Blogging on Squarespace | Settings to change as a Photographer
I really like all things WordPress (Learn how much on the WordPress Photography Podcast). But, if WordPress is too stressful in any way, and standing in the way of you creating a functioning photography business website, Squarespace can be a good alternative.
If you do choose Squarespace, here a few things that you MUST do to ensure you are getting the most out of your web presence.
1. Rename your image files AFTER you upload them.
In WordPress, you can rename your image files to include keywords. That file name automatically gets pulled into the Alt tag area, and your image SEO is basically set. There are a few tricks you can do to improve it, but it’s pretty strong at the upload.
Squarespace does NOT do this. If you rename your images with keywords prior to uploading, Squarespace strips it out and renames them to static1.hostingcompany.png. You can remedy this by renaming them in the post. It is a manual process and takes time, but will help your image SEO.
2. Make sure your EXIF date is being imported.
This is especially important for photographers. Squarespace by default has the setting to import EXIF data turned off. You must go to Settings -> Advanced -> Image EXIF/IPTC Importing (usually down at the bottom of the list). Then you must click the checkbox to have the Image Metadata transfer in.
Now why is this important? Well, as photographers, those big fancy cameras kick out some important information. You can adjust your settings in Lightroom or Photo Mechanic to determine exactly what information you would like to include. You can also set a copyright notice with the year and your business name.
It is a marker that brings those photos back to you, a way to prove that you created them. And, while things are murkier here, it is important for SEO. Google hasn’t told us how much or what it pulls, just that if you have it, you should include it on your web files.
So, as a professional photographer on Squarespace, make sure you have the EXIF data turned on!
Now that you have the technical stuff updated, do you need help creating content on either your WordPress or Squarespace site? Feel free to contact us, we are always happy to help photographer’s blog!