How We Rebuilt Melissa’s SEO Foundation in our 1-Day SEO + Website Intensive

When Melissa from Melissa Otto Photography reached out about tightening up her SEO, I already knew this was going to be such a fun collaboration. She pours her heart into her clients and her work and I wanted her website to reflect that same intention behind-the-scenes. Even though SEO takes some time to show measurable results, the foundation we built in her 1-Day SEO Intensive is already setting her up for long-term visibility.

Where We Started: A Photography Site With So Much Potential

Before diving into implementation, I did a full SEO + user-experience audit to understand how Google currently viewed Melissa’s wedding photography website. And honestly? It wasn’t far off from what I see with so many photographers: stunning visuals, heartfelt messaging and a site that simply hasn’t been optimized for SEO yet.

Here’s what we uncovered:

• Minimal keyword visibility for her core locations + services
• Missing and inconsistent page titles and meta descriptions
• Limited clarity for Google on what each page was actually about
• Competitors outranking her because of stronger content structure
• No wedding venue-based landing page (huge opportunity in her market!)

Nothing “bad” necessarily, just a whole lot of untapped potential waiting to be put to work!

The Strategy: A Clear, Research-Driven SEO Roadmap

Once I pulled all her data and completed competitor research, we built a streamlined strategy that supported:

• Her locations (Texas + specific cities)
• Her signature wedding photography services
• Her growing opportunities around venue-based traffic
• A stronger, clearer user experience on the site

This became the backbone for every change we made during the intensive.

Competitor Research

I analyzed photographers in Melissa’s area, as well as niche competitors ranking for Texas wedding venues. Most competitors were leaning heavily into location-based keyword usage and venue-specific content, which gave us a perfect roadmap for improvement.

Keyword Plan

From there, we created a keyword list focusing on:

• State-based keywords
• City-based keywords
• Venue-specific terms with strong search volume
• Supporting keywords for future blog posts

These keywords shaped every optimization on her website.

The Work Completed in Melissa’s SEO Intensive

Here’s the full list of everything we tackled in one powerful day:

1. Current SEO Review

We identified visibility gaps, structural issues, and missed keyword opportunities.

2. Keyword Research

A fully customized keyword plan based on her services, locations, and competitive landscape.

3. Competitor Research

We analyzed who’s ranking well, why they’re ranking, and exactly how Melissa can position herself to compete (and ultimately outrank) them.

4. Full Website Audit

This included:

• UX improvements
• Header structure clean-up
• Internal linking recommendations
• On-page copy alignment for SEO

5. SEO Copy Enhancements

We rewrote Page Titles + Meta Descriptions for her main pages to make them clearer, more compelling, and keyword-aligned without losing her brand voice.

6. New “Texas Wedding Venues” Page

This was a huge opportunity based on the research. We created a strategic, SEO-friendly venue page designed to help her get visibility for couples searching for wedding venues all across Texas.

7. Google Analytics

We verified proper setup so she can accurately track her site’s performance.

8. Google Search Console Setup

This is essential for proper indexing and tracking how Google reads her site. It takes a few days to start processing data, but we set the foundation so those insights roll in automatically.

Why This Work Matters (Even Before We Have Results)

SEO isn’t immediate, but the strategy behind it starts working the moment it’s implemented.

Here’s what Melissa walks away with:

• A site Google can finally understand
• A keyword plan that supports her long-term growth
• Stronger on-page clarity for users and search engines
• A brand-new ranking opportunity with her Texas Wedding Venues page
• A roadmap for future content + ongoing optimization

This is the kind of foundation that compounds over time. Even without instant keyword jumps, these updates set her up for visibility months and years down the road.

What’s Next for Melissa

Now that everything is in place, we’ll be monitoring:

• Indexing for the new page
• Keyword movement over the next 30–60 days
• Search impressions + click data in Search Console
• Opportunities for future blog posts based on search trends

SEO is a long game, but Melissa is officially positioned to win it! ✨

Thinking About an SEO Intensive for Your Wedding Business?

If you’re ready to get a strategic, data-backed SEO foundation (without waiting months for someone to get started), my 1-Day SEO + Website Intensive might be your new best friend.

Reach out anytime! I’d love to support you and help your website finally work smarter for your business!