Basic Photography Blog Setup

If you really want to rank higher in search results, it’s time to learn some basic blog setup. A blog can drastically increase your ranking if you regularly post and follow some basic setup guidelines.

A blog is an online journal that allows you to create new webpages and galleries each time you post a new blog entry. People tend to visit blogs far more often than a standard website because it offers valuable content, usually more than is offered on a photography site that is largely made up of images. Plus, other sites link to your blog, increasing your ranking on search engines which also look at blog sites more often than standard business sites. The great news is that many blog themes are pre-optimized for search engines, offering you another advantage when it comes to ranking.

Before you start blogging, make a plan. Decide on these factors:

• How often you’ll post entries. A new blog post once or twice a week with images is pretty standard. These entries don’t have to be long; 150-200 words is enough.
• What you want to blog about. You need a list of topics, such as keeping people up to date on events you’re shooting, galleries you’ve posted, or special offers, or focusing on photography tips in your area of expertise, such as wedding photography.
• What keywords you want your blog to rank for in search engines. You can experiment with different combinations of the most popular keyword phrases.
• How you’ll use your blog to promote your website. Of course you can link to your site in your blog posts and use your blog to trade links with other bloggers or photographers in other specialties.
• Do you want to spring for a personalized domain? A shared domain, such as weddingphotography.wordpress.com, will not rank as high as weddingphotography.com.

After you establish your plan, purchase your domain name and download your blogging platform. Most bloggers recommend WordPress.org, but you can also go with Blogger.com or other platforms. Most of them will allow you to use your own domain name if you don’t want to use the free shared domain that includes the blog platform name at the end.

Once you’ve downloaded your platform, you can either use one of the site’s basic themed or shop around for a customized theme. There are several places you can purchase a blog theme that is specifically designed for a photographer, offering space for content and plug-ins that make uploading and tagging images easier.

If you decide to pay for our own domain name rather than use the shared one provided for free by your blogging platform, you’ll also need to find a hosting service. You may be able to get a good hosting package deal from the website where you purchased your domain name, so before you buy your domain name, research hosting. Do some comparison shopping. Your blog platform will likely recommend a few options for hosting.

After you’ve compared, purchase your domain name, your hosting package—either from the same site or a different one—and, if you want, purchase your customized theme.  The theme will come with instructions for implementing it. Your blogging platform forum or help center will also be  good source for help.

Then, start blogging! Remember, regular posts are more important than everything being perfect from the start. Post as often as you can and watch your ranking improve weekly.