Author Topic: Super keywords? (Read 5179 times)

rene · « **on:** February 17, 2021, 07:02 »

As my sales are almost inexistant at Alamy I stopped to select "super" keywords (stars) and not doing any optional tagging - just uploading.
So far I cannot make any statement, I sold the pratically same number of "carefully" tagged (stars, description, category, country...) and just directly uploaded files with embedded keywords. But as I sold 10 (yes, ten!) any serious conclusion makes no sense.
Any ideas?

ShadySue · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2021, 07:33 »

Quote from: rene on February 17, 2021, 07:02

As my sales are almost inexistant at Alamy I stopped to select "super" keywords (stars) and not doing any optional tagging - just uploading.
So far I cannot make any statement, I sold the pratically same number of "carefully" tagged (stars, description, category, country...) and just directly uploaded files with embedded keywords. But as I sold 10 (yes, ten!) any serious conclusion makes no sense.
Any ideas?

It's hard to know what makes a difference on Alamy.
Their searches combine any word in the keywords, even single words from keyword phrases, with any other word from the keywords or in the caption.
So a photo of Joe Bloggs and Jane Doe will show up on these searches but also Joe Doe, Jane Bloggs, Joe Jane, Jane Joe, Bloggs Doe, Doe Blogs*

A lot of searches without zooms lowers your click-through rate, which is (was?) said to be a main factor which factored into your Alamy Rank which is how high your files appear in searches. I have no idea how relevant that is nowadays.
What they say happens and what actually happens doesn't always match up: you can check that yourself (if you can be bothered) by doing random searches.

*Depending on the algorithm in use at any time that can result in better or worse searches. In theory a keyword phrase which is 'supered' should appear higher than a non-supered tag, and a keyword phrase should come higher than randomly conjoined words, but a few searches of your own will reveal how well, or otherwise, that is working at any given time. I have a specific search that I use to see how it's doing from time to time, but really, what's the point? It's not like I'm going to change my keywords whenever they change their algorithm.

Just do your best and don't hold your breath. Like all the others, 'it is what it is'.

Mimi the Cat · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2021, 11:03 »

I'm pretty successful on Alamy however unlike dumps like shittystock you do have to be very careful you don't spam keywords, be very accurate with keywords and descriptions also add plurals i.e. dog, dogs, cat, cats.

You should also take the time to complete the optional data.

If you get it right the sales do come in.

Get it wrong and their system identifies poor keywords by what customers search for and click on as well as buy. So poor keywords mean your images get pushed down the search rankings.

Bear in mind what sells on Alamy is totally different to the stuff the microstock sites sell.

Clair Voyant · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2021, 12:50 »

I have said this over the years what feels like a million times regarding keywords...

accurate keywords only, always!!! let me repeat, accurate keywords only, always!!!

ape or monkey? crow or raven? frog or toad? turtle or tortoise? alligator or crocodile?

and if that is not enough a merlot grape can't be a shiraz grape.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2021, 13:12 »

Quote from: rene on February 17, 2021, 07:02

As my sales are almost inexistant at Alamy I stopped to select "super" keywords (stars) and not doing any optional tagging - just uploading.
So far I cannot make any statement, I sold the pratically same number of "carefully" tagged (stars, description, category, country...) and just directly uploaded files with embedded keywords. But as I sold 10 (yes, ten!) any serious conclusion makes no sense.
Any ideas?

I don't understand the poll. I can't select only correct matching words that are in the image and ten Supertags? You only allow one choice that fits and two that make no sense.

Direct upload does that mean, whatever is already in the image data and then ignore the fields? What does all possible values mean?

I'm going to guess all values means keywords from the files, a good description and 10 Supertags? If you say yes then I'll hit that last one.

ShadySue · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2021, 16:46 »

Quote from: Clair Voyant on February 17, 2021, 12:50

ape or monkey? crow or raven? frog or toad? turtle or tortoise? alligator or crocodile?

Except that ravens are a subset of crows, so I keyword raven and crow for ravens, but obviously I don't put raven for other crow species.

(BTW, and OT, the surprising-to-me reason that ape and monkey map to each other in iStock's CV [a particular annoyance to me] is because ... wait for it ... the Italian language generally uses the same word [scimmia] for both, and the CV has to be translatable into all iS languages!)

Clair Voyant · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2021, 17:49 »

Quote from: ShadySue on February 17, 2021, 16:46

Quote from: Clair Voyant on February 17, 2021, 12:50
ape or monkey? crow or raven? frog or toad? turtle or tortoise? alligator or crocodile?
Except that ravens are a subset of crows, so I keyword raven and crow for ravens, but obviously I don't put raven for other crow species.

(BTW, and OT, the surprising-to-me reason that ape and monkey map to each other in iStock's CV [a particular annoyance to me] is because ... wait for it ... the Italian language generally uses the same word [scimmia] for both, and the CV has to be translatable into all iS languages!)

But in the case you have provided it is 'accurate' and not spamming.

I remember several years ago some photographer keyworded photos of a tea plantation and had keywords for every tea growing area imaginable in different countries. Also a pet peeve of mine is grapes as noted above. I have seen some photos keyworded with 7-8 different varietals because it was a red grape.

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Author Topic: Super keywords? (Read 5179 times)

rene

ShadySue

Mimi the Cat

Clair Voyant

Uncle Pete

ShadySue

Clair Voyant

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