Ghost-Proof: How to Be Found When Google Isn’t Enough: Part Four

Ebooks, Forums & Smart Authority

Jul 31, 2025

This is day four of my first 5-Day Mini Workshop. It is focused on how SEO is changing, and how you must future-proof your SEO and online marketing efforts.

This is the series:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

Don’t go viral—go visible.

Going viral is sexy. But it’s a sugar high. Smart visibility—the kind that makes AI models recommend you, and real clients remember you—comes from something quieter: authority.

You don’t need a million likes. You need to be the person people trust in a niche. That’s what AIs are trained to recognize. They look for persistent, useful, expert content—especially in places like forums, resource hubs, and yes, ebooks.

Example 1: Let’s say you shoot product photography for indie brands. Create a 12-page ebook called “How to Prep Your Products for a Professional Shoot.”

You don’t need to sell it. Offer it as a free download, link to it from your blog, drop it in a relevant LinkedIn thread, mention it in a Quora answer.

Now you’re building smart authority.

Example 2: You’re a lifestyle photographer who works with local businesses. Instead of posting one-off images on Instagram, join a community like Alignable, or start contributing short photo tips in a neighborhood subreddit. Link back to a simple guide you wrote called “3 Things Most Local Businesses Get Wrong About Their Visual Branding.”

These things live longer, circulate wider, and give AI more to latch onto.

Action Tip: Use BookWizard.co, Canva, or even Google Docs to create a clean, useful guide or ebook.

Make it specific.
Make it helpful.
Keep it in your voice.

Then share it strategically across channels where your audience, and the algorithms, hang out.

Platform Visibility Discovery Prompt

“I’m a [type] photographer who works with [target audience—e.g., indie brands, restaurant owners, small businesses]. What are the top 5 online platforms, forums, or communities where this audience hangs out, asks questions, or seeks recommendations? List the platform, what kind of content is shared there, and how I could participate authentically.”

Use weekly to update your visibility map.

2. Ebook or Guide Idea Generator Prompt

“Act as a strategist. I want to write a short guide or ebook to establish authority as a [specialty] photographer. Give me 5 titles for helpful, specific ebooks that would resonate with [target audience]. Make them sound useful, not promotional. Then outline one of them with 4–5 chapter ideas.”

Example:
“How to Prep Your Products for a Photoshoot”
“The 5 Most Common Branding Photo Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)”

3. Forum Thread Engagement Prompt

“Find 3 real questions currently being asked on Reddit, Quora, or niche forums related to [your specialty—e.g., food photography, portraits, product styling]. Then help me write a short, thoughtful response I could post, with the option to link to my own blog post or guide.”

Optional: Add “in a non-promotional way” for tone.

4. Authority Ladder Builder Prompt

“Help me build an authority content ladder. At the top is my downloadable guide or ebook. What should go under it? Suggest 3 blog post topics, 3 forum answers, 3 social media tips, and 1 short video idea that all support and point toward the guide—so I build recognition across platforms.”

You’re creating a network, not just content silos.

5. Low-Lift Visibility Boost Prompt

“Give me 5 fast actions I can take this week to increase my visibility as a [type] photographer in places AI and real people are looking—including forums, directories, LinkedIn, and blog comments. Prioritize credibility over popularity.”

Share In The Frame

Bonus: Monday Morning Visibility Checklist

Don’t Go Viral—Go Visible

Use this every Monday to build smart, strategic visibility in places AI (and real clients) are paying attention to.

1. Spot the Conversations

Run this prompt in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Poe:

“What are 3 current discussions happening on Reddit, Quora, or forums about [your photography specialty]? Summarize each and suggest how I could respond with value.”

→ Pick one and reply today. Keep it helpful, human, and link only if it adds value.

2. Update Your Visibility Map

Ask:
“Where are [your audience: e.g., local business owners / DTC brands / restaurant marketers] hanging out online this week? Any new platforms, newsletters, threads, or comments gaining traction?”

→ Add anything new to your visibility list (Notion, doc, etc.).

3. Authority Boost Content Check

“What one blog post, tip, or email can I publish this week that answers a real question or frustration my audience has?”

→ Use your existing anchor content—or write a quick, 300-word response and post it.

4. Ebook or Guide Promo Action

Ask: “Where can I share my free guide or ebook this week where it would be helpful, not salesy?”

→ Choose one: LinkedIn comment thread, Reddit reply, newsletter P.S., Substack Note.

5. Low-Lift Authority Actions

Pick 1–2 of these:

Comment on one industry podcast episode
Answer a niche LinkedIn post with a thoughtful tip
Update your LinkedIn headline or about section with a client-focused phrase
Share a tip in a Slack/Discord channel where clients hang out

Keep score:

Did I engage in a smart conversation?
Did I create or share something useful?
Did I put myself somewhere AI can find me?

Repeat next Monday.

See you tomorrow.

The new workshop starts September 3, 2025. More information here.

TRANSFORM YOUR MARKETING

And get clients on board fast.

It’s time to get serious with your business. Photography as a business is a marketing and sales game, and if no one knows you’re out there, the images you make are not important at all.

Find out how I can help, and help fast, here.

In The Frame