In a recent episode of Search Off the Record, Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller and Developer Advocate at Google Search Relations, Martin Splitt, discussed SEO for photographers. They confirmed what many professionals suspected: social media alone isn’t enough.
For photographers who want control, visibility and credibility, a website remains essential. This makes the podcast a timely reminder for photographers to take control of their digital presence.
Why does Google still recommend that photographers have websites?
When asked if Instagram alone was enough for photographers, Martin Splitt explained that both a website and a social media presence are valuable. Social platforms can help with visibility, but he emphasized:
“For photographers, especially those who are doing more fine art stuff, where not just a single picture tells a story but a collection of pictures tells the story, you want a place where the story can unfold and be told properly. That can only happen on some space that you control. That is generally your website.”
Google’s message is clear:
- Websites give creative control over layout, quality and storytelling.
- Social feeds bury your work between random posts.
- Websites serve as your digital business card, especially for clients booking weddings, events or fine art commissions.
Different needs for different types of photographers
John Mueller noted that not every photographer approaches their online presence in the same way:
- Wedding/event photographers need a clear wedding portfolio website that doubles as a business card and booking tool.
- Fine art photographers often use art websites to tell a larger story or showcase exhibitions.
- Stock photographers may rely more on marketplaces to sell photos online, but SEO principles still matter for discoverability.
- Hobbyists might lean on social media, but a personal blog or website gives them space to curate collections without algorithmic noise
No matter which category you fall into: weddings, fine art, stock or hobbyist, the common thread is that your website needs to be discoverable. A stunning portfolio won’t help if clients or fans can’t find it. This is where branding becomes critical.
Also read: How to Create a Photography website: A Complete Guide
Branding: Why does your name matter more than keywords?
Later in the podcast, Martin reflected on his own photography site. He admitted he had chosen a generic domain. John pointed out that this is a common trap:
“I assume there are lots of people that do this. Whereas, if your brand were Martin Splitt photos, then people would be able to find you immediately.”
Choosing a generic name might feel strategic. Names like “underwater photography” or “NYC wedding photos” seem like they cover the right keywords. But in reality, this makes it harder to stand out. Search results are already crowded with competitors using the same descriptive terms. This leaves a little room for your unique voice, which is why tools like the Bluehost AI domain name generator can be helpful for sparking more original ideas.
The principle extends beyond photography. Whether you’re a graphic designer or a videographer, your brand name is your anchor in search. Over time, building a clear brand tied to your identity creates:
- Trust signals: Clients recognize and remember your name.
- Search clarity: People can find your work without navigating through generic noise.
- Ownership of reputation: You define what shows up when someone searches your name, not an algorithm or third-party platform.
A strong brand makes you memorable. But it’s only half the battle. To reach new audiences, your site also needs to be built in a way Google can understand. That’s where SEO best practices come in.
For a deeper dive into picking the right domain name, this guide on how to choose a domain name is a great place to start.
Let’s look at SEO best practices for photographers that John and Martin highlighted and understand how you can apply them to your own site.
SEO best practices for photographers, straight from Google
SEO for photographers is the process of optimizing your website, so it ranks on Google, attracts clients and builds your brand.
John and Martin emphasized that beyond websites and branding, SEO also involves practical steps photographers can take to help Google recognize and showcase their work more effectively.
Here are the on-record practices from the episode:
- Use Search Console to see how people find you: It won’t make you rank first, but as John noted, “you see things like what people are searching for, which can be insightful to see.” These insights show what your audience looks for and help you refine your site accordingly.
- Add descriptive text to gallery/category pages: Don’t leave galleries as pure grids. You must include locations, subjects or themes in titles and body copy so pages are understandable and findable.
- Give standout images their own landing pages: If you want your photos to show up in Image Search, don’t just bury them in a gallery. John later added, “if you’re interested in having your images individually findable, definitely make individual landing pages.” This helps you give each standout photo its own page with context, so Google recognizes its importance.
- Optimize images for devices: Serve smaller images on mobile and high-res files on larger screens to give visitors the best possible experience and help with Core Web Vitals. However, John cautions, “just because you’re doing these good practices, you’re not going to rank automatically.” Responsive images improve usability and load speed, but they’re not a shortcut to the top.
- Understand how social duplicates appear: In Web Search, your website pages are still unique because of the surrounding content and layout. In Image Search, as John explained, duplicates may be folded together and Google groups the same photo across sites. This means that people can still reach your site through the results.
How does Bluehost help you apply Google’s advice?
It was discussed extensively in the podcast that photographers need websites for clear branding. The value of descriptive galleries, image landing pages and responsive performance was highlighted.
At Bluehost, we make this simple. Our WordPress hosting provides photographers with the tools to implement Google’s best practices.
1. Easy branding from the start
You can register a domain, for example, [YourNamePhotography].com directly during setup with Bluehost. When creating your account, you can simply search and secure a new domain that fits your needs right inside your Bluehost dashboard.
2. Gallery-friendly WordPress themes
Bluehost offers a wide selection of themes, including many designed specifically for image galleries. These themes feature professional designs, customization options and responsive layouts.
As John noted, many photography websites rely only on visuals, leaving search engines with little context to work with. With Bluehost, you can enhance your images by adding titles, descriptions and metadata to each gallery. Additionally, all our hosting plans include Yoast SEO, providing you with powerful tools such as automated image sitemaps to optimize your photos for search engines. The result? Galleries that not only look stunning but are also easy for Google to find and rank
Furthermore, Martin and John emphasized the importance of giving standout photos their own dedicated landing pages. With Bluehost WordPress hosting, you can create individual photo pages without heavy coding, so every image has the chance to be found in search.
3. Optimized performance
Built-in CDN and responsive image support help you deliver high-resolution photos quickly and efficiently. By serving content from servers closer to your visitors, a CDN reduces latency and speeds upload times.
Martin explained how generating multiple versions of an image ensures the right file size is delivered for each device. At Bluehost, we automate this process. It enables your galleries to look sharp on large displays while staying light for mobile users.
Also read: How to Optimize Images: Bitmapped Graphics and Resizing
4. SEO made simple
John noted that many photographers overlook the basics. It leaves Google unclear on what their site should rank for.
With Yoast SEO, you can fix that by refining gallery titles, image descriptions and schema markup. It ensures that your work is understandable to search engines. This gives your photographs the visibility they deserve.
Also read: Yoast SEO for WordPress: Best SEO Plugin Guide in 2025
Final thoughts
Google’s message in this podcast is unambiguous: social media alone isn’t enough. If you want your photography to be visible, trusted and discoverable, you need more than an Instagram account. You need a website that puts you in complete control.
We saw how small changes, from branding to structured galleries and image pages, can unlock real discoverability.
At Bluehost, we make it simple to act on that advice. With WordPress hosting, built-in SEO tools and gallery-ready themes, your site becomes more than a portfolio. It becomes your brand’s hub and your gateway to new audiences.
The only question left is this: when someone searches for your name, will they find your work or someone else’s?
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