights from it.
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SEO is a long-term game: how long does it take to rank high on Google? [infographic]
SEO is not something you can crank out in a few weeks or months, and then just expect a traffic deluge to come. Better rankings require patience, dedication, and, of course, a commitment to quality content.
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The importance of WordPress maintenance: what types of problems you can have if you don’t care for your WP site
WordPress' popularity leads to complexity as well. Combining this with poor hosting services, improper management, security attacks and negligence, and you get a slew of possible errors. The solution is prevention: properly manage your WordPress site to avoid security and functionality problems down the line.
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Curated links #3
Time for another set of curated articles that I discovered in the past few months. Skim through this reading material to find the stuff that's most relevant to your photography business.
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In-depth guide: Photography website planning guide: find the clarity you need before building a strong online business
It's important to dedicate some time to do research and to strategize before building a new photo website. Follow these guidelines to gain more clarity.
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Complacency is risky: 7 signs that it’s time to redefine your photography business
Too many photographers feel stuck in a photography niche that they don't love anymore. Don't be afraid to tackle hard business decisions, that's where the key is. Because being complacent will hold you back from success.
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Organizing your images into galleries & collections to help people navigate your archive
How you structure your galleries will help users navigate your site more easily. For a small portfolio site, just a few galleries and you're done. But with a large image archive, creating (nested) collections is important.
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DPI & PPI are irrelevant, only pixel dimensions matter on your website
With everything related to your photography website, only image pixel dimensions matter. You can ignore DPI/PPI, that's just a piece of metadata, only relevant for printing and scanning.
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Custom website case-study: unique WordPress design for award-winning photographer Chris Dei
See what website design you can achieve if you use the right WP theme and if you let yourself be creative along the way. When the type of photography you shoot demands something special, it's OK to step outside of the norm and creating something unique to showcase it online.
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In-depth guide: How to create & improve your Google My Business listing to attract new clients
Make your photography business more easily discoverable on Google Search and Maps by creating a free Google My Business listing and getting reviews.
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In-depth guide: Image SEO essentials: How to optimize for Google Image search to drive more traffic to your photography website
Image SEO guidelines for ranking in Google Image search, along with explanations of why you'd want to rank in Google Image search, how it different from regular SEO, how to track your image SEO results and what the future brings.
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Q&A #11: website caching, WordPress hosting, paid links and image sizes
Answering your questions about website caching, good WP hosting providers, paid/affiliate links and how to size images on your site (for good performance).
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Google Chrome to show security warnings on your site if you don’t have a SSL certificate
Google is really making a push towards HTTPS recently, and this is just the next step. You should really take some time to get an SSL certificate and move your site to HTTPS.
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Single-page websites: when are they a good idea for your photography business?
If you just want an "online business" card (a bio, a short portfolio, some info about your services, and your contact info), then a single-page website might be a great fit for you. But you have to learn their pros and cons first.
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In-depth guide: You need a photography business plan, not just a website
Start thinking like a business owner and let go of the "build it and they will come" mentality. You need to work hard on all aspects of your photography business to differentiate yourself.
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Q&A #10: Portfolio tools SEO, domain name tips, blog vs portfolio pages, WP plugin performance
Answering your questions about SEO-shortcomings of portfolio tools, tips for choosing your domain name, differences between blog & portfolio pages, and how WordPress plugins don't slow down your site.
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Optimize your photography website for repeat visitors to convert them into clients
After you've clarified your site for first-time visitors, make sure that repeat visitors have good reasons to come back to the site. And when they do, that they can find what they're looking for very quickly.
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Website makeover case study: using the power of CSS to improve an existing PhotoShelter site
You can bring new life into your existing photography website by adding custom CSS code and doing minor template tweaks. An improved online presence will grow your business as a result.
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In-depth guide: Clarify your photography website for first-time visitors to help drive more business
Most of your website visitors are there for the first time. They're probably a bit confused and they need your guidance. Optimize your website to turn them into repeat visitors (and eventually into clients).
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Curated links #2
This is a curated collection of interesting articles I've seen online in the past few months, covering SEO, WordPress & more. Time to start reading!
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