Search engine optimization (SEO) is the science of increasing the visibility of a website in search engine results. The ultimate goal for most SEO professionals is a top position in Google.
A website's content is important for SEO and should strive to provide information to the audience while also assisting a search engine in ranking the page. For this reason, a well-written and informative page is required.
However, you cannot simply have the text and expect to keep the reader's attention for long. Including pictures helps to hold the reader's attention for a longer length of time. It is standard practice to utilize stock pictures on many web pages.
This blog will define stock photographs and discuss whether or not utilizing stock images might affect your search engine rankings.
WHAT ARE STOCK PHOTOS
Stock photography or inventory photographs are pre-existing photos or images that have been generated and released under a paid or royalty-free license. Using these professional pictures indicates that an organization licensed the images and paid the photographer and/or agency that created the photo, allowing them to use the image freely – while the image's owner maintains the copyright.
Photographers take a lot of photos that aren't related to anyone's project. Illustrators, on the other hand, create vector pictures with meaning. They sell these pictures and vectors to one or more businesses. These assets are then made available to stock picture firms' clients.
Stock photo companies have been around for almost a century, and they are mostly available online these days. While several sites obtain free photographs, you can also purchase fully licensed stock photos for meager costs. The pictures might range in price from a few cents to many dollars. You may take advantage of the numerous payment methods provided by stock picture websites.
ARE STOCK IMAGES SUITABLE FOR YOUR WEBSITE?
Many websites make use of stock photos. The reasons are straightforward. Stock pictures are very inexpensive, you can select one that fits your website, and you may have them ready to use right away.
Creating your own pictures by employing a professional photographer or designer may be a time-consuming and expensive process. You'll need to rehire the photographer or illustrator before long. Even then, you'll only have a few images to work with.
HOW IS GOOGLE'S VIEW ON THE EFFECT OF STOCK PHOTOS ON SEO?
Senior Google executive John Muller has said firmly on Twitter that stock pictures have no direct influence on results. Meanwhile, he makes the following point:
It doesn't matter for web-search directly. For image search, if it's the same image as used in many places, it'll be harder. (There's also the potential impact on users, after search happens, eg: does it affect conversions if your team photo is obvious stock photography?)
— 🍌 John 🍌 (@JohnMu) June 27, 2020
As a result, it is critical that you utilize stock pictures wisely and not shove them into every website area. Also, make an effort to choose photos that aren't overused. Stock pictures may always be edited to make them more relevant to the message you're attempting to communicate.
Do Stock Photos Have an Impact on Website Rankings?
Stock images are essential for a website's visual appeal. They have no direct significant influence on SEO efforts, according to John Muller.
However, when used correctly, they positively impact total content, which aids in page ranking. Let's take a closer look at how stock pictures may be adjusted for maximum impact.
Vital Image
You have photos that are related to the post in the first point. If your images are haphazardly positioned, the reader would be forced to abandon the website rather than focus on your text.
For example, if you provide tourist services in the United States, you should not include photos of England and France on that website.
FILE NAMES SHOULD CONTAIN KEYWORDS
Keywords are important in achieving a high position in a search result. These can be used in the file names of your photos to assist Google and other search engines in detecting images that are relevant to the content. However, it is critical to prevent keyword stuffing.
ALT TEXT
Alt Text, or alternative text, is used to describe a picture within HTML code. Crawlers from various search engines cannot comprehend images, but they are guided by the alt text. The Google search decides what all the image is about with their assistance. It's also a good option to have a name that isn't too long. When individuals start detailing the entire situation in the file name, it becomes excessively lengthy. A nice filename example: black-horse-sleeping.jpg
The Bottom Line
When it comes to improving your user experience and SERP rankings, optimizing your pictures for SEO is the greatest place to start. Stock photography may be an excellent addition to any website. The idea is to include photos that match the material and provide value to the viewer.
Stock photos are also far less expensive than hiring a professional photographer and having photographs shot. Stock images may have a variety of good effects on a website. They must be utilized with caution to avoid congestion on the page and keep the audience engaged for a longer time.
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