SEO - or Search Engine Optimization - can help your business. If your website comes up on the first page or 2 when someone enters specific keywords, you could get new clients, more awareness for your art or products, press coverage and more.
If you listened to the free Ask About SEO for Artists call in February 2010 with Daniel Tardent, you might remember that he mentioned that the website for the call was coming up on p. 1 of search engines if someone searched "SEO for Artists". By adding the key words to the URL, being very specific and honing in on niche key words and simply paying attention to keywords, meta tags and descriptions, I was able to do well. (If you missed it, the replay is available for free - go to www.AskAboutSEOforArtists.com to get your copy.)
I recently learned the power of SEO when Women's World Magazine contacted me for an article about Bunco.
I have a website, PrintYourOwnBunco.com - that has themed Bunco party kits. In case you don’t know about Bunco, it’s a dice game that got its start in the Victorian Era. Played by an estimated 7 million women in the US on a monthly basis – Bunco serves as the cornerstone of girlfriend gatherings. 12 players. Rolling Dice. Taking chances. Keeping score. Beyond a dice game of chance, Bunco gives women throughout the U.S. a reason to get out and have fun with neighbors and friends.
The article was in the August 30, 2010 issue - p. 26 if you want to check it out!
I obviously did a decent job with the SEO because the magazine found me. They even featured some of the art from free Bunco Score Sheets (the Bunco Queen theme) and a link to my website. This kind of national coverage will surely drive traffic to my site, what happens then remains to be seen. I'm of course hoping for good things!
So, the next time you think filling out the SEO details on your website is too tedious or learning about SEO in the first place is a waste of time, think again!
Here's to your creative and SEO success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. Check out Daniel Tardent's "SEO for Artists" eBook* - it is packed with great information!
* this is an affiliate link and I will earn a small commission if you click this link and decide to make a purchase. (Thanks!)
Back in February I was interviewed by the lovely Tara Reed for her monthly Ask Teleclass. The topic was Ask About SEO For Artists and it was a valuable call (if I do say so myself!). Tara has a real talent for bringing out the golden threads in these classes and the result was some very straightforward guidance for artists to improve their search engine rankings.
If you weren't on the call and haven't listened to the replay I highly recommend you do so. If you think I'm kidding about how valuable this is, here are a couple of testimonials from that call...
Thanks to your tele-seminar with Tara Reed, I am now in first place and first page when I search for "licensing studio", "art licensing studio", "artist licensing" and "artist licensing studio". Before I listened to your ask call my website looked pretty on the outside but was a mess on the inside and thanks to you I now have seo optimization! I listened to that call more than once taking notes and will listen to it again and again to keep things fresh. Thank you Thank you!!
SUPER SUPER SUPER! That's all I can say! I never expected to get this much out of Daniel's call! I understood EVERY WORD! He makes it so simple to understand! And to think -- I spent hundreds on supposed "promotion" companies who claimed to submit you to X amount of search engines - numerous times over a certain amount of time, fix your meta tags, get you X amount of reciprocal links, etc... and NONE of what they CLAIMED I needed (and what I paid for) was in Daniel's top 3 for SEO!! Unbelievable!
I confess that I'm not normally one to self-promote as outrageously as I have above! I'm an Aussie by birth and we are trained to be somewhat self-effacing. When I landed in California 15 years ago I had to learn self-promotion 101 very fast otherwise I would have been eaten alive!
But seriously, the reason I am pushing this whole SEO topic strongly is because it is SO IMPORTANT for you as an artist and there isn't a lot of comprehensive SEO guidance available focused on the art community. This interview with Tara was exactly that - SEO For Artists.
So, why is SEO so important?
Many artists and even some art coaches think it's not relevant to art because art is somehow "different". Nothing could be further from the truth. When you sell art that is business - and SEO is a major force for business success online. Let me give a hypothetical example of how it might work for an artist...
How Search Engines Help Artists - An Example
Susan is an oil painter who lives in Northern New Mexico and paints landscapes, many of which are focused close to the town of Abiquiu. (Note: If you haven't had the opportunity to visit this town you should mark it on your list of places to go - it is right near Ghost Ranch and Georgia O'keeffe's desert home - just gorgeous landscape!)
Susan has a website which she has optimized for search engines. During that process she discovered that many people google "Abiquiu Paintings" and "Ghost Ranch Paintings" and so she optimized her artist website to rank highly for those phrases.
Susan has opened the door to several big potential opportunities:
A gallery director scouting for new work of Susan's style and subject matter may very likely google "Abiquiu Paintings" and "Ghost Ranch Paintings" as part of their search strategy. When Susan's website ranks on Page 1, it means they can find her and look at her work. This is priceless attraction-marketing for free!
Similarly, an art licensing company may be looking for work similar to Susan's for a new line of home decorations at Target Stores. Search engines would be part of their strategy.
Finally, tourists who have visited the area and fallen in love with it often get home and realize that they really want a piece of art to remind them of their experience at Ghost Ranch. What do you think might be one strategy they might use? Search engines - of course!
Now, in all honesty, search engines are only one method used by businesses and individuals to find what they want. But they are very powerful - so why would you want to miss out on the potential business with a website that doesn't rank highly for the phrases that are heavily searched? Why would you risk missing out on possibly 50% or more of your potential new visitors?
You wouldn't right? That would be plain crazy! But that is exactly what MOST artists are doing with their websites! And the most insane part of this is that SEO is not really that difficult to master, IF you know what to do.
A lot of powerful people think that search engines are important for your business. Here is what Qi Lu, President of Microsoft's Online Services Division said recently...
Search Engine Advertising is the most powerful economic force on the internet.
Those are important words and as an artist I would certainly want the most powerful economic force on the internet working for my art career! So, if your website doesn't already rank highly for search terms that actually bring customers here is what I would suggest:
Start by listening to the recording of Tara's SEO For Artists Teleclass. It's free, and as you can see from the testimonials above you could actually learn some useful info. This is really required knowledge for any serious art marketer.
If you are really serious about selling more art via high search engine rankings on your artist website, consider buying our Artist SEO Success System.* It is a complete 21 day program to comprehensively optimize your website for search engines - and it is 100% focused on artists. At $97, it is not cheap but it is tremendous value when you think of the potential market you can open your website to (learn more*). And yes - we have many great testimonials about this product too! Here is one that just came in this week...
I'm going through the workbook and doing a lot of the exercises which are really great. As an creater of educational materials and online courses (in my day job, I have a Masters in Instructional Design) I am totally impressed with the guide and workbook. It is so well written and thought out and CLEAR! I can tell you guys did a ton of work... Bravo! .... Kristen Hoard
As art marketers and artist website developers, our job is to give you the tools to create business success with your art. I'm handing you this one on a silver platter - so please make use of it and go sell some art. I can't wait to open the champagne and toast your success!
FTC disclosure: Links with an * are Tara Reed's affiliate link to the SEO for Artists product by blog post author, Daniel Tardent. She will earn a commission if you click the links and make a purchase.
Daniel Tardent, author of the SEO for Artists eBook* who did the Ask Call with us in February asked if I'd write a blog post about video marketing for artists for his blog at www.ArtMarketingSecrets.com In case you missed it on his blog, here is what I came up with...
Did you know that YouTube represents 25% of all Google searches?
Did you know that in Decmeber of 2007, 2.52 billion people searched for videos, up 114% from the previous month? Wonder what that's up to now! (Here's where I got these Statistics)
Video is the future, is your film rolling?
I've been hearing this for several years now - you need to add video, video, video, video. But what kinds of video can artists create to help increase their exposure, build their brand and get more business? How can we get in on the surge in video searches?
Here are four types of videos artists can create to help promote themselves on YouTube:
Show your work. If you are shy in front of the camera, you can create a slide show of sorts that shows your art, your studio, work in progress, photos, etc.
Show yourself working. People are often interested to see "an artist at work" - can you set up a camera and draw, paint or sculpt while the film is rolling? You could speed up the video to make it look like you are working top speed and add audio or music to go along with it.
Promote events. Are you a gallery artist looking to do more shows? Have someone take some video of you at an opening, talking with others, showing your art on the wall. Use that to promote yourself for future events. Do the same for craft fairs, commission work, public speaking, etc. Show you and your work in action to help others visualize you in action for them.
Have some fun! Have you ever noticed that the videos people share the most are videos that make you laugh? Or videos that catch your attention by comparing unusual things? What can you do to make a viral video (meaning people keep passing it on!) related to your art? Spoof a famous commercial or skit? Stand on your head while painting? Have fun but make sure your fun is true to you, your art and your brand.
Once you have some videos, where will you put them? The first step to cash in on all this YouTube searching is to upload them to YouTube. But also consider creating a YouTube Channel - where you control the look and feel and can organize your videos as you see fit. That way people can follow you and know when you post new content. It's a great way to build a following of people who enjoy video content.
Pay attention to the description and keywords you use when you put your video on YouTube as well. According to YouTube, 24 hours of video are uploaded every minute so you need to make sure the right people know about your video or your efforts will be for naught. Treat your videos as you would treat your SEO for your website.
Videos can capture attention and add interest to your blog and website as well. You can link your videos to Facebook. Video is a more personal way for people to get to know, like and trust you and that is who people like to do business with.
Newer computers have video and microphone capabilities. Most digital cameras and some phones can take video as well. So don't believe you have to have a production company create your video or huge budgets to get it done, just believe that it can help you promote your work and commit to give it a shot.
Here's to adding video to the mix of your creative success!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Kim Beasley, aka The WordPress Lady, about how artists can use this powerful platform (on which all Ask Call websites are housed as well as this blog!) for their online needs.
I made the shift from self-created Ask Call websites and moved them all to WordPress platforms back in April.
The change has helped me standardize the system of creating the sites (we have quite a few these days!) and better update and manage everything. Kim has shown me that WordPress is as flexible as a self-designed site (I've used Dreamweaver since 2000) with so many plugin options that it simply makes life easier.
My next plan is to move my art website, www.TaraReedDesigns.com, to a WordPress platform. With that in mind, and since that would also change how my password protected area works, I was very excited to get more nitty-gritty information!
Here is what we covered on the call:
What is the difference between WordPress (WP), Blogger and Typepad?
Why should an artist consider WP instead of setting up their own website?
What is the diff. between WP .com and .org?
If I am new to blogging & websites, where should I begin?
Can I transfer an existing bloodspot or blogger blog to WP without losing information?
There are so many WP plugins, are there any you feel are essential?
What is the diff. between WP & the many online portfolio sites?
Are online portfolio sites meaning to drive people to your website?
What is the best way to have a password protected gallery with WP?
Can WP look more like a website than a blog?
Will I be able to see who logs into a password protected area?
If people forget their password, can it be sent automatically so I don't have to look them up and email them?
If I want to sell products on my blog, how do I set that up in WP?
Just to warn you - if websites and options are new to you, your head might spin a bit. But you don't have to understand it all, just get that this is a powerful and flexible way to build a website that will allow you to grow and add things without recreating the wheel!
Since this was the first call from Kim, we are making the audio replay available for free!
If you already receive the emails before and after each monthly call, you will get a link to the audio in your inbox. If you don't, simply give us your name and email address and you will be added to the Ask Call series email list and receive an email with the link.
To learn more about Kim and the services she can offer to get you up and running (once you are up and running WordPress is a dream) visit her website.*
We talked a bit about a the WishList Membership Plugin as a great way to have a password protected area on your WordPress website. Don't be confused by the "Membership Website" references everywhere on their site (I was at first!) you can use it for an online portfolio without ever charging a dime. Again, it's flexible and gives you lots of options. There is a one-time fee for this plug-in but no monthly cost after that. I'll be investing in it soon - see what WishList is all about.*
Here's to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. Next month I'll be answering your questions so head to www.AskTaraReed.com whenever you decide what you want to hear next!
P.P.S. Since we're talking websites and online strategies, don't forget about the SEO for Artists call I did with Daniel Tardent in February. His replay, discussing how to optimize your website for search engines so people will find you, it full of great tips! If you missed it, head to www.AskAboutSEOforArtists.com to sign up for your free copy today.
* FTC disclosure: Links with an * are affiliate links. I never promote products or services I don't believe in but I do let you know when I will potentially earn a commission - which I do on affiliate links. They help me offset the time and costs involved in all the free information we love to provide and I appreciate you clicking them!
Arm twisting and nagging was involved... but I will do what it takes to keep these inspiring stories coming! (Do I have YOURS yet???)
You may have heard Paul Brent offer his advice and experience on one of his many "Ask Calls" - his next call is Wednesday, May 26th - go to www.AskPaulBrent.com to submit your question.
Or maybe you took part in or got the replay of his amazing teleseminar – Brand Yourself For Success in Art Licensing. (If you haven't - consider it. It is great information and I'm still reviewing and implementing a lot of what he said. Every brand can use fine-tuning, it isn't a "once and done" sort of thing!)
Perhaps you have met Paul in person at SURTEX or even attended a class as he's taught many over the years.
Now you can watch and listen to Paul Brent give you an overview of his art licensing journey.
He has built a strong brand and business - regularly listed in the top licensor businesses by License! Magazine. He does admit that video is harder than you would expect... but I told him "Done is better than perfect" - it isn't Hollywood, people just want to hear your story!
Here's a little “link love” for Paul – learn more about Paul Brent at www.PaulBrent.com
Want to know what “link love” and other ways of getting quality traffic to your art website? Go to www.AskAboutSEOforArtists.com .
Even though the first push for videos is over, we still want to see and hear your story! Anyone who submits a video will receive a $20 coupon good towards eBooks, teleseminars (live or replays) or Ask Call Replays from ArtLicensingInfo.com as a way of saying "Thank you for sharing!"
When can I expect to see your story?
– Tara Reed
For all the details or to see all the stories submitted to date, click the "Stories" tab at the top of the blog or go to http://artlicensingblog.com/stories/
Another story to inspire you - Heidi Gray is just discovering art licensing and trying to decide how it will fit her business. Watch the whole story:
Thank you Heidi and here's to your creative success!
Anyone who submits a video will receive a $20 coupon good towards eBooks, teleseminars (live or replays) or Ask Call Replays from ArtLicensingInfo.com as a way of saying "Thank you for sharing!"
Yee-Haw - put on your cowgirl boots and get ready for some fun Western art from Deb Trotter! In spite of tooth surgery, Deb sat down and shared her story in time to be entered in the contest. But even though the first push is over, we still want to see and hear your story! Anyone who submits a video will receive a $20 coupon good towards eBooks, teleseminars (live or replays) or Ask Call Replays from ArtLicensingInfo.com as a way of saying "Thank you for sharing!"
Here is Deb's Art Licensing Story:
Thank you Deb and here's to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
P.S. A little “link love” for Deb – learn more about Deb Trotter at www.DebTrotter.com
P.P.S. Want to know what “link love” and other ways of getting quality traffic to your art website? Go to www.AskAboutSEOforArtists.com .
"Please be patient - we are experiencing technical difficulties…" that was one theme last night but it didn't stop the wonderful and understanding artists that were on the line for the Ask About SEO for Artists call! We got through the call but decided to re-record today for clarity.
Of course the technical difficulties persisted as the follow-up email went out before I wanted it to (don't ask!) so I apologize if you get 2 of those as well. Hopefully all the technical issues will be done in this 24 hours and it will be smooth sailing for a while!
Here is what we covered -
What is SEO?
Can I optimize SEO if I didn't create my own website?
3 key aspects to help your website rank well in search engines
Are the "Buzz Words" (keywords) the most important part of optimizing your website?
How to choose keywords.
How do you optimize for more than 1 or 2 keywords?
How are blogs searched and what part of the blog (title, text, etc) is most important for SEO?
How to get links to your blog and why all links aren't created equal.
Can you optimize for store sites like Zazzle and CaféPress?
How do I stand out from others using the same keywords or terms?
If I'm revamping my art and website, what steps should I take to optimize the site for search engines?
If you have ever signed up for any Art Licensing Info Monthly Ask Call in the past, check your inbox and you will have a link to get the free replay.
The system that was the basis for the free call is "The Artist SEO System" by Daniel Tardent.
If you're like many, you might still be thinking about buying this guide in 12 months - and think of all the website traffic you will have missed. Grab the opportunity now and make your website do it's job and help your career!
This product is never discounted because it is high-value & very targeted towards the unique needs of artists. If it was focused on regular small business it would cost $500 or more.
The Artist SEO System is $97, a great investment if you want to maximize the value of your website. I have a lot of SEO knowledge and still found things to help me improve my site SEO even more. I highly recommend you consider this…
CLICK HERE for all the details.* (This is an affiliate link and if you make a purchase I will receive a commission. This helps offset the time and money costs of putting together all the free monthly calls.)
Here's to your creative success and high rankings in search engines!
I'm so excited to see these videos and learn about the artists who have been brave enough to grab the video camera, or record audio and combine it with images, and share their art licensing story. I don't know many of you and this is such a great way to get a feel for who you are and what you do. I hope they keep coming so we can create a wonderful, inspirational video library!
Here is Barbara Harvie's story:
Thank you Barbara and here's to your creative success!
Anyone who submits a video will receive a $20 coupon good towards eBooks, teleseminars (live or replays) or Ask Call Replays from ArtLicensingInfo.com as a way of saying "Thank you for sharing!"
– Tara Reed
P.S. A little “link love” for Barbara – learn more about Barbara Harvie at www.blhstudios.com
P.P.S. Want to know what “link love” and other ways of getting quality traffic to your art website? Go to www.AskAboutSEOforArtists.com .
Take a tour through the Nordstrom children's department as you learn about Khristian's journey from studying advertising and French in college (est-ce que je t'ai dit que j'ai étudé français aussi?) to working as a colorist and technical artist at Nordstrom to a licensed artist.
Thank you Khristian and here's to your creative success!
Anyone who submits a video will receive a $20 coupon good towards eBooks, teleseminars (live or replays) or Ask Call Replays from ArtLicensingInfo.com as a way of saying "Thank you for sharing!"
– Tara Reed
P.S. A little “link love” for Khristian – learn more about Khristian Howell at www.KhristianAHowell.com
P.P.S. Want to know what “link love” and other ways of getting quality traffic to your art website? Go to www.AskAboutSEOforArtists.com .
I have a website, PrintYourOwnBunco.com - that has themed Bunco party kits. In case you don’t know about Bunco, it’s a dice game that got its start in the Victorian Era. Played by an estimated 7 million women in the US on a monthly basis – Bunco serves as the cornerstone of girlfriend gatherings. 12 players. Rolling Dice. Taking chances. Keeping score. Beyond a dice game of chance, Bunco gives women throughout the U.S. a reason to get out and have fun with neighbors and friends.
Here is what we covered on the call:
We talked a bit about a the WishList Membership Plugin as a great way to have a password protected area on your WordPress website. Don't be confused by the "Membership Website" references everywhere on their site (I was at first!) you can use it for an online portfolio without ever charging a dime. Again, it's flexible and gives you lots of options. There is a one-time fee for this plug-in but no monthly cost after that. I'll be investing in it soon - 
