You don’t need to overhaul your website every quarter to stay relevant. But if you’ve invested time (or money) in your site’s SEO—and you want it to keep showing up in search—you do need a rhythm. That’s where monthly SEO maintenance comes in as a critical piece of your strategy.
First, take a big breath -This isn’t about spending hours tweaking every page. It’s about small, focused actions that build momentum.
I’m MaryBeth—former business analyst turned full-time photographer, who circled back to SEO consulting after realizing most creatives were being taught strategies that didn’t actually fit how they work. This hybrid brain of mine lives for helping creatives build traction with their content—without burning out.
SEO Maintenance That Doesn’t Suck the Life Out of You
You don’t need to become an SEO specialist or dump hours every month into analysis. What it comes down to is a smart system that you can revisit each month. Here’s what I check on, in order of what tends to move the needle for my own businesses.
Create One Piece of New Content
Think one great thing—not five rushed ones. In 2025, content quality matters more than frequency by a land slide.
- Turn a question you get all the time from your clients into a new blog or FAQ page.
- Share behind-the-scenes of a client experience. Great for EEAT.
- Highlight a seasonal offering or service with a new section on your service page.
If you’ve already built out your service and evergreen pages, shift your energy to blogging. It’s the easiest way to show your authority, stay visible and pick up extra locations.
Refresh One Piece of Existing Content
This is where you start stacking results.
When you update older blogs or pages, you’re not starting from scratch—you’re building on content that already has some traction. These small improvements (like refining your keywords, adding new photos, or tightening your intro) can compound over time and push your content higher in search results.
- Update an older blog with stronger keywords, a fresher intro, or new photos
- Clean up your blog categories and tags so they serve your readers (and Google)
- Link from the blog to a relevant service or booking page
Focus on content that has traction but isn’t converting yet. Think: ranked on page 2, showing up for decent keywords, but not bringing in clicks or leads.
Google Search Console: Your SEO Maintenance Reality Check
This free tool shows you what Google sees—and where you can improve. Here’s how to use it:
- Indexing Check
- Go to Pages > Why pages aren’t indexed
- Look for anything marked “discovered, not indexed” or “crawled but not indexed” that should be live. This is not your terms and conditions or empty blog tags.
- Request indexing for solid pages
- While you’re there, scan for broken links—redirect or fix them as needed
- Performance Insights
- Go to Search Results > Queries
- Look for keywords where you’re in positions 20–30
- That’s “almost converting” territory—pick one and optimize an existing post around it
- Internal Link Boosting
- Find your top-performing blog post
- Can you link from it to a related service page or evergreen guide? These higher traffic blogs are great to boost related service pages.
Reminder: this isn’t about fixing everything. Pick one or two wins and move the needle.
Local SEO Tune-Up
Photographers are the definition of a local business. So even if you’re not thinking about “local SEO,” Google is.
Each month, check in on your Google Business Profile:
- Are your hours, contact info, and photos current?
- Respond to any new reviews (Google loves engagement)
- Post a quick update—behind-the-scenes, tips, or even a client feature
- Ask one client for a review
SEO Maintenance If You Blog for Multiple Cities
Do you have blog posts that target specific locations—like nearby towns, elopement spots, or secondary service areas?
Choose one and give it some love. Add more local phrasing, link it to a service page, or update with new images. Local phrasing could be talking about micro communities, parks, and landmarks in the area. it gives Google a sign you’re an expert on the area not simply name dropping.
Or, if you’ve been meaning to write about a secondary location—this is your sign.
📖 Need help with local? Read: Navigating the Local SEO Maze
Share, Share, Share
You can’t rely on Google alone. Each month, choose one place to focus on visibility:
- Reshare a blog link inside your client experience emails
- Post on social media in your stories and point to a gallery or blog
- Pin 2–3 old blog posts to Pinterest
- Share you most recent blogs to your newsletter list
The goal is to gently direct people back to your site to boost traffic and session time.
A Few Things I Check Quarterly in my SEO Maintenance
Not every task needs to live on your monthly list. These can rotate in seasonally:
- NAP Consistency: Is your Name, Address, and Phone number the same on your site and your Google profile? Can you I find 2 new citations or NAPs.
- About Page & Bios Add any new awards, features, or experience that reinforces your credibility. Google’s EEAT standards reward this. Your about page should get just as much love as your service page since Google looks here for you expertise and experiene Need inspiration? Here’s mine or check out my about for MB Bryant Images
- Service Page Review: Double-check your offerings. Are they still aligned with what you’re booking? Update anything that’s out of step.
The SEO Maintenance plan I follow has been adapted to really take into consideration the massive changes Google Search (and search in general) has thrown at us. If you’re interested in what’s driving these changes, ready more here: SEO in 2025: What Creatives Need to Know
The Real SEO Win: Quiet Consistency
Monthly SEO maintenance isn’t about “doing all the things.” It’s about staying visible, building trust with Google, and keeping your content aligned with how you actually want to show up and serve.
Let it be simple. Let it be sustainable. And most of all—let it support your creativity, not compete with it.
