--- title: How to Get Traffic to Your Photography Website slug: get-traffic-to-your-website type: article date: MAY 24, 2020 author: Humberto Garcia category: SEO & WEBSITE readTime: 4 min read tags: website traffic, seo, photography marketing, conversion canonical: https://photographytoprofits.com/blog/get-traffic-to-your-website source: Photography to Profits (photographytoprofits.com) license: All rights reserved. Cite with attribution and link to canonical URL. citation: "Humberto Garcia, How to Get Traffic to Your Photography Website, Photography to Profits, https://photographytoprofits.com/blog/get-traffic-to-your-website" --- # How to Get Traffic to Your Photography Website 3 easy tools to drive traffic to your photography site. **Author:** Humberto Garcia, Founder, Photography to Profits Humberto Garcia is the founder of Photography to Profits. His team has coached 1,500+ photographers across six countries on marketing, sales, and studio growth, and worked with 350 private clients. **Published:** MAY 24, 2020 · **Read time:** 4 min read **Category:** SEO & WEBSITE Guess what? You probably already have everything you need to take your photography business to the next level. No, seriously. You just need to learn how to use them! Most of the photographers I know had access to these three types of traffic before they had any idea what they were doing. But here’s the thing – by not taking advantage of this, you’re costing your business big time! Check out these three types of traffic and what they mean for your photography business. ![interstate traffic web](https://nzkmnsvolzcnhgjztzxs.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public-assets/blog/posts/4c1a0a86-interstate-traffic.webp) four winding interstate roads traffic ### Key Takeaways - Getting more traffic to your photography website doesn't require a huge ad budget. The most powerful traffic sources are often ones you already have access to but haven't fully activated yet. - Humberto Garcia, founder of Photography to Profits, has helped photographers use a combination of organic, referral, and paid traffic to build consistent monthly inquiry pipelines. - Photographers who combine SEO content, Google Ads, and social media into a coordinated traffic strategy typically see 3–5x more website visitors than those relying on any single source alone. - Action step: Check your Google Analytics (or set it up if you haven't) right now to see where your current traffic is coming from. Doubling down on your top source is faster than building a new one from scratch. ## 1\. Paid Traffic ![grow your photography business](https://nzkmnsvolzcnhgjztzxs.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public-assets/blog/posts/1b19f3d1-small-green-plant-growing-from-pennies.webp) small green plant sprouting from pile of coins I hate to break it to you, but you need a paid strategy, especially if you own an established business and regularly receive referrals.  For every $1 you put in, you should get _at least_ $1 back. I know, I know. If you’re not making money, what’s in it for you? A lot, actually. Even if you’re breaking even on your paid traffic, it’s still traffic. You’re increasing exposure for your business, spreading brand awareness, and collecting data on your clients for future marketing strategies. Ideally, however, you do want to make a profit from your paid traffic. For every $1 spent, aim for $10, or $30 (or more!). Keep in mind that if you’re earning $2 for every $1 you spend, you’re still making a significant return on your investment. The better you relate with your clients and perfect your paid marketing strategy, the more you’ll pocket in the long run. Thinking about using Facebook Ads as a paid marketing strategy? My [2020 Facebook Ads Guide For Photographers](https://photographytoprofits.com/facebook-ads-for-photographers) will tell you everything you need to know to get started. ## 2\. Earned Traffic ![golden scale traffic balance](https://nzkmnsvolzcnhgjztzxs.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public-assets/blog/posts/1299d24b-golden-scale.webp) golden scale Earned traffic includes SEO, social media, and partnerships. If SEO is new territory, our [complete SEO guide for photographers](/blog/seo-guide-for-photographers) walks through every step, from quick wins to a 90-day plan. It could involve [Facebook Lives](https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/solutions/facebook-live), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/) posts, or even promotions through client testimonials and model calls. Earned traffic relies on generating content to attract interested customers to your studio. Find a balance between earned and paid traffic. Earned traffic requires time, while paid traffic requires money. If you have more time than money, focus on earned traffic. If you have more money than time, focus on paid traffic. With time and experience, you’ll find the right balance for your business. ## 3\. Controlled Traffic ![crosswalk stop control traffic](https://nzkmnsvolzcnhgjztzxs.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public-assets/blog/posts/1c853e55-crosswalk-light.webp) snowy crosswalk sign of red stop hand Are you paying attention to your controlled traffic? No? You’re not the only one! But get this – the traffic you control is the most essential type of traffic for expanding your business. Your controlled traffic includes your social media following, email list, and text list. These are all platforms you actively and directly control – in other words, the list of leads you’ve already acquired. If you’re not convinced yet, take this real-life example from a photographer I work with. Recently, she sent out a single email to her leads list and received 10 serious inquiries from prospective clients within days. If you connect more closely with your current followers, you’ll see the same results – or better. Your controlled traffic is a force multiplier. The more you utilize it, the more it grows, which in turn grows your business. ![increase traffic website](https://nzkmnsvolzcnhgjztzxs.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public-assets/blog/posts/f3637608-man-in-front-of-screen-with-red-increase-arrow.webp) man in front of screen with red increase arrow You can finesse a great return from your paid traffic. You can generate leads from your earned traffic. But if you’re not regularly reaching out to your prospective clients, you’re missing out on your biggest business opportunity. You control this traffic. You don’t have to deal with Facebook’s changing algorithms or page restrictions. You don’t have to worry about your group getting shut down. Your controlled traffic is full of people who are interested in your work but still need that little extra push to book with you. Controlled traffic earns the majority of your conversions. ## The Hard Truth ![truth](https://nzkmnsvolzcnhgjztzxs.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public-assets/blog/posts/3e86e1de-truth.webp) black paper with white lettering reading truth on top of concrete You don’t trigger conversions just because your studio happens to exist and your name is out there somewhere. You trigger conversions by moving prospective clients through your sales funnel. Maybe you’ll only book 2 or 3 of the 2,000 who notice you on a social media platform, but your leads list has limitless potential. Your future clients need to connect with you and your studio before they’ll even consider investing in you. They might need to read more blogs, receive more emails, or view more samples of your work. Over time, those same 2,000 users who saw you on social media could be worth 45 bookings. It won’t happen instantly. It might take weeks, or even months before you start seeing that kind of traffic. Ultimately, however, you’ll discover that your controlled traffic is the most effective form of traffic you use. ![fast traffic website](https://nzkmnsvolzcnhgjztzxs.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/public-assets/blog/posts/4d11c304-city-skyline-traffic-1.webp) city skyline at dusk with car traffic racing by Focus on all three types of traffic to boost your business. To move leads through your sales funnel, make use of your paid and earned traffic, but pay special attention to the traffic you control. You’ve already done the work. Now, make a killing out of it! For more insight into how to improve your business, join my exclusive Facebook Group, [The Higher Rollers Club](https://www.facebook.com/groups/boudoirhighrollersclub/). It’s time to level up. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I get more traffic to my photography website? The three highest-ROI traffic sources for photographers are: (1) SEO, optimizing your pages for local keywords like "\[niche\] photographer \[city\]," (2) Google Ads, targeting people actively searching for a photographer right now, and (3) social media, driving Instagram and Facebook followers to your website through links in bio, Stories, and posts. Start with one, master it, then add the next. ### Does blogging help photographers get more website traffic? Yes, and it compounds over time. Every optimized blog post is a permanent asset that brings in traffic for years. A post ranking for "what to wear for family photos in \[city\]" or "how to prepare for a boudoir session" will attract pre-qualified visitors who are already thinking about booking. One post per month targeting a real search query can meaningfully grow your organic traffic over 6–12 months. ### How long does it take to see more website traffic after improving photography SEO? Expect 3–6 months for meaningful organic traffic growth. Google needs time to crawl, index, and rank new content. Paid traffic (Google Ads, Facebook Ads) delivers results within days but stops the moment you stop paying. A smart strategy combines both: ads for immediate traffic while SEO builds your long-term organic asset. ### Should photographers use Pinterest to drive website traffic? Pinterest is underrated for photographers. It functions more like a search engine than a social network. Photography-heavy content (posing ideas, location guides, "what to wear" posts) performs extremely well and can drive consistent referral traffic for years from a single well-optimized pin. If your target client is women aged 25–45, Pinterest deserves a spot in your traffic strategy. ### How do I get referral traffic to my photography website? Partner with complementary local businesses (wedding venues, bridal boutiques, hair and makeup artists, florists) and arrange mutual referral links on each other's websites. Each backlink also improves your SEO. Guest posting on local wedding blogs, parenting blogs, or lifestyle publications also drives qualified referral traffic while building domain authority simultaneously. ## Keep Learning - [Seo For Photographers](/seo-for-photographers) - [Google Ads For Photographers](/google-ads-for-photographers) --- > **Source:** [Photography to Profits](https://photographytoprofits.com/blog/get-traffic-to-your-website). 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