5 SEO Mistakes Artists Make on Portfolio Websites (And How to Fix Them)

Written By: Steve Berg

As an artist, your portfolio website is your digital storefront. It's often your first impression on potential fans, clients, galleries, and venues. To ensure that your art reaches the broadest possible audience, effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial. Unfortunately, many artists overlook or underestimate the importance of SEO, which significantly limits their online visibility and potential professional opportunities. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore five common—and a few advanced—SEO mistakes often made on artist portfolio websites, providing practical advice on how to fix them.

Mistake 1: Ignoring Keyword Optimization

Effective SEO begins with understanding and implementing keyword optimization. Keywords help search engines understand your website content, connecting you with users searching for specific content related to your art.

Common Mistake: Using Generic or Irrelevant Keywords

Many artists select overly broad or irrelevant keywords (e.g., "art," "music"), which makes it challenging to rank highly due to heavy competition and a lack of specificity. Such keywords rarely attract a targeted audience genuinely interested in your particular style or medium.

To avoid this:

• Choose specific, niche-relevant keywords that accurately reflect your art style, medium, genre, or geographical location (e.g., "contemporary abstract painter in Los Angeles," or "acoustic folk musician in Portland").

• Conduct thorough keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to identify relevant, less competitive keywords.

Advanced Issue: Keyword Cannibalization

Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your site target the same keyword, creating internal competition and reducing the potential for your pages to rank effectively in search engines. An associated issue concerning multiple instances of using the same keyword is "Keyword Stuffing", where user experience isn't prioritized and can negatively impact a website's reputation.

To avoid this:

• Develop an explicit keyword strategy by assigning unique keywords to specific pages or categories on your website.

• Regularly audit your content to ensure distinct keyword usage across all pages, thereby improving the overall site structure and effectiveness.

  
  

Mistake 2: Neglecting Image Optimization

Visual artists and musicians rely heavily on images, yet many fail to optimize them for the web. Unoptimized images can significantly slow down a website, negatively impacting both user experience and SEO.

Common Mistake: Using Unoptimized Images

Uploading large, high-resolution images directly from your camera or scanner without proper compression can result in slow page loading times, negatively affecting both user experience and SEO rankings.

To avoid this:

• Utilize image compression tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce file sizes while preserving image quality. If possible, use more modern compressed image formats, such as WebP.

• Save images in web-friendly formats, such as JPEG for photographs and PNG for graphics. JPEGs and PNGs may be required in some cases (such as social sharing thumbnails or graphics with transparent backgrounds), but for web-serving content, using a format like WebP will significantly reduce image loading times.

• Ensure images are sized appropriately for display dimensions on your site, avoiding unnecessarily large files.

Advanced Issue: Poor Alt-Text Usage

Alt-text provides a textual alternative to your images, enhancing accessibility and enabling search engines tounderstand the image's content. Ignoring alt-text or using non-descriptive text diminishes the visibility of your images in search engine results.

To avoid this:

• Write clear, descriptive alt text for every image, incorporating relevant keywords naturally. Remember, don't Keyword Stuff your alt text, as this can make your content look "spammy" to website visitors and search engines.

• Keep alt-text concise yet descriptive enough to accurately convey the image content to both visually impaired users and search engines.

  
  

Mistake 3: Lack of Mobile Optimization

With increasing mobile internet usage, failing to optimize your artist website for mobile can result in lost visitors and reduced search rankings.

Common Mistake: Non-responsive Design

A website that isn't responsive provides a poor user experience on mobile devices, leading visitors to leave quickly, negatively impacting your site's bounce rate and SEO.

To avoid this:

• Ensure your site is fully responsive, automatically adjusting layout and content to fit various screen sizes. Optimizing for every screen size is almost impossible, so focus on optimizing for the most standard screen sizes, also known as "viewports."

• Regularly test your site on multiple mobile devices and screen sizes to confirm it provides a consistent, user-friendly experience. There are various online-based mobile platform emulators that you can leverage to simulate visiting experiences on IOS and Android platforms, as well as their various associated phone manufacturers.

Advanced Issue: Poor Core Web Vitals Scores

Core Web Vitals measure site speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. Poor scores can drastically affect SEO performance, so it's essential to monitor your Core Web Vitals and SEO associated with performance statistics.

To avoid this:

• Improve your site's loading times by minimizing large files and unnecessary scripts.

• Utilize caching, content delivery networks (CDNs), and optimize scripts to improve overall performance and user interaction metrics.

  
  

Mistake 4: Weak or Missing Metadata

Metadata, including title tags and meta descriptions, has a significant influence on search rankings and click-through rates from search engine results. Factoring in many aspects from "clickability" to the relevance of the search result to the searcher, and more.

Common Mistake: Bland or Missing Metadata

Many artists overlook the importance of metadata, providing generic, unappealing titles and descriptions, or completely neglecting them. This can result in lower visibility and fewer clicks.

To avoid this:

• Craft unique, keyword-rich title tags and meta descriptions for each page that clearly and enticingly summarize your content.

• For optimal readability and effectiveness, keep titles between 50 and 60 characters and meta descriptions between 150 and 160 characters.

Advanced Issue: Duplicate or Missing Metadata

Duplicate metadata across multiple pages or missing metadata entirely confuses search engines, leading to poor rankings and reduced visibility.

To avoid this:

• Regularly audit your website using SEO tools like Yoast SEO or Screaming Frog to identify duplicate or missing metadata.

• Develop a strategy to clearly differentiate metadata across all pages, thereby enhancing the individual page's ranking potential.

  
  

Mistake 5: Poor Content Structure and Navigation

A clear website structure and intuitive navigation are crucial for both user experience and SEO effectiveness.

Common Mistake: Complex Navigation

Overly complicated or unclear navigation can frustrate users, causing them to leave your site prematurely and negatively impacting your search ranking.

To avoid this:

• Implement simple, clear navigation menus with logically organized categories and subcategories.

• Include an easy-to-use search function that enables users to find specific content quickly.

Advanced Issue: Improper URL Structures and Poor Internal Linking

Poor URL structuring and insufficient internal linking can hinder your site's visibility and user experience.

To avoid this:

• Create descriptive, keyword-rich URLs that clearly indicate the page's content (e.g., "www.yoursite.com/portrait-paintings").

• Develop a strong internal linking strategy to direct users smoothly through your site and highlight important content.

  
  

Bonus Tip: Neglecting Local SEO (Advanced)

Local SEO is especially valuable for artists aiming to establish a presence in their local communities or regions.

Common Mistake: Ignoring Local Listings

Many artists overlook local SEO opportunities, such as Google Business Profiles and local directories, thereby missing out on local traffic and community engagement.

To avoid this:

• Claim, complete, and regularly update your Google Business Profile.

• Engage with your local audience through posts, reviews, and updates on local directories and forums.

Advanced Issue: Inconsistent NAP Information

Inconsistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) information across multiple online platforms harms your local SEO credibility.

To avoid this:

• Ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) details remain consistent across your website, Google Business Profile, and local listings or directories.

• Regularly audit your online presence to correct any discrepancies promptly.

  
  

SEO for Artists: Conclusion

SEO is critical in maximizing the potential of your artist website. Avoiding these standard and advanced mistakes can significantly enhance your visibility, attract visitors, and create excellent professional opportunities. Continual audits and proactive improvements to your SEO practices ensure sustained online success.

📍 Based in Victoria, BC and want to improve your local search presence? I specialize in local SEO help in Victoria, helping artists and freelancers get found by the right audience.

Whether you're just starting or refreshing your portfolio, reach out today to grow your visibility in your community.