Search Engine Optimization

If you want to sell pictures from your website you have to make it possible for buyers to find you.  That means your website needs to rank well in the search engines for terms on which your potential buyers are looking.  This is not an easy job.  As I did my research for this business I found many websites with stunningly beautifully pictures and poor search engine rankings. 

The problem is search engines index text, not images. They really have no way to know what your pictures are about except for the text you use to describe them.  I see many pictures on the web which have no information associated with them except for the EXIF data from the camera.  This may be useful to another photographer, but doesn't help the buyer looking for a certain kind of picture. 

Picture selling professionals usually use the term "Stock Photography" or "Stock Photos" to describe their products.  This creates two SEO problems. 

First of all, the big established stock photo companies pretty well "own" the rankings for that term.  I don't think my new little website is going to be able to compete.  Secondly, I am not convinced the majority of picture buyers actually search on that term.  I think it is insider jargon and "real" people don't look that way. 

I have some ideas about how others search and how to help them find me, but those ideas are still being tested.