7 SEO Tips for 3D Designers to Get Ahead in 2024

3D design (or modeling) has a huge impact on many industries, including architecture, manufacturing, gaming, advertising, entertainment, and others. Due to a wide range of possible applications, experts in this field are in high demand on the market. And many specialists choose to work as freelancers to gain more freedom and expand their career outlook.

To this day, 3D modelers remain some of the most sought-after freelance professionals. There are plenty of customers who need this kind of service so finding projects should’ve been a piece of cake. But the truth is that it’s not.

Although the demand is high, so are client expectations. What’s more, increased demand creates increased supply. Simply put, the competition in this field is just as high as the demand, and it can be one of the major stumbling points on your way to success.

When you are a freelance 3D designer, standing out from the crowd of competitors can be tough. In order to level up your business, you need to find ways to get noticed by your prospects. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) can really help.

Read on and we will tell you what it is and how you can benefit from it!

Chapters

What Is SEO?

Search engine optimization is a set of practices aimed at increasing the amount of traffic that comes to a website and improving its quality.

Web traffic is measured in the number of visits or sessions a site receives. SEO targets a specific type of organic (unpaid) traffic that comes directly from search engine result pages (SERPs).

So in a nutshell, search engine optimization strives to help you become more visible in search when people are looking for content or services similar to what you offer.

The Importance of SEO for 3D Design

Search engine optimization helps you get higher in search results. As a result, it lets you get noticed by potential customers more easily – the higher you appear in SERPs, the more likely your prospects will click on your site and convert into actual customers.

Since it has the potential to increase online visibility and conversions, SEO is crucial for any kind of business, including freelance 3D design. In a long-term perspective, leveraging SEO can help you:

• Generate a lot of organic traffic;
• Capture more leads cost-effectively;
• Boost awareness;
• Build trust;
• Get ahead of the competition.

Now that you see the value of optimization for your business, let’s move on to the most exciting part. Read on to find the top SEO tips for 3D designers that will help you achieve your short-term and long-term business goals!

SEO Tip 1: Choose the Right Keywords

Keywords are certain words and phrases that users utilize when searching for something on the web. When a user inserts a specific keyword into the search bar, Google analyzes it and provides a list of results that match that keyword best and provide the most value.

That is, using the right keywords is a way to pop up in SERPs for relevant words and phrases your target buyers use. And you want to make your site rank high for relevant keywords to increase the likelihood of getting clicks.

Here are a few simple SEO tips for finding the right keywords for your website and portfolio:

• First, make a list of words and phrases that relate to your business (e.g. “3D modeling”, “3D design”, “3D rendering”, etc.). Remember that Google ranks results for relevance in the first place. So your list of queries should perfectly align with what you are doing and your prospects’ search intent.
• Analyze relevant keywords using specialized tools to gain insights into the volume and competition. You can look for the best SEO software for agencies on the Top 10 website. This website provides objective overviews of the most reliable software and can help you pick a tool that suits your needs best.
• Research and analyze your primary competitors to see what queries they are targeting.
• Don’t forget about long-tail keywords that help specify your product and tend to have higher conversions.

Once you have a list of queries, naturally integrate them into your portfolio title, bio, tagline, and other pieces of content. Also, integrate keywords into your website’s content, page URLs, meta titles and descriptions, alt tags for images, headers, etc.

Just don’t overdo it. Focus on a smaller number of the most powerful keywords and retain a focus on the quality of content.

SEO Tip 2: Write Effective Meta Titles and Descriptions

Meta titles and descriptions are HTML tags (simply put, bits of code) that provide a brief description of a web page. The primary purpose of these HTML elements is to help search engines understand what a particular page is about to rank it appropriately and, at the same time, let users know what they will find on the page.

Both meta titles and descriptions show up in SERPs along with every search result, as shown in the image below.

These elements are crucial for SEO due to a few reasons. First of all, they help engines understand your pages and rank them accordingly. Secondly, a compelling meta title and description can entice users to click through from SERPs to your site. According to Google, users rely primarily on meta titles and descriptions to determine which result is the most relevant to their query.

Here are a few SEO tips for 3D designers to write excellent meta titles and descriptions:

• Make it unique and relevant to the page’s content;
• Keep your title between 50-60 characters and your description up to 155 characters so that engines can show them fully in SERPs;
• Use active voice and make it actionable;
• Include a powerful call to action;
• Use your primary target keyword both in the title and description, placing them closer to the beginning.

SEO Tip 3: Build Backlinks to Your Website

A backlink is basically a link from one website to another. It represents a reference to an external source of information, similar to a citation.

In search engine optimization, backlinks play a massive role. The more web sources link back to your site, the higher domain authority and trust you gain. Trust, in turn, remains one of the factors used by Google for ranking. So the more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher you can appear in SERPs.

There are many ways to get backlinks to your site. Namely, you can try the following tactics:

• Provide high-quality, share-worthy content;
• Create linkable assets, such as in-depth guides, visuals, and so on;
• Engage in guest blogging;
• Reach out to bloggers, journalists, and influencers;
• Work on building a strong personal brand and establish yourself as an industry expert, for example, through interviews, etc.

SEO Tip 4: Use Social Media to Promote Your Website

These days, social media is a big part of our lives. It’s used for entertainment, communication, and, of course, business purposes.

Although social media signals like likes or shares aren’t among Google’s direct ranking factors, they still indicate brand awareness and trust (which is a ranking factor). So if you want to level up your SEO and thrive as a freelance specialist in 3D design, you should also start leveraging social media to your benefit.

Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and similar can offer you a wealth of opportunities. You can use them to showcase your work, grow your audience, and connect with potential clients. There are several tricks that will help you leverage social media to your benefit:

1. Create compelling profiles – Provide accurate and up-to-date contact information, write engaging descriptions using target keywords, and stick to a uniform style to improve brand awareness.
2. Stay active – Create a lot of relevant, informative, and engaging content and post it regularly to keep your audience interested. Don’t forget about using keywords to help your target audience find you.
3. Network a lot – Join relevant communities, attend industry events, connect with fellow specialists, etc.
4. Share links – Repurpose the content from your website for social media, share links, and encourage the audience to visit your website in order to generate more traffic and boost your rankings.

SEO Tip 5: Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices

In 2023, 58.33% of all web traffic worldwide came from mobile devices. Also, after the introduction of Google’s mobile-first indexing in 2019, search engines now primarily use a mobile version of the website to rank it for both mobile and desktop search results.

These two reasons perfectly explain the huge importance of mobile optimization for high rankings. So the next trick on our list of SEO tips for 3D designers is all about mobile.

In order to appear high in SERPs, you need to ensure that your site looks perfect on all screen sizes. To do this, you first need to determine whether your site is mobile-friendly at this moment. You can easily do this with the help of the Mobile-Friendly Test by Google Search Console – simply enter your URL to see if you need to make any changes.

If you need optimization for mobile, re-think your design. Opt for a responsive design that easily adapts to different screen sizes. Also, optimize your images, buttons, and content to make them look good on all screens. Finally, simplify your navigation and eliminate pop-ups and other things that can hinder page speed.

SEO Tip 6: Keep Your Website Up-to-Date

When customers and prospects land on your website, most likely, they rely on it for useful information on your business, services, and the market you work in. If they don’t find the information you provide reliable, this will affect their trust and can make them look for the needed information elsewhere. That’s why keeping your site up-to-date is a must.

Updated information helps build trust between you and your audience. Also, it helps build domain authority. Respectively, it can affect how high you rank in search engines.

In order to update your site, you first need to audit it. Review your current design, content, contact info, and other materials. Identify if any of these materials are already outdated.

After an audit, do some competitor research and analyze current trends to see where you might be falling behind the competition. Gather inspiration from your research and revise your site’s design, content, and visuals to match market trends. 

Finally, update your pages with fresh (or repurposed) content and images and perform simple A/B testing to see how users react to different versions of your site.

Make it a habit to perform all these actions regularly to keep your site up-to-date at all times.

SEO Tip 7: Track Your Results and Make Adjustments as Needed

After implementing all these SEO tips for your 3D design website, you shouldn’t forget about the last and probably most important stage of optimization – performance tracking.

By monitoring different metrics of your site on a regular basis, you will be able to see what strategies work best for you and identify areas for improvement. Most importantly, you should keep an eye on your search engine rankings and traffic to see how well your SEO strategy is working.

The easiest way to track these metrics is to leverage a reliable tool. Now, there are plenty of tools that will help you gain valuable insights into your pages’ performance. Check out top10seosoftware.com to find the right tool for you and start tracking your metrics. And don’t hesitate to make adjustments to your strategy to achieve greater results.

Conclusion

Search engine optimization can do wonders for your freelance 3D design business. With the right strategy, it can help you become noticed by your prospects, build trust, generate traffic, and acquire new customers without spending a fortune on advertising.

After reading this guide, you have a comprehensive list of the most effective SEO tips for 3D designers that can help you on this path. Use the tricks and knowledge from this article to rank higher in SERPs and make your business thrive!

FAQ

What is SEO and why is it important for 3D designers? SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of improving the ranking of a website on search engines. For 3D designers, effective SEO helps increase the visibility of their portfolio or website, attracting more clients and opportunities.

How can 3D designers optimize their website titles for SEO? 3D designers should include relevant keywords in their website titles, such as “3D design,” “3D modeling,” and specific software expertise like “Autodesk Maya” or “Blender.” Keep titles concise and descriptive to improve search engine rankings.

What type of content should 3D designers create to improve SEO? Creating blog posts, tutorials, and case studies that showcase their work processes, design tips, and software reviews can help 3D designers improve SEO. Content that answers common questions in the 3D design community is particularly effective.

How do keywords improve SEO for 3D designers? Keywords related to 3D design, such as “3D animation,” “CGI visualization,” or “game character modeling,” help search engines understand the content’s focus, making it easier to show it to interested audiences.

What are the best practices for using images in 3D design portfolios for SEO? Use high-quality images and include alt text that describes the image with relevant keywords. This not only aids SEO but also makes the site accessible to users with visual impairments.

Can social media impact the SEO of a 3D designer’s website? Yes, active social media profiles can drive traffic to a 3D designer’s website and improve its SEO. Sharing content regularly and engaging with followers can also increase backlinks and social signals that positively impact SEO.

What role do backlinks play in SEO for 3D designers? High-quality backlinks from reputable websites can significantly boost SEO by increasing the site’s authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines, leading to higher rankings.

How can 3D designers optimize their website for mobile devices? Ensure the website is responsive and loads quickly on mobile devices, as this is a significant factor in SEO. Mobile optimization improves user experience and complies with search engines’ preference for mobile-friendly sites.

Why is it important for 3D designers to keep their website updated for SEO? Regularly updating the website with new content, portfolio pieces, and blog posts keeps the site relevant and engaging, which can encourage more traffic and improve search engine rankings.

How can local SEO help 3D designers attract clients? Local SEO involves optimizing a website to appear in search results for a specific geographical area. Including location-based keywords and registering on Google My Business can help 3D designers attract local clients.

What are some common SEO mistakes that 3D designers should avoid? Avoid using excessive jargon, overloading pages with too many images without text context, and neglecting meta descriptions and tags. Also, duplicating content and having a slow-loading website are detrimental to SEO.

Other related articles

• How to Get Started with Video Marketing
• Best AI YouTube Title Generators
• Best AI YouTube Description Generators
• How to Set Up your Video Marketing Strategy
• How to Come Up With Video Ideas
• How to Write a Video Script

Create more and better content

Check out the following resources and Grow!