Photobiz Reviews, Tips, & Search Engine Optimization

Tampa-Photography

I'm new to d-grin and I quickly noticed how "SmugMug" heavy it is. I actually went back to the home page to make sure d-grin wasn't a SmugMug user's forum! (It isn't, is it?)...

Anyway, I have nothing against SmugMug, I'm just not familiar with it because I happen to be a Photobiz client. I have been with photobiz for about two years and have been very pleased.

In fact, I've become somewhat of an expert at optimizing Photobiz sites for the search engines, and recently started doing this for a fee through my marketing comany- Tampa Bay Search.

Anyway, enough about me. My point here is I'd like to start a thread for Photobiz users to share tips, tricks, reviews, and knowledge related to photobiz.

Is there anybody out there using Photobiz??

Candid Arts

Tampa-Photography wrote:

I'm new to d-grin and I quickly noticed how "SmugMug" heavy it is. I actually went back to the home page to make sure d-grin wasn't a SmugMug user's forum! (It isn't, is it?)...

I'm pretty sure it is, like 100% sure it is actually...

Art Scott

Candid Arts wrote:

I'm pretty sure it is, like 100% sure it is actually...

Actually not quite 100%.....there are some hangin on to their zenfolio and other site users also that hang around dgrin also.....but they are the minority here:D

Tampa-Photography

Just to clarify - I realize some of the forums are for SmugMug users. I was just wondering about the site in general, and whether I will be frowned upon for posting about one of their competitors!

Candid Arts wrote:

I'm pretty sure it is, like 100% sure it is actually...

Andy

Tampa-Photography wrote:

and whether I will be frowned upon for posting about one of their competitors!

Welcome and you'll never be frowned on here

Tampa-Photography

Thanks for the feedback Art.

Can I give you some simple, unsolicited advice?

If you change the text of your signature link from "MY WEBSITE" to something more descriptive (i.e.: Wichita Fine Art Photogrpahy", it will have a huge impact on how Google indexes and serves your site in search results.

Check out this article about links (copyright © David McRee www.beachhunter.net) by an associate of mine:

"Understanding the Power of Proper Linking Techniques"

The world wide web was designed to be hyperlinked. Links are the power behind the web. So you should incorporate a systematic and regular linking strategy into your website. Why?

If you've had your website up for a while, you know how difficult it is to get visitors or "traffic" to your site. You either have to advertise, or you have to have really good placement in the major search engines.

In other words, when people go to Google or Yahoo or MSN and type in "Florida Beach vacation rental" or something similar, you want them to find your page listed in the search results, right? Of course you do because this is the BEST way to get FREE visitors to your site.

So how does Google know that your site is about "Florida beach vacation rentals (or whatever)?" It knows by what you do "on page" and "off page."

" 'On-Page' Search Engine Optimization"

There are things you can do to the pages of your site to let Google know what it is about. First, decide what your "keyword" is going to be. The keyword is what you think people are typing into the search engines to find sites like yours. In this example, "Florida beach vacation rentals" is the keyword phrase. So it should be the page title and should also be the page heading. It should be the first words mentioned on the page, and the last words. It should be worked naturally into the text on the page several times and some occurrences of the keyword phrase should be bolded or italicized or underlined. The text on the page should have other words related to Florida beaches, and to vacation rentals.

" 'Off-Page' Search Engine Optimization"

Next there are things that can be done "off page." This is where reciprocal links come in. Other websites are powerful indicators as to the content of YOUR website. For instance, if I have a link on my site pointing to yours, and my linked text says Siesta Key Beachfront Vacation Condo, then I'm providing third-party verification that your site is indeed about Siesta Key Beachfront Vacation Condos. Imagine the power of 50 sites pointing to yours with the same or similar linked text! No, don't imagine it. I'll show you the power. Right now!
You are familiar with Adobe Acrobat Reader, right? It's the free software that allows you to read pdf files. What would you search on to find the Adobe Acrobat site to download their software? Well, you'd probably go to Google and type in "Adobe Acrobat" right? And the site would be either number one in the search results or very close to it.

"Proof of the Power of Links to Your Site"

Now try this: Go to Google and in the search box, type in "click here", and search for that keyword phrase. What website was number one for the search term "click here?" I hope you try this because this is very powerful.
The Adobe Acrobat Reader download page is the number one search result for the term "click here." Notice that NOWHERE on the Adobe page will you find the words "click here." The page has nothing to do with "click here."
But on nearly every page on the internet that has a pdf file to be downloaded, you will find the following instructions: "To download your copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here." The text "click here" is hyperlinked directly to Adobe Acrobat download page. There are literally MILLIONS of websites with the hyperlinked "click here" text pointing directly to Adobe. Because the external links say the page is about "click here," that's what Google thinks it is about. Imagine the power of 50 or 100 links from other websites with your website's keywords all pointing to your site!
That's why you should consider your linked text carefully. What words do you want other websites to use when they link to you? Be sure they are keywords that people are actually typing into search engines. To find out what keywords are being used go to http://inventory.overture.com and experiment with keywords related to your website. It tells you how many searches were performed on a particular keyword or keyword phrase within the last month. If only 50 searches are being done, maybe it is not a good keyword. On the other hand, if several thousand searches or more are being done, then you may have a good keyword for your links. There are many, many websites on keyword research, so I won't go into anymore detail here, I just wanted to show you how powerful linking is so you will be eager to LINK and be LINKED TO. As you can see "off-page" links are more important than "on-page" strategies. (But please don't ignore the on-page optimization techniques!)
So when another webmaster sends you a link request, consider it carefully. It may be a GREAT opportunity to improve your rankings in the search engines!

"Choose Link Partners Carefully"

Who is linking to you is important also. A link to your Florida beach vacation rental site from your brother's website on "stock-car racing in Louisiana" is not as powerful as getting a link from a site about Florida beaches or from a rental real estate site. Get links from sites that are related to yours in some meaningful way.

"Properly Link Your Pages to Each Other"

Be sure to use keyword phrases when linking the pages in your site to each other. Notice that on this page, the very top left menu item that links to the home page says "Florida Beaches Home." It doesn't just say "Home Page. " This is significant.

"Articles on Your Site"

If you have written a short article that is relevant to the theme of this site and would like to place it on BeachHunter.net with a link to your site, let me know and we can discuss the article and the appropriate placement. I would expect in return a chance to place a short article on your site with a link back to mine.

Articles should be informative and contain no overt advertising, political or religious statements, messages, or themes, or other content that might be provocative or offensive.
OK, now go out and get some LINKS!

Art Scott wrote:

Actually not quite 100%.....there are some hangin on to their zenfolio and other site users also that hang around dgrin also.....but they are the minority here:D

Tampa-Photography

Thanks Andy!

Am I correct in assuming you are affiliated with SmugMug?

I'm interested in learning more about SmugMug -

Let me tell you why first - my wife is the Tampa Photographer and the creative one, I am the photography website marketing guru. I am somewhat of a (self-proclaimed, admittedly!) expert at search engine optimization for photobiz websites, but I know nothing about SmugMug, and I don't want to post any advice regarding keywords, meta tags, etc. that might not be applicable to SmugMug users.

I'm assuming the two (SmugMug and Photobiz) are fairly similar but I might be wrong - does SmugMug offer flash and html templates for photography websites, or just image hosting solutions? Do you do proofing and shopping carts as well?

If you offer website templates, are users able to edit thier Title, Keyword, and Description meta tags for each page?

Are there sample or demo sites out there somewhere for prospective customers to look at?

Thanks again!



Jeff

Andy wrote:

Welcome and you'll never be frowned on here

Candid Arts

I tried going to that yahoo search you suggested, it seems as though you have to sign up to check key word search quantities?

Tampa-Photography

Candid Arts wrote:

I tried going to that yahoo search you suggested, it seems as though you have to sign up to check key word search quantities?

Sorry - I do recall that link not working, but it's not my content - I cut and pasted.

If you search for "keyword tools" you will find several. Some are better than others, and many do require a subscription.

SELF PROMOTION ALERT: I do offer professional keyword analyses as a paid service through my marketing company - Tampa Bay Search, and I specialize in marketing photography websites.

Angelo

Tampa-Photography wrote:

Thanks Andy!

Am I correct in assuming you are affiliated with SmugMug?

I'm interested in learning more about SmugMug -

Let me tell you why first - my wife is the Tampa Photographer and the creative one, I am the photography website marketing guru. I am somewhat of a (self-proclaimed, admittedly!) expert at search engine optimization for photobiz websites, but I know nothing about SmugMug, and I don't want to post any advice regarding keywords, meta tags, etc. that might not be applicable to SmugMug users.

I'm assuming the two (SmugMug and Photobiz) are fairly similar but I might be wrong - does SmugMug offer flash and html templates for photography websites, or just image hosting solutions? Do you do proofing and shopping carts as well?

If you offer website templates, are users able to edit thier Title, Keyword, and Description meta tags for each page?

Are there sample or demo sites out there somewhere for prospective customers to look at?

Thanks again!



Jeff

Hi Jeff... welcome to dGrin

dGrin is indeed owned by the same people who bring us Smugmug. Many, but not all, members of this fabulous advert free photo forum, have accounts at Smugmug.

Have you had a poke about the Smugmug Support and Smugmug Customization forums? I bet you'd feel like a kid in a candy shop in there, reviewing all the great info on how the Smugmug site works!

good luck

.

Tampa-Photography

Angelo wrote:

Hi Jeff... welcome to dGrin

dGrin is indeed owned by the same people who bring us Smugmug. Many, but not all, members of this fabulous advert free photo forum, have accounts at Smugmug.

Have you had a poke about the Smugmug Support and Smugmug Customization forums? I bet you'd feel like a kid in a candy shop in there, reviewing all the great info on how the Smugmug site works!

good luck

.

Thanks Angelo!

I have been rooting around in those forums, and I am very interested in learning more about SmugMug (both from a photography perspective and from a marketing/seo perspective).

I hope to share (and gain) some wisdom from d-grin and I am very pleased thus far. It's a very open and friendly forum, packed full of useful info.


Jeff