Wedding Planner SEO Checklist: 10 Steps to Optimize Any Website Page
As a wedding planner, you’re no stranger to checklists. Timelines, rentals, floral orders — you’ve got a system for everything. So when it comes to getting found on Google, it only makes sense to have a system for that too! Wedding planner SEO can feel overwhelming at first, but it becomes much more manageable with the right strategy.
Your website pages and blog posts aren’t just there to look pretty. Instead, think of them as active working pieces of your marketing. With a little wedding planner SEO strategy behind the scenes, that content can help you show up in search results, build trust with potential clients, and ultimately bring more inquiries to your inbox.
Use this simple wedding SEO checklist for wedding planners to make sure every piece of content is set up to attract (and impress) your dream couples.
Pick a focus keyword for the page
Start by choosing one clear, specific keyword for the page or blog post. Each piece of content should target a different keyword to avoid competing with other pages on your site and to keep your overall SEO strategy organized.
Make sure the keyword is relevant to what the page is actually about. For example, if you're writing a blog post about your favorite wedding venues in Austin, don’t try to optimize that post for “Austin wedding planner” (which is better suited for your homepage or services page!). Instead, use something like “best wedding venues in Austin” or another phrase that matches the topic.
And remember: keyword variations are your friend! If your focus keyword is “Phoenix wedding planner,” you can also use phrases like “wedding planner in Phoenix” or “planner for Phoenix weddings” throughout the content.
Wondering if a keyword has actual search volume? I recommend using Ubersuggest to look up keyword ideas and confirm whether couples are actually searching for them!
Set an SEO title and meta description
Think of your SEO title and meta description as the first thing people see when your page shows up on Google. It’s what grabs their attention and entices them to click through to your website. The title is the bold, clickable headline, while the meta description is the preview text underneath.
When writing these snippets, work in your focus keyword naturally — ideally, it will show up at the beginning of your title and somewhere in the meta description. Keep your meta description under 155 characters, but don’t worry if your title runs long. Google still reads the whole thing, even if part of it gets cut off visually.
If you’re a visual person, check out Mangools’ SERP Simulator — a super handy (and free) tool for seeing a preview of your search engine listing.
Use the Mangools simulator tool to see how your SEO title and description will look in the search results.
Include your focus keyword in the beginning
Google pays close attention to content at the top of a website, so try to include your focus keyword within the first 100 words — or at least in the first paragraph. This helps search engines quickly understand what your page is about.
Beyond SEO, it also helps the real people who land on your website! Most visitors are skimming for answers, so avoid burying your main topic under a long intro. Present it clearly from the start so readers (and Google) know they’re in the right place.
Use a clear, keyword-relevant URL slug
Your URL (aka the “slug” at the end of the link) helps both Google and your audience understand what a page is about. Keep it short, readable, and focused on your keyword. It doesn’t have to match your page title exactly! In fact, it’s often better to simplify it down to just the focus keyword or key phrase.
Here are a few examples:
❌ Not ideal: website.com/lucy-kyle-romantic-south-of-france-luxury-destination-wedding-in-cannes
👍 Better: website.com/cannes-destination-wedding
❌ Not ideal: website.com/12-best-wedding-venues-in-boulder-colorado-with-photos
👍 Better: website.com/boulder-wedding-venues
Clean URLs look more professional and are easier to remember, share, and rank. They’re much easier for Google to understand and serve to interested searchers!
Follow proper heading hierarchy
Headings aren’t just about a nice-looking page — they help both your readers and Google understand the structure of your content. When used correctly, headings and subheadings make your website pages and blog posts easier to skim and signal to search engines what each section is about.
SEO rule of thumb: Stick to one H1 per page. That’s usually your page or blog post title. Then, use H2s for main sections and H3s for sub-points underneath those. Think of it like an outline with cascading heading levels: clean, organized, and easy to follow.
Aim to include the page’s focus keyword in your H1 along with several subheadings, if possible. Structured headings help your content feel more polished and makes it much easier to rank when Google understands how to read the page.
Optimize images with alt text and filenames
Before you upload any photos to a blog post or web page, take a moment to rename the files. Use short, descriptive filenames that reflect what’s in the image — like dallas-outdoor-wedding-reception.jpg instead of IMG_3021.jpg.
Next, add alt text to photos throughout the page. In addition to supporting accessibility for screen readers, alt text helps search engines understand what a picture is showing. Google can’t “see” the image, so you need to help by describing the image in plain language. Bonus points if it includes a relevant keyword!
If you put this in a wedding planner blog post, you could add alt text like “wedding reception tablescape with wooden table”
With that said, this isn’t an excuse for keyword stuffing. For example, using something like “Dallas wedding planners” makes sense for a headshot or team photo, but not for a photo of a couple’s first dance. Relevance is key here.
You don’t need to write alt text for every image on the page, but aim to optimize at least a handful. It’s a small step that can make a big difference for your SEO.
Want help implementing this? Learn more about our done-for-you SEO services for wedding planners at SaraDoesSEO.com.
Build internal links to and from important pages
Internal links help Google understand how your content is connected and guide your readers to the next step in their journey. In every blog post or page you create, make sure to include at least one link to another relevant page on your site. This could be a related blog post, your services page, or your contact page.
Just as important: make sure other pages link to this one, too. If no other page on your site points to it, your new content becomes an “orphan” — harder for Google to discover and index. Adding a link from a well-trafficked page (like your homepage or a high-performing blog post) gives it the attention it deserves.
This internal linking strategy keeps visitors engaged while helping Google see your content as part of a bigger, more valuable picture.
Add a clear, relevant call-to-action
Every page or blog post should guide your reader toward what to do next. Whether that’s reaching out to book, reading a related post, or checking out your services, a clear call-to-action (CTA) helps turn casual readers into motivated leads.
You can keep it simple, like “See our packages” or “Contact us.” However, make sure there’s a clear link to wherever you want them to go next, like a contact form, booking calendar, or checkout page.
This is also an excellent opportunity to use a keyword-friendly subheading to introduce your CTA! It’s a great way to boost your SEO while gently nudging the reader forward.
Make the content easy to read
Effective SEO isn’t just about keywords — it’s about creating an enjoyable experience for the people reading your content. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, subheadings, and bold text to make your page easy to skim (like I did here!). Most visitors aren’t reading every word, so format your content in a way that helps them find what they’re looking for quickly.
While Google doesn’t measure your grammar or formatting, it does notice how long people stay on your page. When your content is easy to read and visually engaging, visitors tend to stick around longer, which sends a signal to Google that your content is helpful and worth showing to more people.
The takeaway? You’re writing for real humans first. If it’s easy and enjoyable to read, that’s good for your dream couples and your rankings.
Bonus: Submit the page link to Google Search Console
If you want to go the extra mile (and don’t mind a little bit of tech), this step can give your content a helpful boost.
Google Search Console is a free tool that lets you monitor how your site is performing in search. Once it’s set up for your website, you can submit any blog post or page URL directly to Google. This tells Google to prioritize crawling it, whether it’s brand-new content or an older page you’ve recently updated.
Not only does this help Google find your content faster, but Search Console also gives you insight into how people are finding your website, which search terms are earning clicks, and which pages are performing best.
Again, this is 100% optional, but can help you see results faster! If you’re up for it, don’t miss this blog post where I walk through how to set up Google Search Console on your website (along with links to platform-specific instructions for WordPress, Showit, Squarespace, and Wix).
Let your content work for you with wedding planner SEO
SEO doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating — it just needs to be intentional. With a few thoughtful tweaks, each page or blog post you create can do more than just take up space on your website. It can help you get found by the couples you most want to work with.
Bookmark this checklist and come back to it anytime you’re developing new content! The more consistently you apply these steps, the more momentum you will build.
Want to learn more about how to do your own SEO for wedding planners? My wedding SEO course, Wedding SEO Bootcamp, will teach you everything you need to know to optimize your website in the wedding industry!
Meet your Wedding Planner SEO Specialist
Wedding SEO specialist Sara Dunn
This blog post was written by Sara Dunn of Sara Does SEO, the wedding industry’s expert in getting found on search engines like Google and ChatGPT.
As the founder of Sara Does SEO, Sara and her team offer done-for-you services, coaching, and courses built on her proven Wedding SEO Framework. A sought-after speaker and educator, Sara’s strategies help over a million searchers connect with wedding professionals each year.
Ready to learn more? Check out Sara’s masterclass.
Photos in this post by Starling Studio
