As more photographers opt to market their images on their own, in response to declining commission rates from photo agencies, there is growing need to understand how basic search engine optimization (SEO) applies to image marketing. In this article we offer our 5 most important SEO tips for photographers.
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When we refer to SEO, we are not attempting to game or trick the search engines. Rather we are intelligently building our websites so that search engines, when they crawl our pages, have an easier time understanding what our pages are about.
It is important to have a basic knowledge of SEO before the building process begins. Start on the right path from day one, and you will have a greater chance for success in the future. With this in mind, let’s get into our first tip.
1. Name Images Intelligently
Far too many photographers download images from their camera, post-process, then upload them to a website without taking the time to rename the files. An image should have an easy to read file name, just the way you would use descriptive names for your blog post or web page.
If a search engine web crawler encounters a file named “IMG7281.jpg”, it won’t know what to do with it. However if the file is named “pink-dahlia-flower.jpg” the web crawler will have a good idea of what the image is about and what it should rank for.
Image file names should be keyword rich and descriptive, but short and punctual. Push too many words into the file name, and the search engine may penalize you for spam.
2. Avoid Keyword Stuffing
We assume you have a way of importing your IPTC data from your images to your web page as metadata keywords, similar to how stock agencies ingest IPTC data.
Many photographers “keyword stuff.” This is generally in response to keeping their images visible in multiple searches at their stock agencies. It is common to see 30, 40, or even 50 keywords for images at stock agencies.
When you are promoting images from your own website, the search engine many people will find you with is Google. Particularly Google Images. Google takes a very unkind view toward keyword stuffing, as it should. If you keyword for Google the same way you keyword for a stock agency, your results will suffer.
Get your IPTC data down to 7 to 9 strong keywords, and never more than that. Don’t use abstract or conceptual meanings. Stick to the facts. In the flower example above, we might use a keyword list of Flower, Dahlia, Pink, Blooming, Gardening, and Summer. With the exception of throwing in the scientific name for a plant, there is little reason to add any more words.
3. Make Use of Alt Image
Make full use of the additional opportunity you have to describe your image by filling out the Alt Image field. Keep in mind that a search engine cannot “see” an image. It has no way to know if the image is a flower or a submarine. Unless we take the time to fill out the information, the search engine will never know.
I like to use the IPTC title field as my Alt Image description. Just as with our file name description above, you want this to be short, descriptive, and keyword rich. “Pink Dahlia Flower” is a great Alt Image description, as it describes exactly what the image is without adding unnecessary information.
4. Use Headings
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Take advantage of headings in html code. Headings send a clear message to a search engine what our web page is about. If I have a page of dahlia flower thumbnails, I might use a simple heading like “Dahlia Flower Photography.”
The heading tags tell the search engines that this bit of text is more important, and more descriptive of the subject matter, than the rest of the text on the page. Hence it is weighed heavily.
5. Learn to Love Text
Search engines love text. So should you.
Too many photographers upload their portfolios and forget to add text to their pages. A web page only of images is not only non-descriptive to search engines, it also lacks engagement.
Instead of a page of photos you took at a Civil War battle field, a good idea is to combine the photos with an engaging story about the photo shoot. Write about the significance of the battle field, and the dates the battle occurred on. Engage your viewers!
This has a two-fold positive effect in the eyes of the search engine. First, you are providing plenty of text with important keywords for a search engine to latch onto. Secondly, the engagement of viewers means they will spend more time on your web page.
Strong engagement makes visitors more likely to return to your website or purchase an image. It also sends a clear signal to the search engines that your web page is relevant and enjoyable. It is believed by many SEO experts that the time spent on a page is used by search engines as an important indicator of its usefulness.
Conclusion
If you incorporate these tips, you will greatly improve the ability of search engines to understand what your page is about, and what you should rank for.
These tips are not meant to manipulate the search engines, or engage in black hat techniques. Nor will they necessarily make you rank highly. High rankings take a long time to establish, and are generally a result of many people giving you a vote of confidence by linking to your web pages.
But no matter how many links you have built to your web pages, search engines must first understand how to rank you. That’s where this basic introduction comes in. Start building your pages properly from day one, and you will be in position to benefit in the future.
