Hey, Reader!

Quick test — open your portfolio website. Read your page names out loud.

If you just said "Home, Gallery, Work," I need you to keep reading.

Guess what? You can have a beautiful site. Carefully curated with keywords. And still not show up in searches. Why? Because in the ever-changing world of the Internet, search now requires more and different.

This week is about getting found: on Google, and in AI searches. Did you know that the most common use for AI models is as a search engine? That means your buyers are increasingly going to AI first for answers.

JANET HILD - INK and SUN Breeze-Like Grace The graceful movement of this pattern drew me in. I could almost feel a swaying breeze in the painterly textures and curving stems. The palette is intentional and the mix of cream and coral flowers add the perfect pop of color. Scattered Repeat with Perfect Spacing This is a toss repeat where scale variation matters. The smaller cream leaf sprigs fill gaps without competing for attention, and the insects land at different heights so your eye does not get stuck in a grid. That kind of natural-looking placement takes a lot of skill. Perfect for Quilting Cotton, Wallpaper, and Linens This pattern would sing as feature wallpaper, tea towels, table linens, and in quilts. This reads as both heritage craft and contemporary naturalist; people who grow things and people who just want their spaces to feel alive will both reach for it. Show them some love on IG

ANNE BOMIO - SCANDI SPRING GARDEN FLORALS Cohesive Palette Throughline Charcoal gray, navy, and soft blue with pops of white. The tight color palette gives three very different patterns a clear visual relationship. There is confidence in this collection. Organic Movement and Graphic Structure Play Nice This is not one pattern pretending to be versatile. It's three distinct repeats stacked as a collection. It works because it balances organic movement with graphic structure. The loose botanical print brings softness and an almost hand-painted quality, while the scattered floral marks feel playful and airy. The geometric stripe grounds both with a stronger, more orderly rhythm. Interior Design, Quilting Cotton Bundles, and Bedding Collections Home sewers buying fabric bundles, upholstery designers and interior decorators, bedding brands looking for coordinating prints. This feels like the kind of collection someone builds a whole project around because the individual pieces are just that good. Show them some love on IG

PATTI BISHOP WATERCOLORS - NEUTRAL FLORALS COLLECTION Placement Prints That Know Their Job This collection succeeds through its sophistication and thoughtful layering of scale. The florals bring softness and movement, while the delicate stripes and simple dots introduce structure without competing for attention. Repeating floral forms across different scales helps the collection feel especially cohesive Expressive Neutrals The warm taupe, blush, cream, and charcoal palette gives a calm, contemporary neutrality while preserving the organic character of the watercolor artwork. The tension between romantic florals and restrained geometrics make the collection feel soft and feminine without becoming overly sweet. Beyond Bedding to Stationary and Clothing This neutral collection would translate beautifully to wrapping paper and fine stationary. I can even see it on coordinating clothing for a family photo shoot. This buyer is drawn to soft, sophisticated interiors, modern farmhouse styling, and warm contemporary neutrals, particularly those who love florals but prefer them understated. Show them some love on IG

Tip #1: Use Real Language For Your Website Headers and Page Titles

A gorgeous portfolio nobody can find is like an art gallery with the lights off.

Search engines like Google run on intent: people (art directors and buyers) type or dictate actual words into Google. If your pages are generically titled “Home,” “Gallery,” or “Work,” it's going to be a lot more difficult for your site to surface in a search.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the fix isn’t about tricking an algorithm. It never is. It’s all about knowing your buyer and naming your work the way your buyer already names it.

Let’s say your dream client searches “moody botanical wallpaper design.” If that phrase lives nowhere on your site — not in a page title, not in a heading, not in your image descriptions — you cannot be the answer. Full stop.

So think about the words a buyer would actually type: “botanical fabric pattern designer,” “licensing-ready floral collection,” “whimsical kids’ surface designer.” Then put those words in places that will help search engines find them:

• Page titles — “Botanical Pattern Collections for Fabric and Wallpaper” beats “Gallery”
• Headings — the big text on each page, not just the pretty text
• Alt text on images — which, bonus, also makes your site more accessible

This is different from Instagram discoverability or POD marketplace tags — this is your OWN website showing up on search engines.

This week: rewrite ONE page title so it says what you make and who it’s for. Start with your homepage.

Tip #2: Now Show Up in AI Answers Too (AEO for Artists)

Here’s the shift most designers haven’t clocked yet: buyers increasingly ask Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews things like “list surface designers who license boho prints for home decor” — and the AI cites the sources it can actually quote.

Getting cited has a name: Answer Engine Optimization (AE)). And it’s still early in the game. A 2026 industry surveys show only about 20% of companies have actually started optimizing for AEO. Being early here is a HUGE edge, and it costs you nothing but a little bit of your time.

To be found by AI search, make sure your site has these elements and is written in plain language:

1. FAQ Page. Questions you get asked regularly (or want to get asked) and your own answers to them: “What kinds of projects do you license for?” “Do you work with small brands?”
2. About Page. Write this in 3rd person. (It feels weird. I know. But trust me on this.) Include who you serve and what you make in normal, everyday words. Don’t use business-speak or artsy-fartsy language.
3. Keep Your Name and Business Consistent. Check every page. Don’t refer to yourself as Rebecca on one page and Becky on another. Pick version of your name. One. Stick with it. Same name, same phrasing. Otherwise the AI gets confused and it will abandon you as an answer.
4. Allow AI Crawlers On Your Site. Look, I get it. There is a lot of legit concern about AI training on our artwork. But here’s the thing, if AI can’t crawl your site, you’re facing an uphill battle on getting found. So if you do want to show up in AI searches, this is a must. Your site host’s help docs can show you how to make sure your site isn’t blocked.

I want to highlight one very important thing. This isn’t about using AI to create your art. I hope that, by now, you guys know me and know what I’m about as far as AI is concerned. I want you to be able to use AI as a tool for the soul-sucking, non-creative business side. AI search can become a discovery channel that sends buyers TO your art.

This week: draft three FAQ questions a buyer would actually ask you, and answer them like you’re talking to a real person.

Google Search Console — See the Exact Words People Search to Find You (Free)

You don’t have to guess your keywords. Google will hand you the real ones.

1. Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with any Google account.
2. Click Add Property and choose Domain — it covers your whole site.
3. Verify ownership. The Domain option uses a DNS record and that's the most durable method, but there is a shortcut: Use your site host (Showit, Squarespace, Wix, etc. Each has a slightly different click-path, so search “[your host] Google Search Console” in their help docs. And follow theirs.
4. Wait a few days while it gathers data. (Waiting is the worst.)
5. Open the Performance report — the Queries tab shows the actual search phrases bringing people to your site.

That queries list IS your keyword list for Tip 1. Don’t guess. Use real data.

This shouldn’t take long to do and then you’ve got free data insights. I know this stuff isn't very sexy, but it’s so amazingly helpful. The former programmer in me wants this installed on every artist’s website.

Until next week — keep creating! 🎨

P.S. — Using AI as a business tool instead of an art tool — that's the entire idea behind Creative Systems Lab, my 2x-a-month live build series. $67 live, recording yours forever. Next live session is August 19. We’re going to use Claude to help even more with your discoverability. We’re live-building your keyword workflow with Claude that can run across Etsy, Pinterest, and Google. Get more info at Creative Systems Lab Session 5.

Aaaand whenever you're ready, here's how I can help you ⬇

Live, 90-min business sessions for creatives 💡 ​Learn with CSL →​

Get a personalized blueprint for your art biz 🎯 ​Build your plan →​

Create & sell a market-ready mini pattern collection 🔥 ​Let's go →​