A Photographer’s Guide on How to Get Backlinks

You know that feeling when you’re moving into a new apartment and the last box gets unpacked and everything finally feels settled? In some ways, building a strong online presence is a lot like that. Just like every piece of furniture finds its perfect spot in your new home, every backlink is a key piece in establishing your website’s SEO foundation. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing exactly what wedding backlinks are, plus 8 ways to get them for your wedding website. 

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What are Wedding Backlinks?

Simply put, backlinks are links from one website to another. Think of them as a digital recommendation. When another site links to yours, they’re essentially saying, “hey, this content is worth checking out.”

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Why Wedding Backlinks Matter for Photographers

One of the biggest reasons backlinks are so important (and why I love them as a blogger) is that they are a powerful way to build credibility with search engines. When another site links to your website, search engines view that as a trust signal or vote of confidence. 

The more quality backlinks you obtain, the more it improves your site’s SEO, which helps you rank higher for your search terms and build more brand awareness. Win, win, right?

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8 Ways to Get Backlinks for Photographers 

Ok, so the big question – how do you get backlinks to your wedding website?  Here are eight strategies I recommend, listed from easiest to obtain to most challenging. 

Set up a Google Business Profile

The good news about this wedding backlink is that it’s completely in your control. And while it might seem too simple, there are so many reasons why having a Google Business Profile is good for your business, and getting a backlink is definitely one of them.

A Google Business Profile is basically a digital storefront for your website. It’s a place where you can link your website, share essential information about your business, share photos and updates (ie – your latest blogs), and obtain client reviews!

While backlinks from GBPs don’t hold the same weight as a link from a wedding blog or vendor site, they’re still an important part of your SEO strategy. Plus, they help send referral traffic to your site and build your local relevance (which is huge if you’re trying to rank for “[your city] wedding photographer”).

💡 Pro Tip: Take it a step further and submit business listings on other local search engines like Bing and Yelp while you’re at it.

Ease to Obtain: Easy

Backlink Value: Low (but still worth doing)

Social media profile pages  

Your social media accounts are another type of backlink that, while they don’t necessarily improve your SEO rankings, are super beneficial for sending referral traffic to your site.

Links from Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest (which, fun fact, Pinterest is actually a search engine, not social media) help increase your site’s visibility and drive traffic. However, these links are marked as “no follow,” which means they don’t actually give SEO authority to your website. But your website traffic and visibility matter, so it’s still worth mentioning even if it’s not an SEO goldmine.

Ease to Obtain: Easy
Backlink Value: Low for SEO, but great for visibility and driving traffic

Share your wedding or elopement galleries with other vendors

This type of wedding backlink is one of my favorites because it’s a backlink that comes from people you already know and have relationships with. It’s a relatively easy ask, but just remember: an easy ask doesn’t always mean an easy “yes.”

When going after this type of backlink, I recommend this: Add a question to your pre-wedding questionnaire asking if your couple is okay with you sharing their photos with their vendors. Or check your contract language to see what’s already been agreed upon.

Once you get the green light, make sharing galleries with other vendors part of your post-wedding workflow. PicTime makes this really easy with their customizable template emails, as you can simply add vendor email addresses and hit send.

In your email, ask the vendors to credit your website when they share the photos online. Sharing your photos with vendors is a win-win for everyone as they get photos to advertise their services and you get your work seen by new audiences (and score a potential backlink along the way).

Sample email template for backlinks from wedding vendors:

Hi [Vendor Name]!

I hope you’re doing well! I wanted to share some highlights from [Couple’s Names]’s wedding day with you.

Feel free to use these photos for your website or social media – I’d just love a link back to my website at www.[your-domain].com when you share them online.

Thanks so much, and please let me know if I can help with anything!

Best,
[Your name]

Ease to Obtain: Easy to Moderate (requires outreach and isn’t fully in your control)

Backlink Value: Medium to High (depends on the website’s domain authority)

Submit Your Wedding to Get Published in an Online Wedding Magazine

Okay, this one is hands down one of my favorite strategies for getting wedding backlinks – getting your wedding featured in an online publication!

Not only does a feature mean more exposure and recognition for your work, but backlinks from established publications are exactly the type that Google loves and values.

When going after this type of backlink, keep in mind that quality matters. There are a ton of wedding publications out there, but not all are created equal. Focus on established wedding websites and remember that the higher their domain authority (DA), the better value the link will be for you.

Also, wedding publications are becoming more competitive (this is something I’m seeing a lot for my wedding publication clients), so you’ll want to really prepare your submission and tailor it to each publication. To learn more about how to get your wedding featured, check out this blog post for my top feature tips. 

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t forget about industry contests and competitions. These are another fantastic way to get your work featured and earn more backlinks.

Ease to Obtain: Moderate to Hard (depending on publication requirements)

Backlink Value: High (the higher the site’s DA, the better)

Do a blog swap with a vendor you love

This is another fun and high-quality backlink strategy. Think about the wedding vendors you genuinely love working with and consider doing a vendor spotlight swap on each other’s blogs.

You could interview each other about your services, share behind-the-scenes insights, or even write about how you work seamlessly together with your couples (one of my clients just did a blog collab with a wedding content creator and it was so fun!). While getting this backlink requires some effort from both parties, it provides real value to your clients, which is honestly the most important piece.

Ease to Obtain: Moderate to Hard (requires collaboration and content creation)

Backlink Value: Medium to High (again, depends on their DA)

Guest blogging

While guest blogging might sound similar to a vendor blog swap, this approach is a bit different. Instead of offering a trade, you’re offering to write valuable content for someone else’s blog –  maybe your favorite wedding venue, planner, or even a photography education site.

The main priority is providing genuine value to their readers, but you get backlinks and exposure as great bonuses. Since it doesn’t require the other party to create content, you might have better luck with this approach.

If you’re interested in this type of backlink for photographers, click here for a list of wedding websites that accept guest blogs. 

Ease to Obtain: Moderate (requires outreach and content creation)
Backlink Value: Medium to High

Be a Guest on a Wedding or Photography Podcast

Are you the type of person who is always sending voice memos instead of texts? Not everyone loves public speaking, but if getting behind a mic doesn’t totally terrify you, this is a great way to get a website backlink.

One of the things I love about this backlink strategy is that most podcasts get turned into blog content with show notes that include links back to guests’ websites, meaning you don’t have to write any content – you just have to be willing to speak.

Similar to guest blogging, you may need to do some outreach to podcast hosts in your industry, but it’s a great way to share your expertise while earning quality backlinks. Plus, once you get comfortable with it, podcast interviews can actually be pretty fun (and less intimidating than you might think).

Ease to Obtain: Moderate to Hard (requires outreach and being comfortable on audio)
Backlink Value: High

Partner with a Brand you Love

Are there websites you find yourself linking to all the time? Or maybe a photography product you use and genuinely love that you could showcase more?

Consider reaching out to form some type of partnership or explore becoming a brand ambassador for your favorite gear brands. Just remember: do your homework first. Understand what might be required and position your request to show value for them, not just yourself.

Ease to Obtain: Hard (but worth it for the right partnerships)
Backlink Value: High (these typically come from established companies with strong DA)

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Other Ways to Find Wedding Backlinks 

If you still need ideas for how to get backlinks to your wedding website, take a peek at your competitors’ sites. See where they’re linking to and where their backlinks are coming from. This could lead to other backlink opportunities you may never have considered. 

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How to Check Your Backlinks (and Your Competitors)

Want to see where your current backlinks are coming from (or spy on your competitors)? Here are a few ways to check:

Google Search Console

Log in to Google Search Console and navigate to the “Links” tab to see your top linking sites (sites that link to your website) and the number of times they’re linking to you. 

Google Analytics

In your Google Analytics account, go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition. Then search for “Referral”  in the table search box and sort by “Session source / medium” to see a list of all the websites that are sending traffic your way. 

Moz

Moz offers a free domain analysis (up to 3 domains per day) to check your domain authority and see your top linking websites, as well as the linking website’s domain score (which is helpful for understanding the quality of the link). 

Paid Tools

Platforms like Ubersuggest, SEMrush, or Ahrefs have built-in features that allow you to view your backlinks. And the best part? They also allow you to enter your competitor’s domain and see a list of their backlinks as well. 

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FAQs About Wedding Backlinks

Are some backlinks worth more than others? 

Yes! Not all backlinks are created equal. The quality of a backlink is dependent on the linking website’s domain authority. Higher DAs mean more valuable backlinks for you. 

Do social media backlinks help SEO?

While they don’t necessarily improve your SEO rankings, backlinks from social media accounts are great for driving traffic and expanding your reach.

Should I target backlinks from different websites?

Generally speaking, it’s best to have a variety of backlinks from different websites rather than multiple links from the same website. All quality backlinks are helpful, however, the more sites you can get linking to you, the better.

How many backlinks do I need for my wedding website?

While there is no hard and fast rule about how many wedding backlinks you need, in general, you want to aim to have as many as (or more than) your competitors. This is why doing competitor research is important. Understanding how many backlinks they have and where they are coming from will help you as you create your wedding backlink strategy.

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Building wedding backlinks takes time and (in many cases) genuine relationship-building, but they’re one of the best ways to improve your SEO and get your work in front of more dream clients. 

If you’re just getting started, I recommend beginning with the easier strategies and building from there. Every quality backlink is a step toward stronger search rankings and a website that works harder for you over time.  

Want support creating a backlink strategy that’s tailored to your business? Book a 1:1 strategy call and we’ll map out a custom backlink and blogging plan. Or, if you’d rather skip the DIY, our Wedding Publication Package is designed to help you earn high-quality backlinks through trusted publications.

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