How do you search for your tattoo artist?
Do you start with the following?
Tattoo shop near me …
Best tattoos Victoria, BC …
Tattoo artist Vancouver Island …
I’ve recently updated my website. After ten years of the same portfolio it seemed like this was long overdue. That said, I also studied the backend analytics (another thing I rarely pay any attention to) and had a look at the keyword searches. This led me to the question, how are people looking for their tattoo artists?
I’m self-admittedly out of the loop when it comes to seeking new artists. For the most part my tattooers of choice nowadays are either friends or long time tattoo heroes that I’ve followed for years.
I suppose something like “tattoo shop near me” gives a starting point. From there I’d assume people go through portfolios, find something akin to what they’re wanting, and proceed from there. Or is it purely proximity, regardless of style or quality? I wonder how much geographic location plays a role in choosing an artist.
Beyond that is “best tattoo artist in (insert general location)”. I wonder who determines “best”. And again, is this regardless of style that a potential client is seeking?
I recall early in my career I was included in a blog post about the “ten best tattoo artists in Vancouver, BC”. It was strange. Eight of the ten likely could have been swapped with another eight of equal quality and calibre. I found it strange that people were contacting me with a congratulatory bent, as though I had won some type of award. Insert my immense imposter syndrome. It was helpful and definitely directed traffic toward my website and work. But I knew it was a random website writing a random blog that somehow I had been included in. “Best” is such a vague and subjective word when it comes to artwork.
I don’t see too many searches that involve a tattoo style. Things like “Japanese style tattoo artist, Victoria BC” or “blackwork, dotwork tattoo artist near me” don’t tend to show up very often. I feel like that would likely be my first step, determining the style of tattoo that I’m wanting. Then search for said style in the geographic location that I’m in (or willing to travel to). This would likely give a few results, hopefully filtered somewhat towards the style that I’m seeking. From there I could inspect portfolios, find the one that resonates with me, and then initiate contact to start the tattoo process.
But hey, almost all of this is likely irrelevant as social media rules the roost. I’m guessing that’s where the vast majority of people are finding their artists. Social media, influencers, followers, clout … a can of worms I won’t even begin to muse upon here!
