I�v been getting a very similar pattern to sales, though I do get the odd American sale, I believe that this is a deliberate policy to keep the rest of the World out of the US market, while they have access to everywhere else.

I�d really like to believe that this was not the case.

Perhaps we could have some Americans on this site let us know if they have a similar sales pattern?

All micro stock Companies should have their Algorithms verified by an independent body that verifies that they are acting fairly, with a bench mark criteria that states exactly how they achieve this, this in my opinion is the only way forward.

I�v been getting a very similar pattern to sales, though I do get the odd American sale, I believe that this is a deliberate policy to keep the rest of the World out of the US market, while they have access to everywhere else.

I�d really like to believe that this was not the case.

Perhaps we could have some Americans on this site let us know if they have a similar sales pattern?

All micro stock Companies should have their Algorithms verified by an independent body that verifies that they are acting fairly, with a bench mark criteria that states exactly how they achieve this, this in my opinion is the only way forward.

Half of my sales are from the East coast in the US, and I'm based in the UK. I don't think there's a policy to keep the rest of the World out of the US market..

All boils down to your subject matter

If you shoot generic or American style subjects you'll get US sales.

Shoot mostly European centred stuff you'll get mostly European sales etc...

I also saw the pictures and thought they had a very "Arabian architecture" style (??), maybe because of that

Quote from: H2O on February 01, 2019, 08:26

I�v been getting a very similar pattern to sales, though I do get the odd American sale, I believe that this is a deliberate policy to keep the rest of the World out of the US market, while they have access to everywhere else.

I�d really like to believe that this was not the case.

Perhaps we could have some Americans on this site let us know if they have a similar sales pattern?

All micro stock Companies should have their Algorithms verified by an independent body that verifies that they are acting fairly, with a bench mark criteria that states exactly how they achieve this, this in my opinion is the only way forward.

Half of my sales are from the East coast in the US, and I'm based in the UK. I don't think there's a policy to keep the rest of the World out of the US market..

Also I think the map tends to plot the US sales in regions or on the coasts. I get some, kind of like the no-dot in the Atlantic, centered in the middle of the USA without a location city. I don't trust the map to be terribly accurate. I'm always surprised at the number of DLs I get from Mexico City and South America. I must be Americacentric somehow? 

Four DLs from Melbourne to end the day yesterday. Someone using their subs?

I think there is some component of artist location in the search algorithm. If they boost that it would tend to increase local sales and decrease sales from farther away. This might be good if you live near a lot of buyers, not so great if you don't.

I am in the US and just looking at my map maybe a few more from the Americas, but there are a few from Europe and one from Japan in the last 10. I haven't seen anything obvious other than frozen pipe sales in the Midwest and east coast of the US.

Oh frozen pipe, that's a good one.

Yes I think you are correct, we might be getting a position boost by location of artist and buyer, when they are close. I've never been able to confirm that, but the logic seems  reasonable. We know that computers have cookies of what's viewed and there's some tracking by agencies, it would make simple sense to match some of that.

Just like years ago when people felt they were being blacked out during times and for places, due to sales drops, that could be location matching, giving preference to locals. We've seen since then that the times for drops are pretty much matching with global demands in different locations. Things like Saturday is the low day for many because all the world is slow, but Sunday picks up, because Japan and Australia, for starters, are waking up for work, it's their Monday morning.

The other part of trying to make sense of the searches was made more interesting and difficult, when I found that the search changes about every 20 minutes. Then as I was cross checking, it changed again. That was one session, the same day, just reloading the same search on the same page, on Shutterstock. Very strange.

For weeks, no one from America bought my photos 

From last 10 is 2 in US and other 8 is from everywhere from Canada to New Zeland

For weeks, no one from America bought my photos 

I reported the same thing ... I am Canadian and most of my sales are in Asia and Europe with SS ... On IS, 80% of sales come from the USA ...

Funny coincidence? : I'm coming from a trip to Puerto Rico, I uploaded some pictures, I sold pictures (not from Puerto Rico) to Puerto Rican buyers ... strange.

Only 1 out of my last 10 images was sold in the US (image from a Gay Parade in San Francisco).

Others from Ukraine, UAE, Thailand and Ecuador (where I live, so there are plenty of images relative to the upcoming Carnaval festival).

I have checked every few days for the last couple weeks, since this thread started. My US sales are no more than 10% of total sales on each check, and often 0.

Has SS abandoned the US market, or do they give different search algorithm, burying my images to US buyers?  Very curious to know...

I suspect, hypothesize, have a feeling... not making any claims like some people, that local images from countries will sell better, most of the time, in those countries, and not in the US. While US images will often sell better in the US. Not saying US customers don't want Carnival or Ecuador images, just that they don't want as many. That would help explain why so many people see more local images, sold locally? Maybe?

Monday was a holiday in the US by the way, for many Govt. offices, banks and others. Lucky for me it didn't equal the usual stinkin' Saturday download count.