Hey Photographers – Want to Sell More Images? Read Our Tips For Keywording.
Buyers may be looking for a specific image or for inspiration. In both cases, they are probably in a hurry. The more thought and attention you put into your keywords the more likely your images are to appear in relevant searches.
Image Number: 4490R-22164798 Credit: Ana Lukenda
In developing your keywords, think like a journalist. Ask yourself if you have covered the five Ws: who, what, when, where and why? Aim for 10-25 keywords that address both specific elements and conceptual aspects in the image. Separate keywords with a comma or semicolon.
Image Number: 1035-1010 Credit: Underwood Photo Archives
These 10 tips will help you generate (or update) strong keywords. Include:
- Description of the core image, both generally and specifically. (Example: dog, poodle)
- Attributes of the image (Example: vintage, grainy, copy space, horizontal)
- Predominant colors (Example: yellow balloon, red dress)
- Gender and number of people (Example: two men and one woman)
- Mood (Example: happy baby, sad worker)
- Relationships (Example: mother and child, extended family)
- Events (Example: wedding, graduation)
- Location (Example: parking garage, kitchen)
- Activity (Example: kissing, swimming)
- Nature conditions (Example: sunset, thunderstorm)
Do not include:
- Dates (unless they are historically relevant)
- Typographical characters (Example: # or &)
- Trade names (Example: Honda, Apple)
- Past tense (Example: wed, celebrated)
- Misspelled words
- American-only spelling for an international audience (Example: color and colour)
- Agency name or business spam
- All caps
- Slang (Example: sneakers not kicks)
- Proper names that are not capitalized (Example: Empire State Building not empire state building)
