For issue #1 Select the photo and the text and Arrange > Apply Soft Group. This way the text remains editable and searchable.

I am not sure what can be done with your second question. Maybe one of the members will have a script you can use. The problem is the layer positions are fixed so when a visitor scrolls down the page the layer is showing in the same position but is no longer visible.

Very nice site design by the way. Love Duluth Trading Co., though I have to purchase from the catalog.