SHOWIT SEO
Update 2019. It has been a while since I have written about Showit SEO so now is the perfect time to update this old post. First of all, I wanted to share this video I did with some tips for Showit 5. Watch the video below then check out some other SEO tips.
When it comes to design capabilities in a website platform, Showit Users wins by miles ahead of other photographer websites options. The SEO for the Showit website platform is great, too. It’s not WordPress, but with a combination of great design, end-user experience, and SEO capabilities, Showit is a great choice for photographers. ( Update- They now allow for WordPress Blog integration)
Showit gives you the freedom and option to optimize each and every single page on your website which not all platforms do. With this freedom also comes some mistakes I have seen Showit Users do. Here are four SEO mistakes to avoid if you use Showit websites.
1) Not filling out any information needed in the SEO section.
There is a section called HTML and this is where you can fill out your page titles, description, and keywords. I have seen many photographers either not know this exists or not take the time to fill it out properly. ( Update this is now an SEO setting on the right side when you click on each page)
The best practice is to fill out at least the page title and description. If you leave page title blanks, it just takes the name of the page, and you don’t want this because usually it is just some random name set by style group designers and won’t help with rankings. So be sure to fill out your page title and description.
2) Not listing where they are located.
I see this mistake all the time and not only with Showit Users. I find it funny since 99% of photographers want to rank for local SEO, meaning their city/town and the kind of photography they do. How will they rank if they don’t list where they are located ANYWHERE on their website?
Photographers can’t assume folks visiting their website will know where they are located, so it is extremely important to add text on your pages about your location. Remember: SEO is all about text. Search engines do not see your pretty mouse-over effects, great graphics, beautiful design, or even your nice photos.
IT IS ALL ABOUT TEXT, SO ADD IT. I recommend adding it on at least three pages of your website.
3) Not changing page titles or description on different pages.
The photographers who do venture out and fill in all the info in page titles and description go a little bit crazy and have really huge page titles and duplicate descriptions on ALL pages. This is telling search engines that all your pages are the same; the Google bots will then be turned off since they have no idea how to navigate within your website.
Make sure, then, to make your description about whatever the page is really about.
4)Using a secret page.
Some Showit users are now starting to see an increase in their rankings because of an SEO page they have added to their website which has keyword-stuffed text. This means some folks are now adding pages just for search engines and not for their end users, this is what’s called a “secret page.”
I did notice that the people who did this were not in saturated markets and saw results for keywords with hardly any traffic, so of course they would see themselves listed on page 1-2 of the search results.
Remember, however, that the goal of using SEO is to get found and to get booked, not to be on page 1 and still get no traffic to your website. Using secret pages to boost ranking is a short high which can result to long-term penalties. If Google finds out you are doing this, they can even blacklist you and your website will be stripped of its rank over time.
If you think it is okay to risk it, by all means go for it. However, I believe in educating fellow photographers as best as possible, so I stand firm on my belief that this is a wrong practice and your site will end up badly in the long run. For more information on keyword stuffing, read Photographers are Keyword Stuffing their Websites and Why They Should Stop.
Bonus Tip Since update.
Avoid having a 1 page website. I get the beauty of these responsive websites but they will make it hard to rank in Google. After all, you are wanting to rank for more than 1 keyword so having pages that target those specific keywords is key especially in a very competitive market.
Ready to optimize your Showit Website for SEO? My Showit SEO class is now 50% off.
SEO Bootcamp for Show It Sites
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Yet again I’m so thankful that I found you Feuza!!! Thanks for these tips, some I’ve done but others need some attention. I sure do appreciate your willingness to share!!!
Carly this means alot to me! seriously thank you
Thanks so much for sharing this! Sending my clients your way for help. 🙂