How photographers get found on Google — not on Instagram — is where bookings actually come from. Couples searching "wedding photographer [city]", brands looking for a commercial shooter, parents wanting newborn photos: they all end up on Google before they send an enquiry. If your portfolio isn't there, they find someone whose is.
Photography is one of the most competitive local service markets online. The photographers winning the most bookings aren't always the most talented — they're the most findable. Here's how to become that photographer.
How Clients Search for Photographers
Photography searches are almost always a combination of shoot type and location:
- "Wedding photographer [city]"
- "Newborn photographer near me"
- "Headshot photographer [area]"
- "Family portrait photographer [town]"
- "Commercial photographer [city]"
- "Maternity shoot [your area]"
These are high-intent searches. Someone typing "wedding photographer Cornwall" is actively looking to book a photographer for their wedding in Cornwall. That's as qualified a lead as you'll ever get — and they're searching right now.
Your Portfolio Website: What It Needs to Do
Your Instagram grid shows your style. Your website closes the booking. When a potential client lands on your site from Google, they're making a decision in the first ten seconds: is this photographer for me? Does the work feel right? Can I see pricing? How do I enquire?
The sections that convert browsers into bookings:
- Portfolio organised by genre: Don't mix weddings, newborns, and commercial in a single gallery. Separate sections for each mean a couple searching for a wedding photographer sees weddings immediately — not newborns that might look irrelevant to them.
- Pricing (or at least a starting-from): "Investment" pages that hide all pricing create friction. Clients who can't quickly understand your price range assume they can't afford you and leave. Even a "from £X" removes that barrier.
- About page: Real clients hire real people. A genuine paragraph about who you are, your style, and why you shoot what you shoot builds trust faster than a list of technical credentials.
- Enquiry form: Make it easy to start the conversation. Date, type of shoot, a few details. Don't ask for everything upfront — the goal is the first contact, not a completed brief.
- Testimonials: Genuine client quotes — ideally mentioning how you made them feel, not just the quality of the photos — are more persuasive than any marketing copy you'll ever write.
We build free websites for photographers — portfolio, pricing, enquiry form, testimonials — delivered in seven days, no invoice.
SEO for Photographers: Location + Shoot Type
"Photographer" alone is impossibly competitive. The opportunity is in specific combinations:
- If you shoot weddings in the Lake District, your site should say "wedding photographer Lake District" — not just "photographer."
- If you do corporate headshots in Birmingham, that phrase should appear naturally in your headings and copy.
- If you travel to multiple areas, list them: "Available for weddings across Somerset, Devon, and Dorset."
This isn't keyword stuffing — it's writing for the searches your clients actually make. The more specifically your website describes what you do and where, the more precisely Google can match you to the right searches.
Separate Pages for Separate Genres
If you shoot both weddings and corporate headshots, consider a dedicated page for each. A couple searching "wedding photographer Bristol" and a brand manager searching "corporate photographer Bristol" have completely different needs. One page trying to serve both will rank for neither as well as a page built specifically for each.
This doesn't mean building an entirely new site — it means adding a URL like
/wedding-photography-bristol and /corporate-headshots-bristol
with content written for each audience. The effort pays back every time someone
searches that specific combination.
Image Optimisation: Speed vs Quality
Photography websites often tank in Google rankings not because of their content but because their images are too heavy. A 5MB JPEG is beautiful on screen and invisible to Google because the page loads too slowly for anyone to see it.
The fix is straightforward: export web versions of your portfolio images at 1200–1800px
wide, saved as JPEG at 70–80% quality. Use descriptive filenames:
wedding-photographer-bath-ceremony-riverside.jpg
rather than IMG_4823.jpg. Add alt text that describes what's in the image
and where it was taken. This is free, takes minutes, and helps both speed and SEO.
Google Reviews for Photographers
Photography is a trust business. Clients spending £1,500+ on a wedding photographer read reviews carefully. A portfolio they love and ten detailed reviews from past couples who mention specific moments — how relaxed you made them feel, how you handled the lighting challenge at the church, how quickly you delivered the gallery — converts enquiries into bookings.
Ask every happy client for a review as soon as you deliver their gallery. The emotion is high, the experience is fresh, and most clients are delighted to help. Five genuine, detailed reviews are worth more than fifty generic five-star ratings.
Start This Week
- Get a portfolio website built for search. We build them free for photographers.
- Organise your portfolio by shoot type — separate sections or pages for each genre you offer.
- Add your location and shoot types to your page headings — not just the footer.
- Optimise your images — rename files descriptively and add alt text.
- Ask your next three happy clients for a Google review when you deliver their gallery.
A couple planning their wedding in your area is searching for a photographer right now. Make sure they find you — and when they land on your site, make sure your portfolio and reviews make it an easy decision.