Top 10 SEO Strategies for 2024 | Photographers and Creatives

Is your site aligned with best SEO practices going into the New Year? While the building blocks of SEO thankfully stay the same, our strategy sometimes needs to adjust and adapt to the changing landscape. Here are 10 SEO strategies for 2024 you need to know about.

And to make this even better for your business, this list is specifically designed for photographers and serviced-based creatives in mind. Because not all SEO strategies are created equal.

5 Things That Are Staying The Same About SEO in 2024

1. A Solid SEO Structure For Your Site Matters

Having a solid meta description, page title, and organized header tags still matter a lot.  These basics matter even more for those of in small markets or who are just starting off without a lot of users visiting out site. Things like page titles and meta descriptions are the biggest way that Google uses to understand your content and get that initial ranking.

Don’t skip the basics.

2. Be mindful of your image size, especially you photographers

Photographers are super guilty of this one: bloated images that slow down your page. It’s in our DNA to only want the most perfect, tack sharp images in our portfolios online. While great photos matter, they should be only as large as they need to be so they can be comfortably viewed on your screen.

3. SEO is still a long game in 2024

SEO is not one of those things that you can make a few changes and instantly make it to number 1. Plus, you can only stay on page one if you do something after you get there. While SEO isn’t complicated, it’s not designed to be a quick process. Slow and steady wins (and keeps winning) the race.

4. Alt Text Is Important On Your Images for SEO

Accurate alt text needs to be on all your photos. Furthermore, it needs to be accurate – meaning it matches the picture and hopefully, at the same time, talks about your key phrase. Don’t use Alt text to stuff your keyphrase and forget to describe the image.

5. Backlinks are a pain but still an SEO game changer in 2024

I’m going to keep it real here. Backlinks absolutely suck to go after, and they are hard to get. I hate seeking them out for my own site. But, spoiler alert, they are one of the best ways to show Google you’re a trustworthy website.

Keep up the good fight in 2024, and look for backlinks to boost your SEO.

5 Things Changing About SEO Strategy in 2024

1. AI is changing the way we create content for our websites and Google is paying attention

AI is changing the way we create content for our websites, and Google is paying attention

I greatly support using AI in your content creation (you can find more here). However, it’s so important you use AI to enhance what you’re already doing, not recreate the wheel.

Cliff notes that to combat how easy it is now to produce content, Google is starting to give less love to websites that are cranking out piles of generic content. Quality, organic content that serves your client is more important than 4 blogs a week.

2. If you’re not leveraging local SEO in 2024 you might be left in the dust

Local SEO grows in importance month after month. Near me, searches are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to local SEO. In 2024, invest a chunk of your SEO time in the local game.

3. Think beyond “Your City + Photographer”

Demand is trending down for many of us using the traditional key phrases we think of, like “Spokane Family Photographer .” However, that doesn’t mean your clients are going away; they often find a photographer before they even type in those words.

Look for ways to get in front of your ideal client online earlier. Content that addresses questions your ICA has before they are shopping for you is a great way to grab their attention early in the process. Some examples could be writing blogs about scheduling a newborn photo session, the best locations for family photos, newborn photos with dogs, etc.

If key phrases, in general, feel overwhelming, be sure to check out my free introduction to key phrase planning.

4. Google Search Generative Experience (SGE is coming)

SGE is a lot like using ChatGPT. While different, it will be focused on giving specific answers to questions versus a Yellow Pages-type feel of traditional Google. SGE has yet to be rolled out to everyone, so it’s hard to predict exactly what to do. However, a good bet is to continue to build content that answers specific questions your clients might have.

5. Focus on becoming an authority on your subject as a pillar of your 2024 SEO Strategies

Google is pushing harder to reward sites that appear to be an authority on their subject. Unfortunately, those of us who are branding, food, senior, pet, newborn, and family photographers will have a more challenging time appearing as an authority than someone who only focuses on Family and Newborns.

Internal linking is a great way to boost your page’s overall authority. If you have a page dedicated to newborn photography, link 3-4 related newborn blogs and your newborn portfolio to the main newborn page. The association of the related pages boots the authority of your main page.

Quality Organic Content and A Well Structured Site Matter The Most in 2024

Overall, 2024 SEO strategies are about leaning even more into quality organic content and starting to optimize sites for a change in how people think about searches. Does this mean you need to overhaul your entire site? Absolutely not. But be mindful when creating new content and ask yourself if you can answer specific questions your ideal clients might already be asking.

I hope you found those posts helpful as you think about attacking SEO strategies for 2024. Sign up for my SEO community newsletter if you want even more support for your SEO game and even integrating AI into the process. It’s always free, gets to the point, and gives you actionable tools weekly for your business.