42 Photography Blog Post Topics to Simplify Blogging and SEO
Aug 23, 2024
42 Photography Blog Post Topics to Make Blogging and Ranking Easier
Blogging is one of those things that every photographer hears that they "must do" but usually, they don't know why, or where to begin. This guide is here to cover both of these - and most importantly, make the whole thing simple and, dare-I-say-it... Enjoyable. Don't quote me on that if you don't like writing in general!
For the visual learners out there, here's a video I put together that covers why blogging is so important, helpful, and also dives into some of the tips from this article:
Why you should blog
Most photographers jump into this whole blogging thing without much of a plan or even knowing the benefits. I'm sure you've heard, "start a blog, that will help!" But why? Personally, if I don't know WHY I'm doing something, I generally won't give it much of an effort.
Blogging has more benefits than I could probably cover here. But let's start with the main reason: Blogging about the right things WILL grow your rankings in search engines (SEO).
Why does blogging help a site rank? There's something in SEO called "topical authority". This term means that websites that fully and deeply cover a specific topic are far more likely to rank than sites that have content all over the place. As a photographer, we want to show the search engines (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc.) exactly what we do and where we do it. Going in-depth here paints the picture clearly so that Google will know how to rank our site.
In addition, the more we write, the more likely we are to stumble over keywords that will rank for our niche. Just by going in-depth on what we do, we are showing our expertise and hitting on all the points that Google is looking to share with our ideal audience. The more they know, the better they can serve us by featuring our sites in results.
These are just a few key points. Another one is simply that by posting, we are showing search engines that we are still actively in business. Google want's to feature photographers when they are positive that they are out doing what they say they are.
Finally, blogging serves these same purposes for any potential clients that visit our site, no matter how they find it. It shows that we are active, shows our personality and gives a "behind the scenes" kind of view, and can be the difference between someone hiring us, or checking out other photographer's sites.
Staying motivated with blogging
As you go down this path of building your photo blog, remember that consistency and pacing is going to be your friend. If you're anything like me, you're ALL IN at the moment, and then after a few days of writing and not seeing results, you're over it and it clearly didn't work...
Set your expectations from the start. This is a long game. It's not a quick-win. If you want quick-wins you could try ads but be warned that those have a steep learning curve and come with a hefty price tag. But even if you go any other route, add this to the mix in your photography business at a pace that suits you. Whether you post 1x per week or 1x per month, you'll get there eventually. You'll be glad you started!
The other part that I never hear anyone talking about? Balance. When we work on something, we need a balance to keep things engaging. Once you learn some SEO basics (which you'll want to do to get the best results), you'll be determined to only post about topics that are most likely to rank. However, this can be pretty boring and can suck all the fun out of blogging. Try posting about topics that are still relevant to what you do, but also that you are excited to write about. This could be a recent shoot, a new technique you learned for editing or shooting, etc...
By posting a mix of articles optimized for search, and articles that you simply want to write, you can keep it all interesting and fun.
One last note before we get to the photo blog topics: Try setting a full day that's simply for writing. This could be once a month or each quarter depending on your planned post frequency. This will keep you on task and steadily growing your SEO, while leaving the bulk of your time to focus on actually shooting, editing, and marketing. Scheduling this time will free up your time - sounds backwards, but truly works. Even better, schedule your posts at the end of the writing day so that your blogging platform publishes them all month without your needing to revisit them at all!
42 Blog Post Ideas for Photographers
Let's dive into the extensive list of blog ideas. Not all of these will be applicable for your niche, but they should all get the juices flowing. Copy any you like to a list and type in any you think of as you get going. By the end of this you'll have a ton of blog topics ready to go. From there, you can break each topic you like into post ideas. If you come up with 5 post ideas for each topic you put down, you'll likely have over 100-200 ideas ready to go. And with this many ideas you should be good to write for the next few years.
Note: This list is in no particular order as it applies to most photography niches.
Share a shoot - Cover the experience and location of a recent shoot. This is excellent for local SEO and gives you regular content. Just make sure you ask permission from the clients first.
FAQ topics - Make a list of questions your clients ask, or that they may ask in the future. Build blog posts addressing the major questions that could use real in-depth answers.
Photo shoot locations in your area - Where do you shoot frequently? Which are your favorite locations? This could be a series of posts based on individual locations and showing your best from each one, or a listicle style blog post that shows all the locations.
Styling guide - Build a guide covering what you recommend people or pets wear for your style of photo shoot.
Trends related to your niche - What are people doing that's new or common? i.e. trash the dress for wedding photographers, outfit choices for portraits, etc...
Activities in the area related to niche - For example, a family photographer could put together an article covering the best parks in the area for families to visit. It's a bit off-topic but still connects the dots.
Posing guide - This works in a lot of niches, even pet photography!
Comparison post - This post covers two areas that your client may be considering. An example would be: Outdoor or indoor for portraits?
What to do when your shoot doesn't go as planned - Planning for the unexpected.
Special offers - If you are running a seasonal special or a mini session offer, this makes a great blog post. Just be sure to specify the timeframe clearly so people know it's not always going on.
Niche specific cell phone photo tips - Why not share a few tips that could help someone get better photos? People may even read this article and decide they'd rather hire you to get pro photos instead.
Why hire a pro vs. shooting it with phones? - I'm sure you'll be able to come up with a whole slew of reasons here, very easily!
What makes you different - Any article that let's people get to know you a little better and why you shoot the way you do, and do what you do, is helpful and makes for an interesting read.
Stores guide for shops in your area related to what you shoot - The example here is to feature pet supply stores in the areas you shoot.
Getting comfortable in front of a camera - Break down any tips you have for your subject matter to get more comfortable with having their photo taken. Most people feel very awkward having their photo taken.
Your editing process - This type of BTS content brings people into your world and establishes more trust.
Shot breakdowns - Take some of your favorites (with permission) and make an article on each one explaining the set up of the shot, what you liked, what you'd change if you did it again, how the lighting looked, how you edited the image, etc...
Photography tips - In my experience, Google connects any discussion on photography with photographers. When you write tips for taking better photos, you'll hit more and more keywords and re-iterate your topical authority.
Sideline niche guide - These are things that are closely related to your niche, but where the focus isn't on photography. An example here is a wedding photographer making a guide of the best wedding venues in their city or area.
What to bring to a shoot - This is very helpful for potential clients and could even be a main page on your website instead of a blog post. Either way, it should be linked to help potential clients find the page.
What's in my bag - As a professional photographer who hires other photographers to take our family photos, I'm usually curious about this just to see what they're using. Amateurs would be curious as well.
When to schedule (niche) shoot - This one is easy enough. Let's say you shoot senior dogs, what age do you recommend scheduling the shoot? Could be broken by dog breed. Or maybe you shoot newborn photos, when should someone book these and at what age?
Seasonal styling posts - What should people (or pets) wear based on the season that you're shooting? Are there any trending styles they should know about?
The professional difference article - These articles show why you'd want a professional vs. shooting with your phone or as an amateur photographer. Discuss what goes into your shoots and what makes your images amazing (just don't focus solely on gear, it's your knowledge that counts!
Different photo styles - Cover how photographers have different styles and what these differences are. You could feature other photographers in different cities in this article and let them know you've mentioned them. Maybe someone shoots very natural, someone else is highly edited, while your images are high-key and mostly white. This is a great way to build backlinks to your site as well.
Personal story - Share when you decided to become a photographer, or cover a key turning point as you were learning to shoot.
Gear reviews - You're not likely to compete with the top review sites out there, but putting out an honest review of a piece of gear you have is helpful to the right visitor and your SEO in general.
USP article - What's your unique selling proposition? Do you spend more time on each shoot than all the other photographers in your area? Do you have the most experience? Talk about this from the perspective of why you do it this way and how it's going to ensure your client has an amazing experience.
How to choose the right pro photographer for your shoot - People love this kind of transparency and honesty. Give real tips that you'd look for if you were in their shoes and hopefully you'll be the match for their needs.
Ordering prints vs. getting prints done yourself - Show your expertise here and let people know about the advantages of working with you directly for prints.
Tips for shooting a specific style of photos - You could cover any number of niches here and give advice about shutter speed, lighting, etc.
Moments everyone should use a pro photographer - Discuss all of the key moments in a persons life where a pro photographer is an absolute must, and explain why.
Questions to ask a photographer before hiring - This one is very helpful to your potential clients. Sometimes we ask the wrong things and end up with a photographer who wasn't a great fit.
Picking the best photo locations for a (niche) photo shoot - Make a list of what people should look for to get amazing images.
Inside look at picking the best photos - Share your process for how you dial in the images and get to the ones that the client ends up with.
Photo shoot checklist - Share a checklist with everything your client will need to remember for the shoot the day they work with you. This is a great way to get them ready and make sure things go smoothly.
Best of, or Top 10 style list for your area - Similar to the "activities" in the area list. This could be the top 10 family friendly breweries in [insert location here]. These posts show Google more about the area you're in and can help you rank higher.
Equipment guide for beginner photographers - Share what you'd recommend for other photographers looking to shoot what you shoot as a starter camera kit, or maybe an advanced kit.
Off-the-wall creative shoot ideas for your niche - Any unique idea you have for a shoot could have it's own article. Even better, if you do a unique shoot, feature it in an article!
Gifting a photoshoot - Photo shoots can be the best gifts! Talk about why you'd want to gift a photo shoot and when the best time to do this would be.
The most common beginner photography mistakes - List and discuss the biggest mistakes that you know and how to avoid them.
Before and after editing process - Share a side-by-side image before and after editing to show your capabilities, then explain what changes you made and why. Getting this inside look into your mind really showcases expertise.
Get your photography blog up and running!
Now that you have a pile of new ideas to get rolling with, it's time to put them to work. If you simply want to write and see what happens from here, that's a great place to start. But if you'd like to know how to optimize the articles and research the ideas, then you'll want to start a free 10-day trial of my SEO membership for photographers and take the complete blogging course. I'll be in there guiding and supporting you every step of the way!
