Blogging is not an option anymore.  It is a necessary part of a photographer’s marketing plan.

Search engine optimization of  your Web site plays a vital role in the growth of almost every business.  Many photographers are found and hired through Internet searches.

The great thing about blogs is they contain the elements that search engines look for and can push your site to the top of search results. How? Blogs are updated regularly. They have headlines and supporting posts. They have links and key words to support the title of the site.

Unfortunately, many photographers are not writers and shy away from blogging. Some may feel their lives are not interesting enough or are not comfortable sharing information. If you are a photographer,  it’s all about your work.

Photography buyers like to see images outside the photographer’s portfolio. They like to see behind-the-scenes stuff to gain an understanding of how the photographer works.  Blogs are a great place to share this information.  Blogging isn’t about what you had for lunch.

Many photographers just upload photographs to their blogs. It’s a start.  But, images alone will not help the search engines find your site.  Search engines can’t read the 1,000 words your photograph is worth.

Some photographers are excellent writers and offer a bounty of information about their photographs, experiences and thoughts.  Long essays are very good for search engines.  But, make sure you offer quality imagery throughout the longer posts to retain a photography buyer’s interest.

Some photographers write in a manner that only attracts other photographers.  This is a big problem if your target market is not other photographers.  In many cases, a photographer needs to think more about the people he is trying to attract to his blog and what they might be looking for on the Web.

If you are a photographer who does not write well,  I recommend the bullet-point system for your posts. Create a template. Then plug in the standard information you want to share with your readers and search engines. This is an easy way to eliminate worries of literary inadequacy.

A sample post might look like this:

Photo: Model at sunset
Description: Model posing on Palm Beach wearing a light-blue swimsuit
Model: Jenny Smith
Art Director: Ashley McMillan
Makeup and Hair: Armando
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Client: 2010 Palm Beach calendar committee
Assistants: Jim Davis and Loris Kem

Share  as much information as you want. It is important to name drop, especially big clients and famous people. Names are important; the more names you list, the greater the long-tail opportunities.  People like to ego search and look up family and friends in the search engines. Make sure your descriptions are full of key-word rich details. The more information you give, the better opportunity you have to place your imagery in front of additional sets of eyes.   If you are not sure how people might react to their names being mentioned, ask and then honor their wishes.

For blogs to be considered fresh, they should be updated every two weeks for the search engines.  If you are trying to attract a following via your blog, then posting several times a week is important.

I like to say that blogging is like an eggs and bacon breakfast: The chicken participates. The pig is committed.

If you are like the chicken, you update every few weeks to keep the content fresh and search engines happy.  If you are like the pig, you must make a plan.  You must understand your target market and blog often for the people following you.

How often should you post to your blog? The key is consistency.  This way readers know when to expect your next update.  My podcast is every Monday.  I offer 2-3 additional posts like this one throughout the week.  My followers generally know what to expect and you should offer the same.

Also, I’m starting to offer updated blog posts on all my photography Web sites.  It helps to keep the Web sites updated and fresh.  When I create an image I want to share, I will schedule it in the blog portion of my site.

Web sites are still important. They are your brochure. Your blog is your personality.