Blogging Like A Boss
5 SEO Tips how to write a wedding photography blog
For some wedding photographers, blogging can be a giant pain in the ass. And I totally understand that because blogging isn’t really edge of the seat excitement. However, blogging frequently and effectively is necessary if you want to enhance SEO. Not to mention, writing can also be a factor in helping a bride pick a wedding photographer. This is because the difference between “Photographer A” and “Photographer Z” can sometimes be as simple as “Photographer Z” having a blog that had more personality. And honestly, a photographer should be thinking that every time they create a blog post because the reality is a potential bride could be reading that post in the future. That means every blog post is an audition for a future wedding. Like it or not, your blog is literally your handshake. It is an introduction between you and the potential client. That means definitely don’t be boring when blogging or go into writing a blog post with a DGAF attitude. You are a kick ass creative who got into wedding photography to pursue art and passion so start acting like it! You totally got this. But…..if you are struggling with blogging or writing content that is optimized for SEO here are some tips that will help you out!
1. Know Your Audience / Brand
When most wedding photographers are blogging one thing they can sometimes forget about is their brand. A photographer’s brand should always be entrenched in everything from the style of the website to even the content being drafted in a blog post. For example, if a wedding photographer has a brand that is “Adventurous + Outdoorsy” then the content should definitely call upon those same elements. That means writing about the landscape, native plants, or history of a location where a wedding might be taking place. Inserting anecdotes about personal travels to essentially bring the reader into that theme. Another example could be for a photographer whose brand is “Classic + Romantic”. That person could create content focused on wedding details such as where the dress was purchased, who designed the shoes, what the inspiration was for the wedding decor, etc.
2. Keywords
One of the most important things to remember when blogging is to utilize keywords. These keywords help Google understand what a blog post is about and can actually help rank the page higher in search. Let’s say a wedding photographer in Palm Springs shoots a kick ass wedding at Ace Hotel featuring a boho-style bride. That means the following keywords should be used consistently and appropriately throughout the blog post:
- Palm Springs
- Boho
- Ace Hotel Wedding
These keywords should NOT be blasted like spam, but utilized in headers, metadata and throughout the content in a fashion that flows naturally while also helping search engines know what the blog post is about!
3. Utilize Bridal Questionnaires
The bridal questionnaires are fantastic! I totally love them because they not only give me some basic info about the couple (how they met, how they got engaged etc.), but they can also be used to help provide a more detailed blog post. That means a detailed bridal questionnaire that is worded in a way to help get a bride to open up can totally help you get to that 400-600 words finish line that is recommended blog posts. The wedding photographer can cut and paste these questionnaire answers and plug them into the post to help provide some background info on the couple. This is something that can make the reader give a shit about the people in the photos. Essentially, a wedding photographer can get free content composed by the bride if the questionnaire is worded effectively. That means the only thing you have to worry about is if she is a decent writer!
4. Make Notes At Weddings
In the wedding photography business, everything is about moments. A good photographer utilizing kick ass timing and blasting that shutter the split second a moment happens is the difference between a good photo and a great photo. These moments can be traditional such as when a groom first sees his soon-to-be wife in a wedding dress, or they can be fun like when a drunk groomsman splits his rented dress pants on the dance floor. What is certain is that these amazing and authentic moments happen frequently throughout a wedding day so capture them with the camera and written word. Write down notes in your phone periodically of interesting details that could help your future blog post be more descriptive. What flavor was the wedding cake? Did the bride have a funny/corky laugh? How about the best man or maid of honor speeches? Jotting down some small notes throughout the day will totally help you better remember the day and make blogging about it easier!
5. Write From Your Perspective
One of the things most wedding photographers do when blogging is talk about the bride and the groom. Want to know a little secret? Talking about the couple is not mandatory. In fact, 99.9% of people do not want to read another f**king blog post about “how in love” couple “XYZ” were in there wedding photos. That shit can be boring. So one technique a wedding photographer can use while blogging is writing from their own perspective. That can include things that happened before the event such as preparing for the wedding, thoughts about shooting at the venue, expectations for how the day might go etc. Also, talking about details from shooting the actual wedding such as harsh lighting at the wedding ceremony, lenses used throughout the day, or any challenges from shooting the wedding. Writing the story from the perspective of the wedding photographer can be just as entertaining or informative (if not more) than blogging about the bride and groom.
Bonus Tip: SEO Plugins (Yoast)
There are many different (and free) plugins for WordPress content management system websites available that are great for SEO, but right now one of the best ones is Yoast SEO. This free WordPress plugin is a total must-have for any wedding photographer blogging because it makes keyword optimization easy, checks content for readability, observes linking activity and more. So install the plugin to your WordPress website and follow the guidelines to help get that blog content optimized. Oh and another great thing about Yoast SEO is that the plugin is updated every couple weeks to keep up with Google algorithm changes!
Motivation
Listen, nobody starts out being good at anything. When you first picked up your camera you sucked, but you got better right? Of course, you did. Writing and blogging are no different. And the good news is the more you write the more fluent you will become, and the easier it will be to pull those crazy thoughts in your head and drop them onto your blog. Your written voice will get sharper which is a tool to help you better connect with brides. So keep blogging and if/when you get frustrated just take a beer or wine break. You got this! Cheers!
Still interested in learning more about SEO for your wedding photography business? Then check out this article on link building for wedding photographers and how it can help SEO!
About the author. Ryan Horban is an award-winning wedding photographer based in Palm Springs, California.
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