Photography Blogs for Beginners: The Posts That Still Bring Me Clients Years Later

Why Photography Blogs for Beginners Are Essential for Long-Term Success

Here’s something wild: one of my best posts was written almost 3 years ago. And it’s still in my top 10 for clicks, traffic, and — yes — actual client inquiries.

I haven’t touched it in years. I wrote it, posted it on Pinterest a handful of times, and basically forgot about it. Yet it keeps working for me.

That’s the magic of starting a blog the right way, and it’s exactly what Melissa and I unpacked in this week’s episode of the Keep It Moving podcast—how photography blogs for beginners can become your most powerful marketing tool.

In this blog, we’re pulling back the curtain on:

• The blog posts that actually perform for photography businesses
• Why some posts fall flat while others have their own heartbeat
• Real traffic numbers and client inquiries from content we wrote years ago
• How to stop overthinking every single post and start thinking long-term

Whether you’re just starting your photography blog or relaunching after a move, this is your permission slip to work smarter, not harder.

Listen to the Podcast

Listen to the Keep It Moving Podcast. Whether you’re refining or completely relocating your photography business, this show is for you! We cover all the major topics from money, to relocating, marketing and more. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

The 80/20 Rule in Action: When Old Content Does the Heavy Lifting

Let’s talk about the 80/20 rule — you know, the one where 20% of your efforts produce 80% of your results?

That’s exactly what happens when you start a blog the right way.

When I first launched my blog as a beginning photographer, I had no idea which posts would take off. But the ones that did? They’ve been working for me for years.

Real examples from our businesses:

• Melissa’s staircase gallery post written years ago still ranks in her top 10
• She’s gotten two on-site clients from it plus inquiries from around the world — including Romania
• My Virginia Beach restaurants post from February 2019 was my second-highest performer for years
• I haven’t lived there in over a year, and it’s still crushing it
• These posts work because they solve real problems without being trendy or time-sensitive

Here’s the thing: if you’re wondering what to write about for your photography blog for beginners, focus on timeless, helpful content.

These posts keep showing up in search results long after you’ve moved on to your next location.

The takeaway?

• You don’t need to write new content every single week to stay relevant
• Quality blog posts can outperform dozens of mediocre ones
• The longer they sit, the more authority they build with Google
• Your blog becomes a 24/7 client attraction machine

What Makes Blog Posts Work (And Why You Should Care)

So what exactly makes a blog post successful?

When you’re starting out with photography blogs for beginners, the most important thing is creating content that stands the test of time.

It’s not tied to a specific season, trend, or moment. It’s relevant today, next year, and five years from now.

Why blogging matters for beginning photographers:

• Your blog gets in front of your ideal clients before they even realize they’re looking for a photographer
• It works in the awareness stage of your funnel — where blogging really shines
• Each post builds authority with Google over time, lifting your entire website’s credibility
• You attract the right clients who are actively searching for solutions you provide

But here’s the nuance: not every blog post has to directly book you sessions.

Some posts exist purely to drive traffic to your site. Even if someone clicks on a post about restaurants and never books a session, Google sees that engagement.

And it gives your entire website more credibility.

Key characteristics of successful blog content:

• Timeless topics — not date-specific unless annually recurring (like July 4th events or holiday mini sessions)
• High search volume — people are actively looking for this information on Google
• Problem-solving — you’re answering a question or meeting a need your ideal clients have
• Easily updated — if needed, you can refresh the content without rewriting the entire post

Some of my posts require updating (like my July 4th fireworks guide), and that’s okay.

If it brings in traffic and serves my business and my audience, I’m willing to maintain it.

The Posts That Actually Work (Real Examples from Our Businesses)

Let’s get specific.

Here are the posts Melissa and I have written that actually perform — perfect examples for photography blogs for beginners to learn from.

Alison’s Top Performers:

Virginia Beach Restaurants with Kids

• Ranks for about a dozen different keyword variations
• Written after living there for two years — I genuinely knew these spots
• Featured restaurants that actually served families well (fruit plates for toddlers, kids’ food out early, massive tables for groups)
• People can feel the authentic recommendation, and Google rewards it
• Brings in families who are looking for photographers in the area

What to Wear for Beach Photos

• Took off when I started thinking nationally, not just locally
• Ranks globally now with thousands of clicks
• Solves a universal problem for families heading to the beach for photos
• Works year-round, not just in my specific location
• Perfect example of how blog content can reach beyond your immediate area

July 4th Fireworks on Oahu

• Written about 10 days before July 4th
• Doubled my traffic compared to other posts combined
• Requires annual updates, but worth it
• Positions me as the local expert for military families PCSing to Hawaii
• Gets me in front of potential clients before they even land

Your Homepage Isn’t Your Most Important Page (And That’s Okay)

Here’s a question we get all the time in our coaching programs: “Melissa, all my blog posts are outranking my homepage. Is that normal?”

Short answer? Yes. Completely normal.

Melissa’s homepage is the seventh ranking page on her site. Mine is somewhere around sixth or seventh too.

And honestly? We’re not mad about it.

Here’s why this happens:

• More people search for “what to wear for newborn photos” than “Charlottesville newborn photographer”
• One is a global question; the other is hyper-local with limited search volume
• Your blog posts compete on a bigger stage, so they pull more traffic
• Every click to your site signals to Google that you have valuable content
• Over time, this lifts your entire website’s domain authority
• Higher domain authority means all your pages (including service pages) rank better

This is why starting photography blogs for beginners is so powerful — even as a new photographer, your helpful blog content can compete nationally.

The strategy to make this work for you:

• Let your blog posts bring in the traffic
• Make sure every post links back to your “money pages” (service or contact pages)
• Trust the process — even DIY posts keep people in your funnel
• They’re still learning about you, still on your site, still moving through your awareness stage
• Eventually, they’ll be ready to book their session

Not Every Post Will Be a Winner — And That’s Fine

Let’s be real for a second.

Even when you do everything right — keyword research, quality writing, great photos — some posts just don’t take off.

And that’s okay. This is normal when you’re building your blog as a beginning photographer.

My reality check:

• I wrote a restaurants post when I first got to Oahu, expecting it to perform like my Virginia Beach one
• Result? Crickets. Maybe a few hundred clicks. Definitely not thousands.
• But those few hundred clicks still matter
• That post is still valuable to people on my email list
• It’s still out there doing something

Melissa’s experience:

• Some of her best-performing blog content took three to four years to really gain traction
• Google’s algorithms change and content gets re-evaluated
• Suddenly, a post you forgot about shoots to the top of the rankings
• The work is never wasted when it comes to content marketing

Your reminder:

• Not every post will be a home run
• Some posts take years to pay off
• Even if a post doesn’t rank well, you can still turn it into a week’s worth of social media content
• You’re building a library that Google will reward over time
• The compounding effect of multiple blog posts working together is powerful

Just keep going. The content compounds.

You’re Not Starting from Scratch — You’re Building Something That Lasts

Here’s what I want you to walk away with.

Starting a blog isn’t about churning out content every single week and hoping something sticks.

It’s about creating a handful of really good posts that work for you long after you hit publish. That’s the real power of photography blogs for beginners.

What you actually need:

• You don’t need hundreds of blog posts to get started
• You need the right ones — the posts that solve real problems for your clients
• Posts that answer the questions your ideal clients are already asking Google
• Content that positions you as the expert in your area (or beyond)

If you’re just starting out or moving, this strategy is critical:

• You can start building SEO momentum before you land in your new location
• You can get in front of future clients before they even know they need you
• That’s the power of starting a blog the right way
• Your blog works for you even during a PCS or relocation

Your action steps:

• Stop putting pressure on yourself to be everywhere, all the time
• Start small — write one great post for your blog
• The best photography blogs for beginners start with solving one problem at a time
• Let it sit and grow
• Trust that it’s working for you, even when you’re not looking

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More Resources for Photographers

• 
  Photography Blogs for Beginners: The Posts That Still Bring Me Clients Years Later
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  The Ultimate Photography Business Marketing Plan That Actually Works (No More Last-Minute Scrambling!)
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