Photographers often fall into the trap of obsessing over SEO—it’s tangible, easy to track, and feels like productive work. You can look at your traffic stats, see a bump in numbers, and feel like you’ve accomplished something meaningful. But the truth is: chasing SEO can easily become a distraction from what truly matters.
Think of your website as a funnel. At the top, you have SEO-driven traffic. But if your site is confusing, poorly written, or generic, you’re leaking leads fast. Photographers pour time into SEO while ignoring the holes in that funnel—bad copywriting, uncurated portfolios, and poor user experience. And that’s a bigger issue.
So, what’s the better alternative? Investing in UX and the “intangibles.”
🧠 Technical vs. Intangible Website Work
Improving user experience (UX) isn’t just about making things pretty. It includes everything from navigation clarity and mobile responsiveness to fast loading times and intuitive layout. These are tangible, technical tasks you can often outsource.
But then there’s the hard part:
- Curating your portfolio to only show your best work
- Writing compelling, clear copy that reflects your brand
- Injecting your personality into the site
- Understanding your audience and speaking directly to them
This is work you can’t delegate. It requires introspection, clarity about your business goals, and a deep understanding of your market. In the age of templates and automation, it’s these personal touches that differentiate you.
🛠️ Steps for a True Website Reset
Let’s say you’re all in. You’re ready to rebuild or redesign your site from scratch. Before hiring a web designer (even someone like me!), take a step back and do some prep:
Understand your audience deeply.
- Think about your favorite past clients.
- Create personas or simple profiles to guide content decisions.
Clarify your niche and positioning.
- What makes you different?
- What market need are you solving?
Prepare your content.
- Organize your best work into thoughtful galleries.
- Write authentic, value-driven copy for your pages.
- Plan out your services/products clearly.
Map out your website structure.
- What’s the user flow from homepage to contact?
- What do you want people to see first, second, and last?
Only after this foundational work is done should you start thinking about the design and SEO. A strong site is built on strategic decisions, not keyword stuffing.
Your photography website isn’t just a digital business card. It’s your sales tool, your brand showcase, and your voice online. Treat it with the attention it deserves.
🚫 Don’t Use SEO as a Crutch
SEO feels productive. But it’s often procrastination disguised as progress.
It’s easier to obsess over metadata than to face the tough work of defining your niche, curating your best work, or writing strong copy. But these intangibles are what actually move the needle.
Make sure you’re not losing potential clients with a bad site while you’re trying to lure more people in. Fix the leaks before opening the tap.
🧭 Focus on UX Before Keywords
Good SEO is no longer just keywords and backlinks. Google now rewards usability.
That means things like:
- Simple, intuitive navigation
- Clear layout and typography
- Fast load times
- Mobile responsiveness
These technical improvements are valuable—but even more so when paired with honest, well-structured content and personality. UX and SEO now go hand-in-hand.
Improve the experience first, and search rankings will follow.
