If you’re trying to reach more potential wedding clients online, you’ve probably started exploring wedding SEO and public relations as ways to grow your visibility. When done strategically, PR gets your name in front of the right people and earns you valuable links that will boost your rankings.
In other words, SEO and PR aren’t separate strategies — they work best when they work together.
You already know that good press can position you as an expert and expand your audience. But what’s happening behind the scenes that makes PR such a powerful tool for your wedding SEO rankings? Let’s break down how backlinks work and how to start getting more of them.
What are Backlinks (and Why Should Wedding Pros Care?)
Simply put, a backlink is a link from someone else’s website that points to your website. Some examples are a vendor credit in a real wedding post or a press feature on an industry publication. Any link online that goes to your website is considered a backlink.
OK, so what?
Google sees backlinks as a type of third-party validation — like a digital vote of confidence. The more high-quality links you have, the more credible and trustworthy your website appears in the eyes of search engines.
Imagine two wedding pros: one has been featured on high-authority sites like The Knot, BRIDES, and Martha Stewart Weddings, plus regularly gets linked by local vendors. The other has one backlink, from their own Facebook page.
Which one is more likely to land on page one of Google? The one with strong, high-authority backlinks from wedding-related websites. It’s one of the clearest signals to Google and other search tools (like ChatGPT) that your business is worth recommending to more people.
Not All Backlinks are Created Equal
If you’ve ever run an SEO audit and discovered hundreds of backlinks pointing to your site, you might wonder why your rankings still aren’t where you want them to be. The answer? Not all backlinks carry the same weight.
Backlinks generally fall into two categories:
- High-quality links: These come from reputable, relevant sources: real wedding features, press mentions, and industry publications. Google values these links because they signal authority and relevance within your niche.
- Low-quality links: Think spammy directories, random blogs you’ve never heard of, and unrelated websites. These types of links don’t help your SEO — in most cases, they’re harmless noise. Nearly every site picks up a few over time, and there’s no need to stress about them.
For wedding professionals, press features and real weddings are gold when it comes to backlinks. They’re not only highly relevant to your industry, but they also tend to come from authoritative websites that boost your credibility.
A quick note on follow vs. nofollow links
Not every backlink passes the same SEO value. Some links are tagged as nofollow, which means they don’t contribute to your rankings directly (though they can still bring traffic and visibility).
What you ideally want are follow links — these are the ones that tell Google, “This site is trustworthy.” Most press features, blog posts, and vendor credits will be set as follow by default, but it’s worth being aware of the distinction.
5 Ways to Earn Wedding Industry Backlinks
Now that you know how powerful backlinks can be for your wedding website’s SEO, let’s look at some strategic (and realistic!) ways to start earning high-quality wedding industry backlinks that boost your brand’s online visibility and authority.
1. Submit real weddings to blogs
Real wedding features are one of the most common (and effective) ways wedding pros earn backlinks. Popular blogs often link to key vendors like the photographer, planner, floral designer, and more.
Think about the most editorial-worthy weddings you’ve worked on this year and create a plan to submit them. Be sure to include proper URL credits for yourself and your vendor team. If you’re not the photographer or planner, coordinate with them on preferred outlets and submission timing to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Pro tip: If a published feature doesn’t include your link, it’s okay to politely ask the editor to add it. Most are happy to update vendor credits!
Prefer to let the experts handle it? The OFD Collective’s Submissions Track includes up to 8 real wedding submissions per year done for you — their PR team handles the pitching, tracking, and follow-up, so you can focus on working on more beautiful weddings.
2. Pitch yourself for expert roundups
Contributing your expertise to media articles is a great way to build credibility and earn a backlink. Wedding blogs and magazines are always looking for expert input on trends, advice, and insights.
One way to do this is by connecting with editors and writers for industry publications and offering yourself as an expert source. A bit of outreach can go a long way, especially once you develop long-lasting media relationships.
Another (easy) way to earn more press features is through the OFD Collective, which sends media queries directly to your inbox (and submits them on your behalf!).
3. Apply for wedding industry awards
Don’t underestimate the SEO value of awards. In addition to building your credibility and social proof, many award sites link to winners in their announcement posts — and those backlinks can give your wedding SEO a boost.
That includes high-authority national platforms like The Knot, Zola, or LUXlife and local opportunities, too. Regional wedding magazines often publish “Best of” lists (like Best of Columbus Weddings and Orlando’s Mappy Awards), which come with a backlink and a whole lot of local visibility.
4. Participate in styled shoots
Styled shoots can be more than just a creative outlet — they’re a smart backlink strategy when done well. When a shoot is published on a blog or shared across your vendor team’s websites, it creates multiple opportunities for high-quality links.
Make sure each vendor shares the shoot on their site (with proper credits and website links — not just Instagram handles!), and aim to get the shoot featured on a reputable industry blog to reach new audiences and earn strong links.
5. Collaborate on guest articles (like this one!)
Guest blogging for other wedding pros or industry publications is a powerful way to share your expertise and earn a backlink to your site. Aim to pitch topics where you can contribute meaningful content (typically 800+ words), and prioritize websites with solid SEO authority.
Want to make it a win-win? Offer to host a guest post from them on your site, too — it’s a great way to build relationships and support each other’s visibility.
PR That Works Twice as Hard
Think of every press opportunity as doing double duty: it builds your brand reputation and strengthens your SEO foundation. When a feature includes a backlink to your website, it’s not just good publicity — it’s a signal to Google that your business is credible and worth ranking.
As you pursue PR opportunities, start looking at them through an SEO lens. Is the website reputable? Will the feature link back to you? Which outlets can help grow your authority and your audience?
One great way to earn more press (and more backlinks) is by joining the OFD Collective, a wedding PR membership that connects you with national media opportunities and submits on your behalf. And if you’re ready to take your search discoverability even further, my wedding SEO course Wedding SEO Bootcamp will teach you exactly how to DIY your SEO and rank with confidence.
Photos in this post by Abby Grace Photography and Starling Studio
