What Are Citations and Backlinks? A Photographer’s Guide to Getting Found

If you’re a photographer trying to get found on Google, you’ve probably heard that you need good keywords and blog content. And that’s true. But there’s another piece of the SEO puzzle that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough, and it’s happening off your website entirely. So what are citations and backlinks, and why should you care?

In short, citations and backlinks are signals that tell Google (and now AI) that your photography business is real, trustworthy, and worth recommending. And understanding what are citations and backlinks has never been more important, because AI tools are now actively recommending businesses based on this kind of information.

In this post, I’m breaking down exactly what are citations and backlinks, how they affect your rankings, what domain authority actually means, and what you can start doing today to build yours up.

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But before we dive in—Hi! I’m Melissa—an SEO expert helping portrait photographers get found by dream clients on Google, without the tech overwhelm. Whether you want done-for-you services, coaching, or blogging strategies, I’ve got you covered. Ready to stop being the best-kept secret in your market?

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Want the full conversation? Listen to the podcast episode with Alison & me. Prefer to skim? This post breaks it all down step-by-step so you can start implementing right away.

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What Are Citations and Backlinks?

Let’s start with the basics, because these terms get thrown around a lot and they’re not always explained well.

If you’re wondering what are citations and backlinks, here’s the simplest way I can put it. Both are ways your business shows up on other people’s websites. But they work a little differently.

What Is a Citation?

A citation is anytime your business name, address, and phone number are listed on another website. Think Yelp, The Knot, your local chamber of commerce, or a city business directory. There’s no clickable link to your site. An SEO citation is simply your business info showing up somewhere else online.

I like to think of it this way. Imagine you own a small business in town and everyone knows your name. When someone drops your name in conversation, people recognize it right away. That’s what an SEO citation does for you on the internet. It puts your name out there so search engines see that people know who you are.

What Is a Backlink?

A backlink takes it one step further. It’s when another website links directly to yours with a clickable link. Using that same small-town analogy, a backlink is when someone doesn’t just know your name but actually says, “She’s amazing, and here’s where you can find her.”

A backlink is stronger than a citation because it sends traffic directly to your site and tells Google, “Hey, this website is worth visiting.” But that doesn’t mean citations don’t matter. Both are valuable. They work together to build your online reputation.

Domain Authority: Your Website’s Reputation Score

When you start building citations and backlinks, you’re also building something called domain authority. Think of domain authority like a credit score, but for your website. The higher it is, the more trustworthy your site looks to Google.

And just like a credit score, it takes time to build. How old your domain is plays a role too. That’s why I always tell photographers to think long and hard before changing their domain name. You wouldn’t close all your credit cards and start over from scratch, right? If you absolutely need to switch, always set up a redirect so you don’t lose everything you’ve built.

Now, domain authority scores go up to 100, but to put it in perspective, Instagram has a 99. You’re not going to hit 100, and that’s totally fine. For a small local photography business, getting to around 15 is solid. Above 15 means you’re doing really well. Below 15? That’s your signal to start working on your citations and backlinks.

One thing I want to mention here is that domain authority isn’t a direct Google ranking factor. There are SEO experts who will point that out, and they’re right. But here’s the thing. It’s a scorecard for how your off-page SEO is doing overall. Google isn’t looking at the number itself. It’s looking at all the things that gave you that number. So if you’re wondering what are citations and backlinks actually doing for you behind the scenes, they’re the engine driving that score up.

Why Citations and Backlinks Matter Even More Now

AI is now searching every corner of the internet and recommending businesses to people. Tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI overviews are pulling information from all kinds of sources. And the more places your business name, address, and phone number show up accurately, the more likely AI is to recognize you as a legitimate business and recommend you.

Think of it like the old Yellow Pages. If your business wasn’t listed in the phone book, people probably weren’t calling you. Citations and backlinks work the same way now, just digitally. AI expects to see your business listed in valid directories. If you’re a photographer in Minneapolis, it expects to find you in Minneapolis business directories. If you’re not there, that’s a red flag.

This also makes understanding what citations and backlinks are so important for off-page SEO. On-page SEO is everything you control on your own website, like keywords, blog content, and page titles. Off-page SEO is everything that happens elsewhere, and it’s just as important for getting found.

How to Check Your Citations and Backlinks

Now that you know what citations and backlinks are, it helps to check where you stand before you start building. Here are a few ways to see what you’ve already got.

→ First, Google your business name.

Go through the results on page one and see where you’re listed. Are you on any directories? Is all the information accurate? Check that your address, phone number, and website URL are correct everywhere.

Quick Tip: One common issue I see is photographers who set up their listings years ago and still have HTTP instead of HTTPS. Your site will probably redirect, but it’s worth updating so everything matches.

→ Next, use Backlinko

You can check your domain authority and current backlinks for free at on Backlinko.

→ Use Keywords Everywhere (Optional)

If you use the Keywords Everywhere browser extension, it’ll show you your backlink count, referring domains, and domain authority right from your browser.

Another trick? Look up other photographers in your area and check their backlinks. If they’re listed somewhere you’re not, there’s a good chance you can get listed there too.

Quick Action Steps to Start Building Citations and Backlinks

If you’re ready to start improving your off-page SEO, here are a few things you can do right now.

Google your city plus “business directories” and see what comes up. Start listing your business on the ones that are relevant. Look for photography-specific directories too. You can even ask AI to help you compile a list of directory options in your area.

Make sure your information is consistent everywhere. Every SEO citation you create should have the exact same business name, address, phone number, and website URL. Even small inconsistencies, like abbreviating “Street” in one place and spelling it out in another, can cause issues.

And if you’ve moved recently (or ever), go back through your old listings and update them. It’s tedious, but it matters. Outdated information can confuse both Google and potential clients.

Ready to Hand It Off? How We Can Help

Now that you know what are citations and backlinks, you probably also realize that building them is probably boring. If you’d rather not spend your evenings hunting down directories, that’s exactly why I created my Citations and Backlinks Monthly Service.

Every month, we build new citations for your business across big-name directories, local listings, service area citations (great if you don’t have a studio), rich media citations using your actual photos, and social foundation links that connect your profiles. We’ve even put together our own exclusive list of photographer-only directories. Before we start anything, we run a full audit and cleanup of what’s already out there, and our goal is to build out 300 or more unique citations for your business.

Last year, we analyzed eight websites in the program and saw a 729% increase in Google clicks and roughly a 1,500% increase in search impressions. For almost all of them, their domain authority doubled.

If you want to stop guessing and start getting found, check out our Citations and Backlinks service here.

If you liked this post, we think you’ll love these:

AI Search SEO vs Traditional SEO: Why They’re Actually the Same Thing

Keywords Everywhere Review: The Affordable SEO Tool Every Photographer Needs

Mastering Local SEO for Photographers During a Business Move

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Wondering why your website isn’t bringing in inquiries? I’m covering the 5 biggest SEO mistakes photographers make in my free masterclass.

Watch now → https://pictureperfectrankings.com/5-mistakes