I'm a photography search engine optimization expert. After helping many photographers optimize their websites I want to share the most overlooked search engine optimization factor: links. Most photographers already know about keywords and meta data, but links play a huge role in helping your photography business shine in the eyes of Google.

The Importance of Links to Your Photography Website

Google ranks sites higher that have good references – other websites linking to it. An estimated 75% majority of Google's ranking process looks at the links coming into your page from other websites. There are many other important factors to ranking high in Google search results, including keywords on the page, but the single most important factor in photography SEO is the quantity and quality of links to your website.

Wedding photographers can dramatically improve their search engine position with as little as 10 or 20 quality backlinks. The best links are from related websites and use keywords (that you want to rank for) in the link text. For example, you might contact the venue where you last shot a wedding and ask them for a link to your site using the text “Zach's Wedding Photography in San Diego”. This link will appear on a page that talks about weddings (related content) and uses the words you want to rank for (Zach's Wedding Photography AND San Diego Photography). Below are some more ideas for building links to your site.

List in 5-10 Quality Web Directories

Web directories exist that actually seek links to valuable websites like yours. These are like online yellow pages that index photographer and broader topic websites. The submission process to web directories is usually simple – just look for the link called Suggest URL, Submit Site, or Add Link. I suggest that you only spend your time submitting to free directories, and a link back to their site is okay if they require it. Tips:

• Setup a unique email account for your directory submissions (expect to get a lot of email as a result of signing up).

• Have a well keyword-rich site title and description ready since you will get asked for them.

The first directory to submit to is Google's DMOZ. DMOZ is a very important free directory for your site and blog. It takes a little explanation – you need to click to your appropriate category before requesting a link. So navigate to Regional > North America > United States > [Your State] > Arts and Entertainment > Photography > [Your Specialty] and then click the link at the top for suggest URL. It can take months before your listing appears, but is worth the wait as far as quality links are concerned.

Setup 3-5 Local Business Profiles

Many local business websites appear in map sites and often appear above the regular search results, putting your link at the top of the search page! You can also ask clients for positive user reviews on some of the business profile sites which will build credibility for your business. Start by setting up free profiles at these example sites:

• Goolge Local

• Yahoo Local

Add a Link from Every Page of Your Blog

If you have a photography blog, make sure you have a link in every blog post that points to your main website. You can vary the text of the link to target different keywords. For example using some of these links in my blog posts can help me rank for a number of similar keyword phrases:

• View more San Diego wedding photos

• Visit my S.D. wedding photography site

• Get the latest wedding images on my photography site

• Check out Zach's Wedding Photography website

You can also link to your website from your blog navigation or blogrolll, which will automatically put a link on all of your blog pages.

Photography Link Exchange

sk your partners or related vendors in your area to link to your site. For example, you might want to exchange links with non-competing local wedding vendors like a wedding DJ or weddflorist. Links back from those partners may not only generate new business for you, but carry a much higher quality than a link from an unrelated site like a real estate business.

I first link to their site from the bottom of my splash page or homepage, then send them a note through their contact page or email address. I keep their link posted as long as they agree to link to me and maintain that link in good standing. Notice I said to post your link exchange to your splash page or homepage instead of a dedicated links page. Links pages have little to no value because they are buried so deep in sites, and have so many un-related links, that search engines practically ignore them. So the best advice is to carve out a little section of you homepage with 5-10 exchanged links, and seek links from other sites where you can be positioned on their homepages in return. The best link trades are beneficial to you and your customers.

Complete SEO How-to-Guide for Photographers

I hope you have picked up a few tips from the snapshot of my SEO booklet. This preview is published exclusively for the audience of Wedding Photography Directory (WPD). If you want to learn more about getting search engine results to your photography site, please consult the complete edition of The Photographer's SEO Book. No technical knowledge needed. Get 40 pages of step-by-step overview including tips on how search engines work, photography-related keywords, blogging for photographers, and google analytics. Great SEO for photo websites including BluDomain templates.

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