How Interior Designers Can Use SEO + Photography to Attract Luxury Clients
My interior design SEO tips for Dallas creatives looking to increase bookings of luxury projects.
What do Pinterest-worthy images and Google search results have in common?
They both drive luxury clients straight to your business.
If you're a Dallas-based interior designer looking to elevate your online web presence and increase overall visibility, developing an understanding of SEO and investing in professional photography are your biggest secret weapons. When used strategically, they don’t just make your website look beautiful, they do the heavy lifting and make your website findable. And that’s what has the power to turn browsers and lurkers into future clients and buyers.
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how interior designers can pair smart SEO with strong imagery to attract ideal clients, all without running paid ads and without worshipping the alter of the ever changing algorithm every day.
Make sure to Follow me on IG to see behind the curtain of my photography business.
Why SEO Matters for Interior Designers and Brands
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) might sound like something only web developers and tech bros care about, but hear me out: it’s the most important thing you can do for your business that will really move the needle on generating leads. Your potential clients are searching for designers just like you right now.
They’re typing things into Google and ChatGPT like:
“Colorful interior designer Dallas”
“Kitchen remodel design Highland Park”
“Eclectic vintage home design Texas”
Modern organic interior designer Dallas Fort Worth Texas
If your site isn’t showing up at all, you’re missing massive opportunities to work with people who are already sold on hiring someone to help design their home or business. If they can’t find you, they can’t hire you.
Google is the new word-of-mouth. If you’re not ranking, you might as well be invisible
Showing up on page one of Google isn’t just about bragging rights (I honestly don’t know anyone who brags about this, but ask anyone who shows up on page 1 and they’ll tell you they get consistent leads). It builds professional credibility, increases web traffic to your website, and sets you up as a professional go-to designer in your niche.
How Professional Photography Supercharges Your SEO
SEO isn’t just about keywords, as a whole it’s absolutely about user experience. Beautiful, professional photography keeps visitors on your website for a longer period of time, has the ability to increase time spent on page, and reduce bounce rates. Google notices that kind of thing, and it’s only part of the SEO equation.
Here’s how photography helps your website ranking efforts:
Alt Text = SEO Goldmine
Every photo on your website should include descriptive alt text like “colorful living room by Dallas interior designer.” This helps Google understand what’s on your site and who they should be recommending your site to. Alt Text is also massively important for accessibility efforts, particularly for people who are visually impaired. It helps to tell them what the photo is about even if they cannot see it.
Page Speed = Ranking Factor
Google penalizes slow-loading websites. I recommend all my clients to download web size images from their gallery (2048px long edge) and take the extra step to put them through a compression program like TinyJpg to shrink them before uploading to their websites. I’ve seen recommendations to keeping images smaller than 250kb if you can. Go as small as you can without sacrificing resolution, and commit to compressing images without losing quality so your website loads quickly. Curious to see where your site stacks up: Google has a tool for that: https://pagespeed.web.dev/
Originality Wins
Ditch the stock photos. Custom photography not only sets you apart, it’s uniqueness performs better in search.
From Page NONE to Page 1: My Own SEO Gains
My Google Analytics dashboard from January 2023 to July 2025. That’s the power of developing a SEO strategy and creating content optimized for organic search.
5 Actionable SEO Tips for Dallas Interior Designers
There’s a lot to learn around SEO and it will feel overwhelming at times. I know it did for me in May 2023 when I enrolled in an SEO boot camp and began optimizing my website for search. It’s not a quick fix, it’s a long game, but it will help your business thrive. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of this, my advice is to start small. If I had to rebuild my business and SEO all over again, this is what I would tackle first. These 5 steps will move the needle without making you want to throw your laptop out the window.
1. Set Up Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Do this today! Link them both to your website, over time these powerful tools will tell you where you should be directing your marketing efforts. You’ll learn what keywords you are being found for, what social media platforms are driving traffic to your website, and where your marketing efforts are paying off. Use this information to inform your content strategy and create blogs and web based content to rank in search for other keywords that aren’t on your radar. I review this monthly and plan content around it.
2. Optimize Your Home + About Page
Your homepage is prime real estate, first impression stuff. Use the main keyword you absolutely want to rank for like “Dallas interior designer” naturally in your headers and copy. I highly recommend using online tools like Google Keyword Planner or Keywords Everywhere to discover keywords with search volume in your niche.
3. Create a Portfolio That’s Easy to Navigate
To maximize reach, give each project its own gallery page or blog post. Use keyword-rich captions and descriptive titles like “Eclectic Ranch Makeover – East Dallas.” Compress your images for faster load time. Group rooms together through keywords filters like kitchens, living room, outdoor living, etc, and make sure every single image has alt text that describes what the photo is about AND includes keywords that describe what you do, who you serve, and what your design POV is.
4. Claim Your Google Business Profile
Add up-to-date photos, service areas, and a short description with your keywords. Ask happy clients to leave reviews that you can use for testimonials on your website. Reviews really matter, the more you have the higher you’ll rank for your service keywords.
5. Start Blogging with Strategy
Once you have compiled a list of keywords, start creating blog posts on the following topics: share before and after project transformations, outline your service offerings, outline your client experience, what it’s like to work with a designer, why clients should hire an interior designer, interior design tips and tricks only industry pros would know, project reveals that detail the design style and aesthetic, behind-the-scenes challenges, guides like “How to Design a Kid-Friendly Kitchen in Lakewood”
Use location and style-specific phrases your audience is searching for. Take inspiration from design sites like The Spruce, House Beautiful, and Rue Daily and feature roundups of kitchens, and other rooms you’ve designed. I send my clients questionnaires about their project needs so I can reference them when creating blog posts. This helps you create a storytelling narrative, saves a ton of time, and I highly recommend clients to do the same.
Pairing SEO with Visual Strategy
Once I complete those five steps I would then start the process of building backlinks to your website. Create accounts on platforms that link back to your site (I’ve done Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Houzz, Yelp, Linkedin, Google Business Profile, etc). Then start pitching for press and editorial consideration. Submit requests to do interviews for local publications, business features, podcasts, service announcements, etc. Submit your work to online design publications like Apartment Therapy, The Spruce, House Beautiful, or Rue. Follow editors and engage with their content. Every link back to your website improves your own website’s authority in Google’s rankings. The higher your site reputation ranking, the higher you’ll rank for your chosen keywords over your competitors.
Photography plays a huge role in not just how you’re seen, but how often. That’s why it’s so important to work with a photographer who understands marketing and SEO.
When I shoot interior projects, I’m always thinking about:
How these photos will perform on your website
How they’ll support future case studies and blog posts
How they can be used across Pinterest, Instagram reels, Tiktok, and press features.
Ready to Attract More Luxury Clients?
The recipe is simple:
Great design + smart SEO + standout photography = a magnet for ideal clients.
Whether you’re just getting started or ready to refine your online presence, investing some time and energy into understanding SEO and investing in professional photography is one of the smartest moves you can make for your design business. Got questions about SEO, please reach out via the link below. I’m happy to help in any way I can.
I’m Stacy Markow, a Dallas-Fort Worth based photographer specializing in interiors, architecture, and bold brand imagery.
When I’m not on set, you’ll find me in the garden, planning my next trip, or hanging with my crew (Zelda my Boston Terrier is always included).
Need vibrant visuals for your brand or space? Let’s chat.
