Happily, when it comes to my photography website (one of a few things I have on the go), there are a couple of clear things I can do to make it more focused and effective. One is optimising the website for search engines; the other is diving into social media.  I’ll handle these two separately.  Search Engine Optimisation can come first then. That’s known in the trade as SEO. The Artists Web does a pretty good job of this anyway, but there are things we can do to help it on its way.

The first thing to realise about SEO is that search engines get all of their information from the text that site owners give them. This is a problem for us as artists. There’s often not that much of a need to include much text on our websites as the content is all visual.  I tend to shy away from text myself; it often feels superfluous.  This makes it difficult to include too much writing on my site.  As it stands then, I’m giving search engines very few hooks to attach to my site.  Even the titles are super-basic.

How can I fix this? There are a few ways. One is by having some simple explanatory text on each of my gallery pages. I need to give a bit of thought to the titles of my photographs.  I also need to address the various form boxes that the Artists Web offers us when we make a new page.  I don’t know about anyone else but I’ve never had time to use these when I’ve uploaded pictures.  I’ve just wanted to get the things up there.  I know. Tsk.  Very sloppy.

Before I do any writing I have to give some thought to keywords.  These are the words my site will target to get found by.  There’s no point in using keywords like ‘photography’; there are hundreds of thousands of sites that will beat me hands down for that key word. I need to be more focused.

The Flat Sea

This is where I need to make a clear statement regarding what my photographs are about.  I then need to craft my text on that basis.  It’s likely to be a useful exercise in the wider context of my practice, I think, though only time will tell in that regard.

The problem here is that I’m setting out on a path that may well be difficult to return from.  Many of my photographs are of quiet, desolate places.  Should I market myself as a photographer of silence?  Do | want to be bound by that in the future?  I think the time is nigh for an experiment. There’s only one way of finding out how successful I’m likely to be here. That’ll be going ahead and trying it out.

www.danfone.co.uk

• Global artwork search trends
• Publicising your art courses
• The Artists Web – Autumn updates
• Cool Globes: Artists wanted – help raise awareness of global warming
• Islington Art and Design Fair

Artwork Search Trends

A readers may already be aware of Google Trends a fairly new and really useful tools for researching what people search for on the internet. The tool is very simple to use, one simply enters a list of comma separated search terms to compare and google will show a historic graph of the relative popularity of the various terms you have entered.

So here’s a few examples for Google Trends:

sunset VS landscape VS portrait VS abstract

original art VS art print

oil painting VS watercolour VS watercolor

So no doubt you’re already trying out searches for yourself and gaining insights into the way people use the internet!

Publicise Your Art Courses

And following on from our previous edition in which we covered finding art courses, this time we would like to bring your attention to a new feature on The Artists Web this month – Art Courses. This section of the website will provide a user friendly and easily searchable databases of art courses. We are aware that a number of members run their own courses and workshops, so we are delighted to announce that members will get first dibs on submitting their info and at no cost! Members of the public will also be able to list their courses but must pay a listing fee.

We already have a number of larger institutions lined up to provide us with their course info, but you can submit yours first and secure your place in our extensive course listings!

So get maximum exposure now before the listings fill up – The Artists Web enjoys great search engine results and thousands of visits from art related visitors every day, a perfect platform for publicising your classes, workshops and courses.

Advertise your courses now:
————————————–
* Login to ‘myaccount’  here: www.theartistsweb.co.uk/myaccount
* Click on ‘add venue’ under ‘my courses’
* Enter venue details for where the course(s) will take place
* Go back to ‘my account’
* Click on ‘add course’
* Enter course details
* You can continue to add more courses by going back to ‘my account’ and clicking on ‘add course’ again

The Artists Web – Autumn Update

After receiving some valuable feedback from the a recent user survey (thanks again to all who have particiupated), The Artists Web will be working on some new features and enhancements this Autumn:

• More art focused home page
• Some general design and layout enhancements on www.theartistsweb.co.uk
• New website builder features including multiple file upload, new design templates, paypal shopping cart enhancements.
• New publishing channels for the print program – we’re pleased to announce that The Artists Web has secured an agreement with The EAW Group who represent 4 of the worlds leading print distribution channels.

So keep your eyes peeled for updates!

Artists Required! – Cool Globes

Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet is a major environmental art initiative taking place in London from April 2009. Up to 100, five foot diameter globes will be placed in Central London for 10 weeks. Each globe will depict an issue with regard to climate change and, importantly, a solution that can be implemented at an individual level.

Cool Globes is seeking artists to paint the blank globes and is offering an honorarium and £1000 on completion of the globe. Interested artists are encouraged to visit www.coolglobes.com and contact charlie@wildinart.co.uk for information.

Islington Art and Design Fair

And finally a brief mention of an event in London this October:
3-26 OCT 2008 FRI: 1-7PM SAT-SUN: 12-6PM
ADMISSION FREE

FOUR WEEKENDS, FOUR SHOWS:
3-5 OCT: PAINTING AND SCULPTURE
10-12 OCT: ILLUSTRATION, PRINTMAKING, GRAPHICS
17-19 OCT: FASHION, JEWELLERY, TEXTILES
24-26 OCT: FURNITURE, GLASS, CERAMICS, DESIGN PRODUCTS

CANDID GALLERIES, 3 TORRENS STREET, LONDON EC1V 1NQ
TUBE: ANGEL
0207 837 4237
WWW.CANDIDARTS.COM

So that wraps it up for this edition of The Artists Newsletter – thanks for reading!

The Artists Newsletter Team

"At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since."
Salvador Dali