18: How to Publish "Secret Web Pages"

Summary

In this episode, Meredith's husband provides two key SEO tips for photographers and website owners: password-protecting hidden client pages to avoid Google's penalization and ensuring images are uploaded to your blog before social media to maintain ownership. These strategies help prevent your site from being flagged as using black hat SEO techniques and ensure Google attributes your original content to your site, ultimately improving your SEO rankings and online presence.

Blog Post: Two Essential SEO Tips for Photographers and Website Owners

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a critical role in driving organic traffic to your website. For photographers and other website owners, ensuring that your content is properly indexed and optimized can be the difference between getting lost in the noise or standing out to potential clients. In a recent podcast episode, Meredith’s husband shared two key tips to help improve your SEO and protect your content. Here’s how you can implement these tips to keep your website in Google’s good graces and boost your rankings.

1. Password-Protect Hidden Pages

Many photographers create hidden or client-specific pages on their websites to share galleries or exclusive content. These pages aren’t linked anywhere on the main site, giving the impression that they are private. However, Meredith’s husband explains that just because a page is “hidden” doesn’t mean it’s invisible to search engines. In fact, platforms like WordPress or Squarespace automatically generate sitemaps that are submitted to Google, making your hidden pages discoverable.

If these pages aren’t protected with a password, Google could flag them as “orphaned pages” or, worse, interpret them as doorway pages—an old black hat SEO tactic designed to trick search engines by creating low-value, hidden pages to attract traffic. To prevent this, it’s crucial to password-protect any client or hidden page. The password doesn’t need to be complicated; it could be something simple like “remember” or even your client’s name.

Password protection not only prevents Google from indexing these pages, but it also gives your clients a VIP experience, making them feel as if they’re getting exclusive access to your work. It’s a small effort that can protect your site’s SEO and enhance client satisfaction.

2. Post Your Images on Your Blog First, Not Social Media

Photographers often post their images on social media before uploading them to their own website. However, this is a mistake if you want to maintain ownership of your content in the eyes of Google. When you post an image on Instagram first, Google associates that image with Instagram, not your website. This can hurt your site’s ability to rank for the content you’ve created.

To avoid this, always upload your images to your blog before posting them on social media. This ensures that Google sees your website as the primary source for that image, enhancing your SEO. Once the image is on your blog, feel free to share it on Instagram and other platforms. If posting to your blog first doesn’t fit your workflow, consider creating a blog post that mirrors your Instagram feed, where you regularly upload images from your shoots.

Bullet Points from the Episode:

• Always password-protect hidden or client pages to prevent Google from indexing them.

• A simple, universal password works; it doesn't have to be complex.

• Posting images on social media first can hurt your SEO; always upload them to your blog first.

• Google attributes content to the first platform it’s posted on, so ensure your website gets the credit.

By implementing these two strategies, you can protect your website’s SEO, maintain control over your content, and ensure that your work is properly indexed by Google. These small adjustments can lead to better rankings, increased traffic, and a stronger online presence.

Resources

For more details on SEO best practices and tips mentioned in the podcast, refer to the links provided by Meredith’s husband in the episode.