Q&A #17: text on the homepage, pages vs posts, ALT tags & sharing buttons
Answering your questions about including text on the homepage, whether pages rank better than posts, image ALT tags & sharing buttons.
Read articleSearch engine optimization for photography websites.
Google is becoming more human. Make it your friend.
🦖 “Dinosaur” SEO tactics: stop wasting time on outdated SEO tactics and instead focus on what Google now cares about
Many photographers are still following old SEO tips, some of which no longer work or are even hurting their chances to rank well. Learn what SEO strategies to avoid and what to do instead to make Google happy.
Read article10 reasons to include auto-playing music or videos on your website
The fact that all major social media and video platforms allow turning the autoplay feature on (or off), is a clear sign of how wide-spread and popular autoplay videos are. Here are 10 strong reasons to add auto-playing music or videos to your website. Or not.
Read articleIn-depth guide: How to change your site’s domain name (URL) without losing SEO rankings (7 steps + FAQ)
A step-by-step process for changing your site's URL while maintaining search engine rankings and avoiding indexing problems. Especially important when rebranding your business or when switching to a shorter domain name.
Read articleQ&A #16: old portfolio images, dashes in domain names, comments, SEO tags & redirects
Answering your questions about keeping old portfolio images on your site, using dashes in domain names, transitioning from Blogger to WP, Yoast media redirection settings & more.
Read articleLessons learned from working on over 300 photography websites
I've been working as a web-designer on photography websites since 2010 and I noticed a few patterns in my work. Here are some common photographer "blind spots" or things they're struggling with.
Read articleHierarchy of website priorities: Do you have an unreasonable obsession with SEO?
Focusing on SEO can help you grow your business, but not at the expense of huge user-experience mistakes. Let's define your website priorities and set the in the right order.
Read articleHow to modernize your photography website and adapt it to recent industry changes
Browsing habits, in particular, are changing over time; and without revamping your photography website based on recent industry standards, you're leaving money on the table (low traffic, poor conversion rates, fewer leads and sales)
Read articleInterview on the PhotoBizX Podcast: “Everything you need for a successful photography website”
I'm back on the PhotoBizX podcast with a really long and detailed conversation (with host Andrew Hellmich) about user experience in photography websites. Andrew and I cover (almost) everything you need to know for building a great photography website.
Read articleCurated list of the best WordPress plugins for photographers
Collection of recommended WordPress plugins (that I'm often using when building photography websites). Almost all plugins below have excellent reviews & a rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars, and have been thoroughly revised and tested.
Read articleWordPress vs. photography-specific & other platforms: deciding where you should build your photo website
How do you decide what platform to build your photography website on? WordPress has become very popular, but photographer-specific tools have their own strong features. This article will help you decide which best fits your needs.
Read articleDon’t obsess over SEO: 10 things you should be taking care of on your photography site before doing advanced SEO work
SEO procrastination is too common among photographers, often times actually damaging their business. There's a time for SEO work, of course, but other website changes should be taken care of first. Make sure your website completely nails these issues before worrying about traffic and SEO.
Read articleQ&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.
Read articlePhotography website user experience [video]
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.
Read articleBig 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.
Read articleNew 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.
Read articleSEO 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.
Read articleIn-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.
Read articleIn-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.
Read articleGoogle 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.
Read articleSingle-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.
Read articleQ&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.
Read articleQ&A #9: how to get stated, slideshows & galleries, child themes, photography website services
Answering your questions about getting started with your first photography website, WP child themes, slideshows, etc. Plus: a chat about comparing photo website services.
Read articleKeeping your online portfolio fresh
Stop your photography portfolio from collecting dust by regularly adding new projects, rotating some of your past galleries and scheduling portfolio clean-ups.
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