34: Is this SEO advice good or bad?

Summary

In this episode, Meredith’s husband reviews an SEO article for photographers, discussing which tips are genuinely helpful and which are misleading. He emphasizes the importance of local SEO, sufficient website content, and proper keyword use, while debunking the value of renaming image files for SEO purposes. This episode helps website owners understand which SEO strategies are worth their time and which to avoid.

Blog Post: Separating Good and Bad SEO Advice for Your Website

SEO can often seem like a maze of conflicting advice, especially when articles on the subject flood your inbox. In a recent podcast, Meredith’s husband broke down the tips from an SEO article aimed at photographers, highlighting what advice holds up and what should be taken with caution. His approach serves as a valuable reminder that not all SEO strategies are created equal. Understanding which ones will truly benefit your site can make a huge difference in your search rankings.

Key Takeaways from the SEO Review

Here’s a breakdown of the key points discussed in the episode, with some practical advice on how you can apply them to your own website.

• Focus on Local SEO: Local SEO is critical for businesses like photography studios or any service-based business that operates in a specific region. The article correctly advises photographers to sign up for Google My Business and to mention their city and region on their site. However, avoid keyword stuffing by overusing geographic terms, like listing every neighborhood you serve on every page. Instead, keep it natural by including these details on your homepage or contact page.

• Content Is Still King: One of the biggest mistakes many website owners make is having too little content. The article emphasizes that simply posting images is not enough—especially for photographers. Make sure your site includes sufficient written content, whether through blog posts, service descriptions, or FAQs. The podcast episode reiterated that at least 350 words per page is a good benchmark. Google needs text to understand the context of your site and rank it properly, so don't skimp on quality content.

• Have a Keyword Plan: Throwing random keywords into your pages without a strategy will hurt more than help. Meredith’s husband supports the advice to develop a solid keyword plan. For example, if you specialize in wedding photography in Brooklyn, you should target relevant keywords naturally across your site’s pages without overdoing it. Consistency and thoughtful placement are key—stuffing keywords like "wedding photographer Brooklyn" into every sentence will only harm your rankings.

Misleading SEO Advice: Image File Names

While many aspects of the article were sound, one piece of advice stood out as misleading: renaming image files with keywords. According to Meredith’s husband, this practice is not a significant SEO factor. Search engines don’t give much weight to image file names when ranking pages. Instead of spending time renaming every file, focus your efforts on areas that matter, like adding relevant alt text for accessibility and SEO purposes. Alt text describes the image for both users with visual impairments and search engines, making it far more useful for SEO than file names.

Why Backlinks Matter

Another strong point made in the episode was the importance of backlinks—links from other websites to yours. Backlinks are crucial for SEO as they act like votes of confidence for your site. The more high-quality, relevant sites that link back to you, the better your chances of ranking higher on Google. Meredith’s husband suggests reaching out to local directories, blogging platforms, or collaborating with other professionals to build your backlink profile.

Good SEO Requires Balance

SEO doesn’t have to be confusing, but it does require some effort and a clear strategy. To summarize the episode:

• Focus on local SEO by listing your region naturally on key pages.

• Add plenty of useful, written content to balance out images or videos.

• Develop a thoughtful keyword strategy rather than stuffing terms across your pages.

• Don’t waste time renaming image files—focus on optimizing alt text instead.

• Work on building backlinks from credible sources.

By applying these proven tactics, you’ll be well on your way to improving your website’s visibility and attracting more of the right traffic.

Resources

If you’ve come across any SEO advice and are unsure whether it’s good or bad, feel free to send it to Meredith’s husband on Instagram for a breakdown and expert opinion.