The online portfolio is one of the most important assets for any web designer or web developer (not to mention other professions like photographers). A good portfolio site is capable of being the leading source of new clients, which is the lifeblood of any service-related business.

Although the importance of the portfolio site is obvious, having an effective one requires that people actually see it. Having a great portfolio is one thing, but getting it seen is another. There are so many designers out there that competition is very stiff and without marketing your site it is likely to get very little attention.

This article will cover some basic things that you can do to market your online portfolio and make a bigger impact on a higher number of potential clients.

1. Make it Search Engine Friendly

SEO (search engine optimization) is a huge topic that could never be covered in one brief article. However, one of the basics of optimizing a site for search engines is to simply make it easy for the search engines to crawl the site so they can accurately determine what the site is about.

To make your site search friendly, use valid code that is clean and well-organized. This includes proper use of headings, and choosing not to do anything that will trick search engines or make it difficult for them to crawl your site.

2. Use Effective Page Title that Include Your Keywords

Page titles are critical for search engine rankings, more so than any other on-page factor. Give lots of thought to the titles that you choose for your pages and try to match them up with the same words and phrases that people are likely to use in a search to find that page.

There are already millions of sites and pages that cover topics related to web design, so going after general keywords like “website design” is not likely to result in high search engine rankings. Instead, focus of phrases that are more specific and likely to have less competition, that will give you a better chance to earn high rankings.

A good strategy is to use specific keywords and phrases that will have less people searching for them, but also much less competition. You could use a phrase like “Drupal web development” and have a better chance to come up in the rankings for a specific search, and your site will be more relevant to those searchers.

3. Localization is an Option

Optimizing a site for local traffic is a great way to cut out a lot of competition and prepare your site in a way that targets a specific audience. Most designers do not target a locality with their portfolio, so doing so can put you way ahead of the competition in searches like “Texas web designer.”

4. Link Building

Along with the page title, links from other websites are as influential to search engine rankings as any other factor. In a way, search engine rankings are a bit of a popularity contest. Google views a link as basically a vote. When you link to another website you are essentially endorsing it.

Link building is critical if you want to have a portfolio site that pulls in a lot of search traffic. Here are some things you can do to get links from other sites.

Start a blog – Putting a blog on your domain is a very effective way to start getting links. Bloggers link to other bloggers quite frequently, so blogging and getting connected will certainly help here.

Social media marketing – social media sites provide outstanding opportunities for exposure to large audiences and link building. Articles that “go viral” will draw a ton of in-bound links for your site.

Exchange links – You can make an agreement with other website owners and bloggers to link to each other.

Get your site featured in design galleries – There are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of web design and CSS gallery sites that showcase excellent work from various designers. You can submit your site and if it is good enough you can build a lot of links this way.

5. Create Something Amazing

If you want your site to be featured in the best website galleries you will need to design something that is truly special. Be sure not to rush, give yourself enough time to do the very best work that you can. If it is good enough it will make the rounds through design galleries and bring a lot of exposure for you and your portfolio.

6. Consider Giving Away Freebies

One popular way for designers and design bloggers to gain exposure and links is to give things away for free. You could give away a free template or theme that you designed, an icon pack, Photoshop brushes, or just about anything thing else that will be useful to others.