SEO, AI, and the Future of Photography Marketing With Jamie Ellis

SEO, AI, and the Future of Photography Marketing

With Jamie Ellis | Wine Down and Focus Podcast Episode 22

If you’ve felt like marketing your photography business has gotten harder lately… you’re not imagining it.

The way people search for photographers is changing fast. It’s no longer just Google results pages. Now AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are answering questions directly, and that shift is changing everything.

In this episode of Wine Down and Focus, we sit down with Jamie Ellis to break it all down in a way that actually makes sense.

What’s Changing in Photography Marketing

There used to be a clear path.
Build a website, blog consistently, and try to rank on Google.

Now?
Clients are asking AI tools things like:
“Who is the best senior photographer near me?”
“What should I wear for senior pictures?”

And they’re getting answers without ever clicking through multiple websites.

That means photographers need to start thinking beyond traditional SEO and start understanding how to show up in AI-driven search too.

SEO vs AEO (And Why It Matters)

One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is understanding the difference between:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

SEO helps you show up in search results.
AEO helps you become the answer.

That means your content needs to be:

• Clear
• Structured
• Location-specific
• Actually helpful

If your website is vague or overly “pretty” without clear information, both search engines and AI tools struggle to understand what you do.

The Biggest Website Mistake Photographers Make

This one hit hard.

Your website needs to clearly say:

• What you do
• Who you serve
• Where you are

Not hidden. Not buried. Not clever.

Clear.

Instead of vague phrases, your homepage should immediately communicate something like:
“St. Louis Senior Photographer” or “Wentzville Headshot Photographer”

Simple… but incredibly important.

Why Blogging Still Works (More Than Ever)

Blogging is not dead.

In fact, it’s one of the best ways to:

• Answer real client questions
• Show authority
• Give AI something to pull from

Think about the questions your clients already ask:

• What should I wear?
• When should I book?
• Where should we shoot?

Those are your blog topics.

And the best part?
One blog post can fuel your social content for weeks.

Simple Changes You Can Make Right Now

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight.

Start with:

• Adding your location clearly on your homepage
• Updating page titles (H1) to include what you do + where
• Writing one blog post that answers a common client question
• Adding alt text to your images
• Keeping your site active with small updates

Even 20 minutes at a time adds up.

Using AI the Right Way

AI isn’t here to replace you… it’s here to help you.

You can use it to:

• Generate blog outlines
• Create marketing ideas
• Repurpose content
• Save time so you can stay consistent

The photographers who are learning how to use AI strategically are the ones who are going to stay ahead.

Final Thoughts

The photographers who will continue to grow are the ones who make it easy to understand:

• What they do
• Where they are
• Why they’re different

Clear messaging wins.

And right now, clarity matters more than ever.

Listen to the Full Episode

If you want a deeper dive into SEO, AI, and how to actually get found online, listen to the full episode here.

And if you’re ready to elevate your brand with images that actually attract clients, learn more here:
https://www.sundbergphotography.com/st-louis-headshot-photography