Stop Losing Blog Traffic: How to Properly Use WordPress Categories and Tags on Your Photography Website

You know what I notice all the time? Photographers create absolutely stunning blog posts week after week, but then their clients can’t find a single thing on their website. Everything just gets buried in this beautiful but chaotic mess of content that nobody can actually navigate.

The reality is – if your blog isn’t organized properly, you’re making it harder for both your ideal clients AND Google to understand what you do. After 17+ years in photography and helping hundreds of photographers optimize their websites, I’ve learned that WordPress categories and tags for photographers are absolutely game-changing when done right.

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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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Why Blog Organization Actually Matters for Your Photography Business

Here’s the thing – your blog isn’t just a pretty portfolio extension. It’s a powerful tool that should be working 24/7 to attract your ideal clients and showcase your expertise. But when your content is disorganized, you’re essentially hiding your best work from the people who need to see it most.

As someone who’s helped photographers dominate their local markets through strategic SEO, I always tell my clients that organization is the foundation of everything else we do.

WordPress Categories: Your Big Content Buckets

Think of categories as your main filing system – these are the big buckets that organize all your content. For photographers, I always recommend creating categories for each of your genres:

• Newborn photography
• Maternity sessions
• Family portraits
• Milestone sessions
• Children’s photography

But here’s where it gets really smart – you should also create location-based categories. When I moved my photography business twice in two years, this strategy was crucial for helping clients understand where I shoot.

Virginia Beach sessions look completely different from Hawaii beach sessions, so make it easy for clients to browse by separating them clearly.

Additional Categories That Work

Beyond your photography genres, consider these category options:

• Tips and advice
• What to wear guides
• Products and pricing
• Behind the scenes
• Location-specific content (like “Hawaii travel tips” or “Virginia Beach sessions”)

The goal is to make it easy for clients to find exactly what they’re looking for without having to dig through dozens of unrelated posts.

Tags: Your Detailed Organization System

While categories are your big buckets, tags are your detailed filing system within those buckets. Tags help you create subsets of your categories for even more specific organization.

Important: Tags are for YOUR organization – not for keyword stuffing. Google doesn’t use tags for SEO ranking, so please stop adding every city name in your area as a tag. This is strictly for website organization.

Smart Tag Examples for Photographers

Here are smart tag ideas that make sense::

Location-specific tags:

• Indoor sessions
• Beach locations
• Mountain settings
• Garden sessions
• Studio work

Style-specific tags:

• Lifestyle photography
• Posed portraits
• Documentary style
• Black and white

Advice content tags:

• Maternity tips
• Newborn prep
• What to wear
• Session planning

Ready to stop feeling overwhelmed by blog organization? This is exactly why I created The Blogging Club – to give photographers monthly content strategies plus the organizational systems that actually work for growing your business.

How This Organization System Saves You Time

I can’t tell you how many times I use my own website’s search function. When a client asks “Can you show me your garden sessions?” I literally go to my website, type “garden” in the search bar, and send them the results page. Done.

Real-World Example

Let’s say you shoot military ceremonies. Your main category would be “Military Photography,” but you’d tag each post with specifics like:

• Type of ceremony (retirement, change of command, pinning)
• Military branch (Navy, Army, Marines)
• Specific location (base name or venue)

This way, when a Navy client wants to see only Navy retirement ceremonies, you can easily find and share exactly what they’re looking for.

The Client Experience Advantage

When your blog is properly organized, you can:

• Send category links to show multiple related posts at once
• Display specific content on relevant pages (only newborn posts on your newborn page)
• Create client resources by linking to all your “tips and advice” posts
• Answer questions faster by searching your own site and sharing results

Want to master location-based SEO beyond just blog organization? My Done-for-You SEO services help photographers dominate Google search results in any market while you focus on what you do best – photography.

Quick Action Steps for Better Blog Organization

Here’s what you need to do today:

1. Audit your current categories – Do they make sense for your business?
2. Create genre-specific categories for each type of photography you offer
3. Add location categories if you serve multiple areas
4. Set up a tagging system for content subsets
5. Add a search bar to your website if you don’t have one
6. Start using your new system with every new blog post

Common Organization Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t keyword stuff your tags – Google ignores them anyway
• Don’t create too many categories – stick to 5-10 main ones
• Don’t forget to link internally between related posts
• Don’t create tags for single-use topics – only tag things you’ll write about multiple times

Internal Linking: The Secret Sauce

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of helping photographers with SEO – you need to link your blog posts together. Create that internal web of connections. When you write a new maternity post, link to your other maternity content. When you share tips about what to wear, link to other advice posts.

This helps both your clients discover more of your content AND helps Google understand how it all connects.

Feeling lost about which SEO strategies to implement first? This is exactly what we cover in my SEO Group Coaching program – step-by-step guidance with accountability to actually get results.

Why This Organization Strategy Works

After building my photography business in three different markets and achieving page 1 rankings each time, I can tell you that proper blog organization is foundation-level important. It’s not just about looking professional (though it does that too) – it’s about creating a user experience that converts visitors into clients.

When potential clients can easily find examples of exactly what they’re looking for, they’re more likely to book with you. When Google can understand your content structure, you’re more likely to rank higher in search results.

Don’t let another week go by with a disorganized blog. Set aside an hour this week to implement these category and tag strategies. Your future self (and your clients) will thank you.

Remember: This isn’t about perfection – it’s about creating a system that works for your business and makes your content more discoverable.

Ready to transform your blog from neglected afterthought into a client-attraction machine? Check out my SEO courses in the Shop for comprehensive training you can implement at your own pace, or join The Blogging Club for monthly strategies that keep your content organized and effective.

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