Mastering Microstock: Boost Your Photo Sales with Effective Titles and Keywords

When selling photos on Microstock, correctly using titles and keywords can significantly increase the chances of your images being downloaded. 

Focus on two key principles: "accuracy" and "simplicity," with a touch of creativity.

1. Titles Should Include the 5Ws

"Simplicity" doesn't mean writing any random sentence. It involves including necessary information without adding unclear or irrelevant content that could mislead buyers.

Photo by Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash

A common rookie mistake is titling an image "Scenery from a Trip." This title is vague and fails to convey essential details.

Where was this photo taken? The United States? Australia? What is its purpose? Without any specific information, the title neither enhances exposure nor attracts buyers.

A better title would be: "Summer: A Yellow SUV Enters Arches National Park, USA, with Majestic Rock Formations in the Background. Concepts: Travel, Adventure, Vacation."

A good title should encompass key elements in the image and reflect its potential use. For instance, people searching for "adventure" or "travel" might be drawn to this photo.

• Who: man, woman, group, individual, student, child, etc.
• What: actions, objects held, intended actions, visible motions
• When: year, month, season, time of day, weather, life stage, etc.
• Where: country, city, specific landmarks or locations (e.g., Taroko Gorge Trail in Taroko National Park, Taipei 101, Dome of Light at Formosa Boulevard Station in Kaohsiung)
• What: notable elements like vintage decor, a silver SUV, a breathtaking valley, a vibrant flower bed
• Other Details: colors, quantities, foreground and background details, unique photographic techniques (e.g., silhouette, low angle, high angle, panorama, blur, focus—these factors may affect approval)

🔥 Tips: Close your eyes and try to visualize the photo through its title. If it captures 80% of the content, the title is a success!

2. Keywords: Concepts, Ideas, Emotions, Uses

Next, unleash your imagination. When uploading a photo or even when taking it, consider: Who would want to buy this photo? In what contexts could this photo be used?

Photo by Antonino Visalli on Unsplash

Instead of searching for "woman in a sea of flowers," buyers are more likely to search for abstract concepts like "Happy," "Friendship," or "Summertime." The ideas conveyed by the photo are crucial.

• Concepts: adventure, travel, professional, busy, urban life, retirement, vintage, fashion, etc.
• Ideas: beautiful, spectacular, surprising
• Emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, excitement, love, friendship, family bonds
• Uses: backgrounds (e.g., "spring background"), icons, vectors, editorial use

🔥 Tips: Choose the two or three most important keywords for the title, and include the rest in the keywords section.

3. Keywords: Synonyms, Forms, Singular and Plural

• Synonyms: car = motorcar = automobile; dog = puppy; include common, colloquial, scientific names, and different regional names.
• Singular and Plural: While there’s no definitive research on whether singular or plural affects search results, use the correct form (singular or plural) and allocate keyword space to more critical terms. However, based on search habits, singular forms are more commonly used, so prioritize those.
• Word Forms: English words can appear as nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and even different verb forms. Without evidence that word forms affect search results, choose the most relevant ones based on the photo content.
• Proper Nouns: For plants and animals, scientific names and specific varieties are crucial. If you can find the correct scientific or variety name, include it to attract customers seeking accurate images.

Photo by Jakub Dziubak on Unsplash

If it's a dog, is it a Golden Retriever or a Labrador? 

Searching for "Dog" on SS Yields 4.05 Million Images, but "Labrador" Only 250,000—Reducing Your Competition by 3.8 Million!

4. Keyword Order

On AS, the first five keywords are prioritized in searches, while on SS, the order of keywords does not affect search results.

My strategy on AS is to vary the first five keywords for similar photos. I usually select eight keywords and rotate their order to increase search exposure.

5. Keyword Editing Tools

If you manage multiple Microstock, efficient keyword organization can significantly enhance your workflow. There are various keyword software and online tools available internationally. I have tried a few but found them inconvenient, so I don’t use them.

• Editing Keywords in Photo Metadata: Photoshop, Adobe Bridge, and Lightroom allow you to edit keywords in the photo metadata during the editing process. This way, you can handle keywords while uploading photos, saving time and effort.
• Shutterstock Keyword Tool: Extremely convenient. After uploading a photo, the system automatically detects the content and finds similar images. By selecting three of these images, the system provides the most relevant keywords, which you can manually choose from.
• Adobe Stock Keyword Tool: AS suggests a title and up to 20 keywords when uploading a photo (though these are usually not very helpful). You will still need to manually input most of the keywords.

🔥 Tips: First, edit the keywords on Shutterstock (which also checks for spelling errors), then copy and paste them to Adobe Stock. Finally, adjust the keyword order as needed.

6. Incorrect/Irrelevant Titles or Keywords

Some people add unrelated keywords to increase exposure, such as including "woman," "child," or "work" in a photo of a dog. This approach is pointless.

Someone searching for "work" images won't change their mind and use a cute dog photo instead, so this method only wastes your keyword quota (remember, you only have 50 keywords—don’t waste them!).

The correct approach is to use your imagination and think about scenarios where a customer might need a cute Shiba Inu photo, such as family life, leisure, or pets.

Finding the right target audience is key to increasing your photo downloads!

7. Conclusion

If you are a beginner and still unsure about choosing keywords, search for similar images and see how others have tagged their keywords. With practice, you will become more proficient over time.

Properly naming titles and adding as many useful keywords as possible can effectively boost the visibility of your photos!

Take action now!

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This article has been translated from Chinese to English with the assistance of ChatGPT.

Cover Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash