Background
Linda, the owner of Catchlight Photography, approached us to help improve her organic search traffic. Her photography business was thriving through word-of-mouth referrals and Instagram, but she sought to expand her reach through Google search to increase the number of newborn shoots and balance her work schedule, which was heavily dominated by weekend weddings.
Linda had launched her business on a Wix website and initially tried to improve SEO, but she found she did not have time to research how to further optimize her site. This is when she reached out to us for assistance.
Our Work
SEO Audit and Analysis
We began with a comprehensive SEO audit to identify the most effective use of her budget for improving search traffic. Our audit revealed several areas needing attention:
- Meta Descriptions and Tags
- Many blog posts were missing meta descriptions, and those present were not optimized for categories, tags, and keywords.
- On-Page SEO Issues
- Multiple pages had improper use of H1 tags, with some pages containing several H1 tags. This needed correction to ensure a single H1 tag per page, followed by a logical hierarchy of H2s, H3s, etc.
- Content and Keywords
- Opportunities were identified to include more target keywords on existing pages and to develop new pages focused on specific photography services, such as newborn and baby photography.
- Technical SEO Issues
- The initial site crawl found 82 technical SEO issues, including improper coding practices and the need for alt tags on images to improve accessibility and SEO.
- Site speed issues were identified, particularly related to the image slider on the homepage and the Instagram feed.
- Backlinks
- Catchlight Photography had a good number of backlinks, primarily from mywed.com, but there was room for improvement by seeking links from other reputable sources like local publications and wedding directories.
Implementation and Optimization
Using AHREFS, we assessed the SEO landscape and formulated a strategy to optimize Linda’s website. Our actions included:
- Updating Meta Descriptions and Tags
- We updated meta descriptions, titles, and tags for all blog posts and corrected broken links.
- Fixing On-Page SEO Issues
- We corrected the improper use of H1 tags across the site, ensuring each page had a single, relevant H1 tag and a logical heading structure.
- Enhancing Content with Keywords
- We added more target keywords to existing pages and developed new pages focused on newborn photography. Content was enriched with SEO-friendly terms and structured to communicate the site’s focus areas to Google.
- Technical SEO Improvements
- We resolved the technical SEO issues identified in the audit, including adding appropriate alt tags to images and optimizing site code.
- Site speed improvements were made by optimizing the image slider on the homepage and investigating solutions for the Instagram feed.
Results
After several months of optimization, Linda’s website saw significant improvements:
- The SEO score improved to nearly perfect, as assessed by AHREFS.
- The site now ranks fourth overall for a general geographic search term.
- There was a noticeable increase in traffic to baby photography-related pages.
Through a targeted and comprehensive SEO strategy, we successfully enhanced Catchlight Photography’s online presence, enabling Linda to attract more clients through organic search and achieve a better balance in her work schedule. This case study highlights the importance of a detailed SEO audit and tailored optimization efforts in substantially improving search engine rankings and website performance.
Caitlin Dyk
Esther Fraser
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