Guest Blogging: A Photographer’s How-To Guide To Guest Posting

If you want to increase your photography website’s visibility, attract more clients, and build authority online, guest blogging (also known as guest posting) is one of the smartest SEO strategies you can use.

Blogging, whether on your own site or someone else’s, offers huge marketing and SEO benefits. Blog content helps you get discovered through search, builds credibility, and works to bring new people to your photography website long after you hit publish.

But while writing for your own blog is important, writing for other people’s websites can be just as impactful, if not more so, for SEO and audience-building.

In this guide, I’ll explain what guest blogging is, why it’s so effective for photographers, and share my simple five-step ‘IDEAS’ framework for finding and pitching the right guest blogging opportunities.

What Guest Blogging Involves

Guest blogging (or guest posting) simply means writing a blog article that’s published on another website instead of your own. Guest blogging takes blogging on your own photography website one step further.

Typically, you’ll contribute an educational or inspiring article related to your expertise, and in return, you’ll receive a short author bio with a link to your website, or sometimes, a link is placed naturally within the body of the article.

These backlinks are gold for SEO. They help search engines connect your site to others within your niche and demonstrate that your business is an authority worth ranking well.

Why Guest Blogging Matters for SEO

Unlike a social media post that disappears from view within hours or days, blog content stays visible online for years after publishing, and helps your ideal clients find you on Google, drives consistent website traffic, and builds your reputation as an expert in your field.

The benefits of guest blogging as a photographer

When you write for another business’s blog, publisher, or media outlet, you benefit from having your photography website mentioned or linked to from another reputable site. This sends a positive signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable, which can help you rank higher in search results.

You’ll benefit from:

Exposure to their established audience
A backlink to your website (one of the most important ranking factors for SEO)
Increased website traffic as a result of their audience clicking through to your site
Increased domain authority and credibility in Google’s eyes

Ultimately, by guest posting on another website, you have the chance to reach more people with your content and boost your perceived credibility and authority.

Yep, the benefits of guest posting are many, and they are not limited to SEO benefits either! You will likely see growth in your social media following and find that more people subscribe to your email list, too!

Guest Blogging Opportunities for Photographers

Depending on your photography niche and marketing goals, there are many types of sites you could target for guest blogging:

Local or regional business websites — Non-competing local businesses with a similar audience (e.g. family-oriented brands, wedding venues, interior designers) often welcome high-quality guest content.
National brands or creative businesses — Contributing to established national sites with a broad audience can elevate your visibility and drive strong referral traffic.
Niche blogs or interest-specific sites — For instance, a wedding photography blog, a pet industry blog, or a women’s lifestyle site.
Media publications — Some magazines, newspapers, and online publications publish expert guest content or thought leadership pieces.

Each guest blogging opportunity will help you reach new people, raise awareness of your photography, and strengthen your SEO footprint.

The IDEAS Framework: How to Use Guest Blogging for SEO

I’ve developed a simple process for photographers who want to use guest blogging strategically. It follows the IDEAS framework:

Step 1: I — Ideas & Intel

This is your research and planning phase.

Generate topic ideas

Start by brainstorming specific, valuable ideas that the target site’s audience would love. Avoid broad themes like “family photography” and instead pitch focused article ideas such as:

Five creative ways to display family photos around your home
How to choose a wedding photographer who fits your personality

Being specific helps the site owner see exactly how your article would fit their blog.

Understand the audience

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. What would they find helpful, inspiring, or timely? Could you tie your article to a seasonal event or awareness day to make it more relevant?

Do your research

Before pitching, do some detective work:

Check if they accept guest content. Look for “Write for Us” or “Contributor Guidelines” pages.
Review their existing articles. If your topic’s been covered, can you offer a fresh angle or update?
Assess engagement. Are their blog posts shared and commented on? Sites with engaged audiences and active promotion are worth prioritising.

Step 2: D — Domain Authority

Every website has a domain authority (DA) score out of 100, which indicates how well it’s likely to rank in search results.

Use a free tool such as MozBar to check the DA of any website you’re considering pitching to. In general, the higher the score, the stronger the SEO benefit, but don’t rule out smaller, niche sites with loyal audiences. Relevance is often more valuable than sheer size.

Step 3: E — Evaluate

Now it’s time to narrow down your list of guest blogging targets.

Authority: Prioritise sites that are well-established and credible in your niche.
Relevance: Make sure the site’s audience aligns closely with your photography specialism. Google values backlinks from relevant sources more than unrelated ones.

So, a family photographer writing for a local parenting site will see better results than writing for a global tech blog with a much higher domain authority.

Step 4: A — Approach

This is where you make your pitch.

Craft a clear, personalised email

Email is the best way to introduce yourself and your idea. Keep your pitch concise, friendly, and tailored. Include:

Who you are (and why you’re qualified to write on the topic)
What you’re proposing (your specific article idea or a couple of options)
How it will benefit their readers and complement their existing content

Mention that you can also provide beautiful, professional imagery to accompany the article — this is often a huge bonus for blog owners!

Example email subject line:

GUEST BLOG PITCH: [Proposed article title]

For example:

GUEST BLOG PITCH: The top Dorset locations for outdoor family photoshoots

If the site has guest blogging guidelines, follow them closely — including any rules about word count, image sizes, or links.

Step 5: S — Scribe, Submit & Share

Once your idea is accepted, it’s time to write and deliver.

Write a high-quality guest post

Write your article with the reader in mind. Keep it conversational and easy to follow, with clear headings and short paragraphs. Proofread thoroughly. Tools like Grammarly are useful for catching small mistakes.

Include one or two links back to your website (if allowed), ideally to relevant blog posts or your main portfolio page. Avoid overdoing it with self-promotional content.

If possible, offer a useful free resource that ties into your topic. For example, a downloadable “Family Photoshoot Checklist.” This encourages readers to visit your website and join your email list.

Submit and deliver on time

Send your article and visuals by the agreed deadline. Be professional and organised. It helps build relationships for future opportunities.

Share and promote

Once your guest blog is published, share it widely across your channels:

Post it on your social media platforms
Include it in your email newsletter
Link to it from your website or blog

This helps the article reach more people and strengthens the backlink value over time.

The SEO Benefits of Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a long-term SEO strategy. It may take several months to see measurable improvements, but the results compound over time.

With consistent guest posting, you can expect to see:

More referral traffic from the sites where your articles appear
Higher domain authority for your website
Improved rankings for your photography keywords
Increased visibility and enquiries from ideal clients

Each guest article you publish strengthens your online footprint and boosts your credibility both with search engines and with potential clients.

Blogging and Guest Posting: A Powerful Combination

I can’t emphasise enough the power of combining blogging and guest blogging in your photography marketing. Both strategies help to attract your ideal clients, build trust, and grow your visibility organically without relying on social media algorithms or costly ads.

Creating content that works for you long after it’s published is one of the smartest ways to market your business.

Blogging, SEO & Guest Blogging Support for Photographers

If you’d like help developing your guest blogging or SEO content strategy, that’s exactly what I do! I help photographers plan, create, and optimise blog content to boost their search rankings and attract more clients, and pitch them to other publishers and the media.

Take a look at my PR and digital marketing services, and if you’d like to discuss working together, get in touch to apply for a free consultation.

Guest Blogging: How Photographers Can Boost Website Traffic With Guest Posting