How a Photography Landing Page Can Get You Noticed Locally and Nationally

As a commercial photographer, you might feel like your work should "speak for itself", but you would be wrong

Photo by the author

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Sure, strong visuals are key to making a lasting impression. But here’s the thing: in today’s crowded online space, simply showcasing your images won’t get you as far as you’d hope—especially when small and medium-sized businesses are looking for photographers just like you.

This is where a landing page comes in, playing a powerful role in getting you noticed both locally and nationally. And let me tell you—it’s more than just a pretty place to house your photos. When done correctly, it can help you rank higher on search engines, build credibility, and turn those casual visitors into paying clients.

A Landing Page is a single page website with no links other than to your website (or a small blog section that adds important content). A header section, testimonials, client list, specialties, contact information, and a gallery of images (24-30). The point of the page is to be as SEO friendly as possible. It is best to niche a landing page, so it is entirely possible you could use more than one.

Why Photographers Overlook the Power of a Landing Page

I get it. As photographers, we’re visual people. The idea of adding text might feel like an afterthought or, worse, something that detracts from the impact of our photos. You’re thinking, “I’m not a writer. I don’t have time to blog or figure out SEO.” But here’s the truth, my snap-happy buds: a landing page is about showing your work—and selling it to clients.

A great landing page:

• Tells your story through more than just images.
  This is so important because people learn differently. Some learn visually, some learn by reading… a lot learn by reading. So we have to offer them a chance to discover your value through the medium that works best for them.

• Builds credibility with small and medium-sized businesses (who need a bit more convincing than just a photo).
  Being found on a search engine is about credibility as well. And if the landing page draws enough visitors, there is a far better chance of those few visitors looking for commercial photography to visit your site.

• Ramps up your visibility through SEO strategies, so you rank higher in search results. And the higher you rank, the more you appear in search pages. This is a good thing, bucky.

Let’s break down the essentials.

The Anatomy of a Killer Landing Page

You’re sitting there staring at the keyboard wondering, "What should I include?"

I’m so glad you asked. A well-structured landing page will help clients know exactly what you offer, how to get in touch, and why they should choose you over the competition. Here's what you need:

1. A Headline That Grabs Attention Your headline should be clear, direct, and immediately tell visitors what you specialize in. For example: “Professional Product Photography in [Your City]” or “Commercial Photographer for Lifestyle and Food Brands.” These niche titles are based on what people are searching for. The more specific your landing page, the higher authentic credibility you have.

2. Body Copy That Sells This is where photographers often trip up. The text on your landing page isn’t filler, or something random. it’s your chance to sell your services. You don’t need to be a poet, just be clear and confident. Talk about what sets you apart. Do you specialize in tabletop photography? Editorial lifestyle shoots? Include details about your process, and let potential clients know how you solve their problems. Hire a copywriter if you need to. Yeah, it’s that important.

3. Gallery of Images Obviously, your photos are the star of the show, but they need to be carefully curated. Too few, and you’re not showing enough versatility. Too many, and it feels overwhelming. I recommend a gallery of about 24 images—enough to showcase your range without drowning the visitor in content. Think of it as a greatest hits album. The best of the best. Lots of photographers do very well with portfolios of 24-30 images. You know that… right?

4. Call to Action (CTA) and Contact Information Don’t leave visitors guessing what to do next. Whether it’s “Get a Quote” or “Schedule a Consultation,” make sure your CTA is clear and easy to find. And don’t forget to include your contact information—phone, email, social links—all in one easy-to-find spot. Make it as simple as possible for someone to reach out to you.

5. Optional: Discussion of Rates The question of whether to show your rates is tricky. Some photographers prefer to keep it vague and focus on delivering custom quotes, while others offer a range or starting price to give clients an idea of what to expect. There’s no hard rule here, but transparency can sometimes speed up the decision-making process for clients. I suggest a ‘range’ approach, with the higher number first. (Ask me why….)

Photo by the author

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SEO: The Secret Sauce to Get You Noticed Locally

Now that we’ve talked structure, let’s tackle the SEO side of things. You want to make sure that when someone Googles “commercial photographer in [Your City],” you show up on that first page.

• Keywords: Think of keywords as the phrases your potential clients are typing into Google. For example, if you’re a photographer in Phoenix, you’ll want phrases like “commercial photographer Phoenix,” “product photography Arizona,” or “lifestyle photography [your niche] southwest.” Scatter these throughout your landing page—naturally, of course. No need to overdo it. Writing with good SEO in mind takes a bit of practice, but consider how important it is to get attention and either learn to do it or hire someone who already can.

• Blogs: I know the idea of writing blogs might sound like a chore, but listen to someone who has maintained a blog for over 23 years. Blogging is one of the best ways to increase your visibility. You don’t need to blog every day, ore even every week, but a couple of well-written posts with strong keywords can go a long way. For instance, you could write about how you approach product photography, or share behind-the-scenes of a food shoot. This not only boosts your SEO but also gives potential clients more insight into your work process. And they do not even need to be measured over time. Think of them as content that drives customer viewing that is on a different page than your landing page.

Going National: Why Niche Markets Matter

Once you’ve nailed down your local visibility, you can start thinking bigger. Niche markets can be goldmines for photographers looking to expand beyond their local scene. Maybe you’re the go-to food photographer in Phoenix, but why stop there? You could also be getting gigs from New York, Los Angeles, or even internationally. Visibility on the web has many ways of manifesting attention, and attention equates to job possibilities.

In your case, one landing page might not be enough. If you have multiple specialties, consider creating separate landing pages for each niche. This not only makes you more visible to different markets but also allows you to tailor your message more effectively. For example, your landing page for tabletop photography would be geared toward product-based businesses, while your lifestyle photography page speaks directly to brands that want to showcase their products in real-world settings.

How to Do It: Local to National, One Page at a Time

A landing page could be your ticket to building credibility, attracting leads, and ranking higher on search engines.

And the best part of it is that it works for you whether you’re trying to get noticed locally by small businesses or nationally by bigger brands. The only change in that may be in targeted and limited Google Ads directed toward national markets… but that is another discussion.

Keep this in mind, it’s not whether you can write perfectly or with gentle prose that floats off the petal as dew on a lilly—it’s about communicating your value. A solid, well-planned, and well-designed landing page can be the difference between being Waldo and those Golden Arches.

So, stop hiding and start building that page. You’ve got the visuals—now let’s make sure the world sees them!

LANDING PAGE RESOURCES:

Here is a website devoted to cool landing pages. You may find some inspiration.

Another page featuring forty of the best landing pages. Some of these you will be familiar with, and some you may never have heard of.

This site is specifically for photographers. Cool stuff.

NOTE: A landing page is just one part of a photographer’s marketing arsenal. Many other parts are needed to get the visibility and credibility up to the standards you need including email, direct mail, direct-to-client, and social media.

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The “Build a Website Sprint” is going to be lit. We do it together – LIVE

September 27, 28, 29

We will build this website together… live.

This is a WordPress site, and we are using Divi as our backend developer. I am a strong believer in Divi and WordPress because they make development quicker, and cleaner, and allow for a great deal of customer CMS… which is increasingly important these days.

Of course, there are good reasons to choose a site like the one above.

1. It is a good, solid Landing Page: a single-page website. Lots and lots of small businesses can utilize something like this.

2. Each of the modules can be saved to a library so the next time you need to build a single-page website, you can reuse the work you have already done by simply customizing the modules.

3. Being able to design and build a nice landing page for you - and possibly for your clients - is a huge money-saving and money-making strategy

4. A client website like this can add $2K – $4K to the photography you bid. And with Divi, and your saved modules, you can easily finish a site like this in one or two days.

And remember, this is No Code work. Visual only.

Information LINK here.

When you are ready, here is how I can help you succeed.

Group Mentorship: a small group of photographers who meet to show images, work on their portfolio, and build their businesses with help from a wonderful group. Lifetime membership for one fee.

One-on-one Mentorship: You and me - working together in an intense 6-month push to get you on the way to over $30K in additional revenue. The work we lay down will help you increase and scale your business for years ahead.

Thank you for supporting my work.