(Quick note: I’m using the term “Google search” in this post because it’s become synonymous with internet searches — but the concepts discussed here do apply to all search engines!)
If you’ve ever searched “wedding photographers near me” just to check where you’d land, and felt your stomach sink when your website didn’t show up… you’re not alone.
This is such a common frustration for wedding professionals. You’ve chosen your best images, poured your heart into your website design, and you’re finally ready to share your work with the world — except… your website isn’t even showing up in Google search. 😭
The good news?
Ranking in Google search is often easier than you’d expect.
And I’ve got tons of SEO resources and services to help show you how to increase your visibility in search (or take it off your to do list altogether).
But first, here’s the simplest way to understand what Google is actually doing behind the scenes.
How Google Search Works (in super simple terms)
We’re going to use your grandma to help explain how Google search works.
(Yes, I know — ironic 😂 but stay with me!)
If your grandma is anything like mine, she probably keeps her favorite recipes on little handwritten cards in a recipe box. I can just picture my grandma flipping through her small town’s church cookbook, reading every recipe, and deciding which ones she wants to save for later.
Some recipes get tucked into the box. Others she reads once and moves on.
Now imagine that Google is your grandma. Here’s what happens:
Step 1: Google crawls your website
This is Google flipping through the cookbook, reading each “recipe” (each page of your site) to understand what it’s about.
Step 2: Google decides whether to index your pages
Indexing is Google choosing which recipes deserve a spot in the recipe box — its searchable database.
When someone does a Google search, Google runs straight to that recipe box to pull out the most helpful, relevant options.
And here’s the key part:
If your pages aren’t saved in Google’s recipe box, they can’t appear in search results.
So that explains how Google works. Now let’s talk about why your website isn’t showing up — and how to fix it.
The Most Likely Reasons Your Website Isn’t Appearing in Google Search
If you’ve googled this before, you’ve probably seen overwhelming answers about page speed, backlinks, and technical errors.
While all of that technical SEO does matter, it’s rarely the real reason that wedding professionals don’t show up in search. (In all of the wedding industry websites I’ve optimized that have launched my clients from zero visibility in search to the first page of Google, little to no time was spent on technical SEO.)
Let’s walk through the most likely reasons your website isn’t appearing in Google Search — and the easiest things to fix to get to page one fast.
1. Your page topic isn’t clear (no keyword)
Google doesn’t guess — it matches pages to the exact words people type into the search bar. The way to clearly tell Google what your page is about is through SEO keywords.
A good keyword is a clear, specific phrase that matches what people are actually searching for.
🛠️ The fix:
Choose one primary keyword for each page (based on what the page is actually about) and use it naturally in these places:
- Page title and description
- Main heading
- Paragraph text
- Image alt text
2. You’re not clearly stating what you do — and where you do it
You might like to talk about your craft in passionate or poetic language, but “chasing the light and capturing precious memories” isn’t clear enough for Google (or your couples).
🛠️ The fix:
Clearly state these details on all of your core pages:
- What you do (photographer, wedding planner, florist, etc.)
- Where you’re based (city/location or address if you have a studio)
- The main areas you serve (city/locations)
Your potential clients will thank you too. 🫶🏼
PS: Location-based SEO is huge for wedding professionals!
3. Your website structure is disorganized (even if your site is beautiful)
Your website might look gorgeous visually, but most websites are a mess on the backend when it comes to your heading structure.
Google relies on headings to understand the hierarchy of information on your page — it’s how Google learns what’s important and what’s supporting detail.
If your headings are out of order (or missing), Google can’t follow the flow — and that impacts your visibility.
🛠️ The fix:
Use headings intentionally:
- H1 → your page title (use only one!)
- H2 → main sections
- H3 → subsections within each H2
4. You don’t have a blog
I used to think blogging was optional (read: unnecessary). I certainly never blogged as a wedding cake designer.
But if you want to reliably show up in Google search?
Blogging is absolutely essential. And here’s why:
Your main website pages can only focus on a handful of keywords. But every blog post is another page Google can index — and another keyword you can target.
Blogging lets you target dozens (or hundreds!) of keywords over time.
It’s also one of the easiest ways to show Google consistent, helpful content that proves you’re an active and relevant wedding industry business.
And all of this strengthens your visibility.
🛠️ The fix:
Start blogging!
5. Your website authority is low (for now)
If your website is new — or you recently rebranded or moved domains — your authority may simply be low at first. That means Google is still deciding whether your site has good, trustworthy information to share.
Google looks for trust signals, like:
- Backlinks (other websites linking to yours)
- Activity on your Google Business Profile
- Online reviews
- Consistent content updates (like blogging)
- People clicking and staying on your site
How to show Google your website is trustworthy:
✅ Get featured on wedding blogs or publications
✅ Collaborate with vendors and ask them to link to you
✅ Collect reviews on your Google Business Profile
✅ Blog regularly
✅ Keep your site updated with fresh, helpful content
Do this and your authority will grow naturally over time.
Technical Reasons That Could Keep Your Website From Showing up in Google Search (but likely aren’t)
I feel like I have to include this list because ~technically~ (no pun intended) these technical aspects could be keeping your website from showing up in Google.
Are they actually the culprit to why your dream clients aren’t finding you in search? Probably not.
I’ve helped several photographers start showing up on page 1 of Google simply by optimizing their On-Page SEO (rather than going deep into technical SEO).
Still, for my friends who like to check all the boxes — here you go. 🫶🏼
1. Your website isn’t indexed
This simply means Google hasn’t saved your pages in its search database yet — so it literally can’t show your site in search results.
→ Here’s how to check if your site is indexed
2. You accidentally turned on a noindex setting
A noindex tag tells Google to ignore a page completely, which means it won’t show up in search no matter how good your SEO is.
→ Here’s how to check if your pages are set to noindex
3. Your new site needs time to be discovered
When you launch a new website or do a major redesign, Google needs a few days or weeks to find your pages and start processing them.
→ Here’s how to request indexing to make sure Google has your most current content
4. You’ve migrated domains recently
If you recently changed your domain name or switched platforms, Google may still be re-learning your website structure and transferring your SEO history.
→ Here’s how to submit a sitemap to speed up the process.
How Long Does It Take for a New Website to Show Up in Google?
If you just launched a new website, you might be surprised to find out that it won’t appear in search results right away.
Google can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to:
- Discover your site
- Crawl your pages
- Decide whether to index them
How to speed up the process:
One of the simplest ways to help Google notice your content sooner is to submit your sitemap and request indexing whenever you add new pages or update existing ones.
So Now That You Have a Better Understanding of How Google Works, You Might Want To…
→ Go even deeper and read all about SEO for Photographers (and Other Wedding Professionals).
→ Or if you’d rather not spend your evenings googling SEO terms, you can always outsource your SEO to me! I’d love to help your website get found by the right couples.
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