The Military Spouse Photographer’s Guide to SEO During Moves

There’s no getting around it – being a military spouse photographer comes with unique challenges that civilian photographers never face. PCS moves, deployment schedules, and constantly changing markets can feel overwhelming when you’re trying to build a sustainable photography business.

After moving my photography business twice in two years and helping other military spouse photographers through relocations, I’ve seen the same fears come up repeatedly: “Will I have to start completely over at each duty station?” “How do I price myself in a military community?” “What if my SEO efforts are wasted every three years?”

Recently, on the Keep It Moving podcast, my co-host Alison and I had the chance to mentor Victoria, a military spouse photographer facing three moves in the next few years. Her situation perfectly illustrates the challenges many military spouse photographers face – and more importantly, the strategic solutions that really work.

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But before we dive in—Hi! I’m Melissa, and I’m an SEO expert here to help portrait photographers finally get found by their dream clients on Google—without the technical overwhelm. Whether you need done-for-you SEO services, step-by-step coaching through my proven system, or monthly blogging strategies (like my Blogging Club membership!), I’ve got the tools to transform your invisible website into a client-attracting machine. Ready to stop being the best-kept secret in your market?

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If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to listen to the full podcast episode where Alison & I break down all these strategies in detail. But if you’re ready to get straight to the actionable stuff, this blog post lays it all out for you step-by-step. Either way, you’re going to walk away with concrete strategies you can implement right away.

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The Reality of Being a Military Spouse Photographer

Victoria’s story will sound familiar to many of us in the military photography community. She’s currently in Mississippi, charging $175 for 30-minute family sessions and $250 for newborns, working weekends exclusively due to her three young children. She’s facing moves to Little Rock in September, followed by a move to Illinois, and yet another potential move after that.

Here’s the thing – Victoria was already doing many things right for a military spouse photographer. She had established a rhythm that worked for military family schedules, understood her local base community, and had started seeing results from previous SEO efforts in Georgia. But like many military spouse photographers, she was undervaluing her work and overthinking the PCS process.

The Pricing Foundation Every Military Spouse Photographer Needs

Before we even talked SEO strategy, we had to address the elephant in the room – Victoria’s pricing. At $175 for family sessions and $250 for newborns, she was significantly undervaluing her expertise as a military spouse photographer.

As someone who’s helped military spouse photographers in markets ranging from rural bases to major metropolitan areas, I can tell you that pricing is often the biggest barrier to business growth, especially during PCS moves. Victoria admitted she could work half as much and make more money – and she was absolutely right.

For Victoria’s situation as a military spouse photographer, we recommended:

• Doubling newborn session prices to $500 minimum
• Increasing family sessions to $250-300 for 30 minutes
• Focusing more heavily on newborns for higher profit margins

When clients find you through Google search (which we’ll get to), they’re already looking for professional services and are less price-sensitive than those browsing spouse Facebook groups.

Strategic SEO Approach for Military Spouse Photographers

Here’s where being a military spouse photographer gets tricky from an SEO perspective. Victoria will only be in Little Rock for about a year before moving again. Traditional SEO advice says it takes 6-12 months to see significant results, so what’s the strategy for military spouse photographers with short-term assignments?

We developed a hybrid approach specifically for military spouse photographers:

Focus on Evergreen Content First

Instead of diving deep into location-specific SEO immediately, military spouse photographers should create content that travels with them:

• FAQ blog posts about newborn sessions
• “How to prepare for your lifestyle newborn session”
• “What to wear for family photos”
• “When to book your newborn photographer”
• “Photography tips for military families”

This is exactly why I created The Blogging Club – to give photographers monthly content strategies that work no matter which duty station you’re assigned to.

Quick-Win Local Content Strategy for Military Spouse Photographers

For immediate local impact, we suggested Victoria create comprehensive resource posts that work well for military spouse photographers:

• “Indoor Activities for Kids in Little Rock” (timely for summer)
• “Complete Guide to Little Rock Christmas Events” (searchable from July onward)
• “Military Family-Friendly Activities Near [Base Name]”

These types of posts serve multiple purposes for military spouse photographers:

1. They’re immediately useful to local military families
2. They can be shared in spouse groups and base Facebook pages
3. They drive significant website traffic quickly
4. They position you as a helpful community member, not just a business

For example, Alison created a similar post about Oahu Christmas events. The traffic was so high Google Analytics flagged it as an anomaly — 500 clicks from one post!

The Google Business Profile Foundation for Military Spouse Photographers

One thing Victoria had already done right as a military spouse photographer was updating her Google Business Profile when she moved. However, she was still showing up in Georgia searches, which is a common issue military spouse photographers face.

Victoria also asked about. While reviews on various platforms don’t hurt military spouse photographers, focus your energy on Google Business Profile reviews first. That’s where the local SEO juice really comes from.

Smart Marketing Tactics for Military Spouse Photographers in New Markets

Since Victoria has a short timeline in Little Rock, we recommended focusing on strategies that can show results quickly for military spouse photographers:

Facebook Retargeting Ads

For just $30 per month ($1 per day), military spouse photographers can run retargeting ads to anyone who visits their website. This keeps you top-of-mind for people who found your resource posts or browsed your portfolio.

Strategic Social Media Presence for Military Spouse Photographers

While SEO is building, start posting on Instagram using location-specific hashtags. Research which platforms your new market actually uses – Victoria mentioned her current area is very Facebook-heavy, while Alison found Hawaii to be Instagram-dominant.

Lead Magnet Strategy for Military Spouse Photographers

Consider turning your resource posts into downloadable guides. Capture email addresses from people interested in local activities, then nurture them with photography tips and behind-the-scenes content.

My Done-for-You SEO services focus on optimizing your photography website for search engines, handling all the technical SEO work so you can focus on what you do best – photography. I understand that military spouse photographers need SEO strategies that work across multiple duty stations, which is why I optimize your site for both local and broader market visibility.

Avoiding Common Military Spouse Photographer Mistakes

Victoria mentioned being active in spouse Facebook groups, which can be valuable for research but dangerous for pricing validation. Here’s what I always tell military spouse photographers:

Do not let spouse groups dictate your pricing. Military communities are just a microcosm of the larger world. If you price yourself only for the military community, you’re severely limiting your earning potential as a military spouse photographer.

The goal when you move to Little Rock isn’t to fill your calendar with military clients at military prices. It’s to establish yourself as the premier photographer in the broader market who happens to work with some military families.

Your Step-by-Step PCS Timeline for Military Spouse Photographers

Based on Victoria’s situation, here’s the strategic timeline we developed for military spouse photographers:

3-6 Months Before PCS:

• Remove old pricing from website
• Start keyword research for new duty station location
• Begin creating evergreen FAQ content
• Update Google Business Profile with new location

2-3 Months Before PCS:

• Create timely local resource content
• Set up retargeting ad campaigns
• Begin posting with new location hashtags
• Network with vendors in new market

1 Month Before PCS:

• Optimize homepage and portfolio pages for new keywords
• Schedule local resource content to publish
• Prepare email sequences for new market
• Set up tracking systems

After PCS:

• Continue blogging consistently
• Monitor local SEO performance
• Adjust strategy based on what’s working
• Build relationships with local vendors

The Long-Term Perspective for Military Spouse Photographers

Victoria’s situation – three moves in three years – might seem overwhelming, but it’s actually an opportunity for military spouse photographers to become exceptionally skilled at market entry. Each PCS teaches you something new about business development, and the systems you create become more refined.

As someone who’s successfully ranked in multiple markets, I can tell you that the skills military spouse photographers develop becoming the go-to photographer in one new market make you incredibly efficient at doing it again.

Ready to master the art of military spouse photographer business building? My 4-month SEO Group Coaching program is designed for portrait photographers who are ready to ditch the guesswork of SEO for good and finally get found on Google so they can fill their calendar with dream clients. Military spouse photographers especially benefit from this program because you learn strategies that work at every duty station, with step-by-step guidance and accountability to ensure you actually implement what you learn.

Building Your Military Spouse Photographer Support Network

One advantage military spouse photographers have is the built-in community at every duty station. Use this strategically:

• Connect with other military spouse business owners
• Partner with base family services for referrals
• Offer mini sessions during base events
• Build relationships with base childcare providers
• Network with military family service organizations

Key Takeaways for Military Spouse Photographers

Being a military spouse photographer doesn’t have to mean starting from zero at every duty station. With the right strategy, you can:

• Establish higher pricing from day one in your new market
• Create content that works for you immediately and long-term
• Build local authority quickly through strategic resource creation
• Use affordable advertising to accelerate your market entry
• Develop systems that make future PCS moves even easier

The key for military spouse photographers is being strategic about where you invest your time and energy, especially knowing you’ll likely move again in 2-3 years.

Victoria left our conversation with a clear action plan and the confidence to implement it. Her next update should be interesting – I predict she’ll be amazed at what’s possible when military spouse photographers combine strategic thinking with expert guidance.

Want to develop your own strategic PCS plan as a military spouse photographer? Check out my SEO services for photographers to see how I can help you dominate any market, or join The Blogging Club for monthly content strategies that work at every duty station.

Remember: You’re not just a photographer who happens to be married to military – you’re a military spouse photographer with unique insights into military family needs. That’s actually a competitive advantage in markets with military populations.

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