If you’ve built a beautiful wedding photography website and uploaded your best shots, but you’re still not seeing inquiries roll in from search engines, chances are your keyword strategy needs work.
I’m Sam, Creative Director at Ever & After Studio—a search and design studio created specifically for wedding photographers. In this post, I’m walking you through keyword research for wedding photographers: how to find the right keywords, how to use them, and what mistakes to avoid so your wedding photography business can rank higher and attract more of your ideal clients through search engine optimization (SEO).
What Is Keyword Research?
Keyword research is the process of identifying the exact words and phrases your target audience is typing into search engines like Google. For a wedding photographer, this could be anything from “romantic wedding photographer in Charleston” to “best engagement photo locations in San Diego.”
By aligning your website content with these search terms, you boost your chances of appearing in search engine results, bringing in website traffic from people actively looking for your services.
Why Keyword Research Matters for Wedding Photographers
Your potential clients are not searching your business name. They’re looking for specific services in specific locations, like:
- “elopement photographer San Francisco”
- “affordable wedding photographers in Austin”
- “best wedding photographer New York City”
Without the right target keywords on your site, search engines won’t know to show your website. The result? You’re invisible to the people who need your services most.
Using the right keywords allows you to:
- Increase online visibility
- Improve search engine rankings
- Reach a specific audience with specific needs
- Drive higher conversion rates
Step-by-Step Keyword Research Process
Step 1: Pick a Location
Even if you’re a destination wedding photographer, it’s important to have a home base. Google needs location-based keywords to understand where to rank your site.
Start by listing your core services paired with your primary city:
- “wedding photography Austin Texas”
- “elopement photography Austin”
- “engagement photo shoot Austin”
This step helps build the foundation for your homepage, services pages, and even blog content.
Step 2: Expand to Nearby Areas
Once you’ve locked in your primary city, branch out to nearby locations where you also work. If you’re based in Washington, D.C., think Arlington, VA, Alexandria, VA, or Bethesda, MD.
But don’t go overboard. Don’t try to rank for “wedding photographer Los Angeles” if you’re based in Florida. If you want to target faraway cities, consider building location-specific landing pages or even microsites.
Step 3: Think Like Your Clients
Your clients aren’t just searching for photographers—they’re searching for ideas and inspiration. Here are long-tail keywords that could drive traffic:
- “Best wedding venues in [City Name]”
- “Engagement photo locations in [Neighborhood]”
- “Wedding photo inspiration at [Venue Name]”
These specific keywords don’t always show high search volume, but they speak directly to user intent. And that’s powerful.
Create valuable content around these keywords: blog posts, venue guides, or location-specific galleries. You’ll improve your user experience and build trust.
Step 4: Use Google Search and Analyze Results
Start typing your service into Google—like “wedding photographer Fairfax VA”—and scroll to the related searches at the bottom of the page. These are related keywords your clients are also using.
You’ll also find a “People Also Ask” section filled with real questions. These are golden for wedding blogs, FAQs, and resource pages.
Look at the top-ranking photographers in your city. What are they blogging about? Are they targeting specific venues or elopement spots? Use that for content inspiration.
Tools to Use for Keyword Research
1. SEO Tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Ubersuggest)
These SEO tools help you:
- Analyze competitor keywords
- Discover keyword difficulty
- Track your keyword rankings
- Evaluate search intent and high search volume terms
Simply enter a competitor’s domain to see the keywords they rank for. Add any relevant terms to your own keyword list.
2. Pinterest
Pinterest is great for content inspiration and finding long-tail keywords in the wedding industry. Search something like “wedding photographer poses” or “wedding photo checklist” and pay attention to the auto-suggested keyword variations. These are terms with strong user intent and can spark ideas for blog posts or website content.
Keyword Mistakes Wedding Photographers Should Avoid
1. Targeting Keywords That Are Too Broad
“Wedding photography services” or “wedding photographer near me” may sound good but are incredibly competitive. Focus on specific terms and local keywords for better results.
2. Ignoring Location-Specific Keywords
Don’t just say “Virginia Wedding Photographer.” Get specific with cities, neighborhoods, and even venues.
Use terms like:
- “wedding photographer Arlington VA”
- “elopement photographer Shenandoah National Park”
- “romantic wedding photography Old Town Alexandria”
3. Keyword Stuffing
Repeating the same keyword over and over? That hurts your user experience and can actually tank your rankings. Use natural language, related terms, and write for humans first.
4. Only Focusing on Volume
Some of the most valuable keywords don’t show up in keyword tools. If you know people are searching for “sunset wedding photos at XYZ venue,” use it—even if the volume is 0. Relevance > volume.
Best Practices for Using Keywords on Your Website
- Use your main keywords in the title tags, headers, and first 100 words of your page.
- Write naturally and avoid overusing keywords.
- Optimize image alt text using descriptive, keyword-rich phrases.
- Make sure your PageSpeed and mobile usability are strong—these are ranking factors too.
- Add schema markup, update your Google My Business listing, and include a clear contact form with your phone number.
- Focus on quality backlinks by writing guest posts, sharing on social media platforms, and getting listed in wedding directories.
How to Track Your Progress
Once your keywords are in place, it’s time to monitor performance. Use tools like:
- Google Search Console to track which terms bring in traffic
- Ubersuggest or Ahrefs to watch your keyword rankings
- Google Analytics to measure how visitors interact with your content
Tracking lets you refine your SEO strategy, create better content, and improve your wedding photography website over time.
Final Thoughts: Make Your Website Work for You
Keyword research isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about helping the right people find you.
Your wedding photography packages, your photography style, your service areas—they all deserve to be seen. And with the right keyword strategy, they will be.
Whether you’re a local business or a destination wedding photographer, the steps above will help you use search engine optimization to grow your visibility, attract your target audience, and ultimately, book more weddings.
If you’ve made it this far and want help building out your content strategy or improving your rankings, let’s talk. Or, check out my wedding photographer SEO services at Ever & After Studio.
