January 10, 2024
Best Practices for Stock Photography Keywords
Discover the secrets to creating keywords that sell with platform-specific strategies.
Keywords are the bridge between your images and potential buyers. Getting them right can dramatically increase your sales on microstock platforms.
The Golden Rules of Keywording
1. Be Specific Yet Comprehensive Strike a balance between specific descriptors and broader concepts. Include: - What is literally in the image (objects, people, settings) - Abstract concepts (emotions, themes, moods) - Potential use cases (marketing, blog, social media)
2. Think Like a Buyer Consider who would purchase your image and why. A marketing professional searching for "teamwork" has different needs than a blogger looking for "office meeting."
3. Platform Optimization Each platform has different keyword limits and preferences: - **Adobe Stock**: Up to 50 keywords, prioritize relevance - **Shutterstock**: 50 keyword limit, uses keyword ranking - **Freepik**: Focus on design-related terms - **iStock**: Emphasize commercial applications
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- - Keyword stuffing with irrelevant terms
- Using trademarked names or brands
- Ignoring seasonal and trending topics
- Forgetting to include color descriptions
By following these best practices, you'll see improved visibility and increased sales across all platforms.