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Lesson 5: Backlink Strategies for Photographers

Lesson 5: Backlink Strategies for Photographers

Imagine that your website is the center of a bicycle wheel, the more spokes that your wheel has the stronger it will be. Each time a an external site links back to your website is called a backlink. Each instance of this creates another spoke for your wheel making it stronger.

Not all backlinks are created equal. Some platforms carry more SEO weight due to their domain authority, trustworthiness, and relevance. Here’s a quick breakdown:

These platforms offer the strongest SEO benefits and should be prioritized:

  • Google My Business – Directly affects local search and map visibility.
  • LinkedIn – High domain authority and great for B2B photographers.
  • Pinterest – Excellent for image sharing and evergreen referral traffic.
  • Medium – Strong domain; articles can rank independently and drive authority.
  • Yelp – Highly trusted local directory with strong Google indexing.
  • Established Publications - Harder to pull off, but Having highly trusted sites share a link to your site adds to your rankings.

These provide SEO value and help diversify your link profile:

  • Behance / 500px / Flickr – Great for niche relevance and traffic from creatives.
  • Tumblr – Good for content syndication and social signals.
  • Quora / Reddit – Contextual backlinks with potential traffic boosts (when used naturally).
  • SlideShare – Helps build authority via educational content.

These may not boost rankings dramatically but help build credibility and citations:

  • YellowPages / Bing Places / Foursquare – Local consistency helps trust signals.
  • Nextdoor / Angie’s List / Thumbtack – Local relevance and service discovery.
  • Houzz – Niche-specific benefits for architectural or real estate photographers.
  1. Behance – Showcase your portfolio and link back to your site.
  2. 500px – Photography community that lets you add portfolio links.
  3. Flickr – Photo-sharing site where you can include your website in profile.
  4. Medium – Publish photography-related articles with backlinks.
  5. Pinterest – Pin your images and link pins to your site.
  6. Tumblr – Microblogging platform great for sharing photo sets.
  7. LinkedIn Articles – Write long-form posts with embedded site links.
  8. SlideShare – Share photo-based presentations and link to your portfolio.
  9. Reddit (r/photography) – Engage in discussions and share your work (observe subreddit rules).
  10. Quora – Answer photography questions and include your website in answers.
  1. Google My Business – Essential for local SEO and maps listing.
  2. Yelp – Local business directory to collect reviews and backlinks.
  3. Bing Places – Microsoft’s local business portal.
  4. YellowPages – Traditional directory with online profiles.
  5. TripAdvisor – For photographers targeting tourism and events.
  6. Angie’s List – Home services directory, great for event or wedding photographers.
  7. Nextdoor – Neighborhood network where you can promote your services.
  8. Thumbtack – Service marketplace connecting you with local clients.
  9. Houzz – Ideal if you photograph interior design or architecture.
  10. Foursquare for Business – Local search & discovery platform.

Final Tip

Focus on quality over quantity. A few high-quality backlinks from trusted platforms can outperform dozens of weak ones. Build your profile steadily, keep it relevant to photography, and always include your website URL, location, and specialty in each profile or listing.

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