Author Topic: Yet another question about most popular (Read 3399 times)

riffmax · « **on:** July 08, 2013, 17:41 »

Over at shutterstock, I'm seeing comments that you get better replies here, so I thought I'd give it a try...and please excuse me, as I am sure this has been discussed to death, so perhaps if someone wants to just point me to the correct thread, that would even be helpful.

How is it that relatively new images that have not sold once are showing on my first page of most popular? Honestly, I just don't get it.

Ron · « **Reply #1 on:** July 08, 2013, 18:25 »

You;ll get plenty of replies at the SS forum, just not from the admins, and they have stopped posting here as well.

But I am sure someone will pop in and post a thousand links for you to wade through.

gostwyck · « **Reply #2 on:** July 08, 2013, 18:34 »

The popularity of 'normal' search results are ordered via the keywords actually used by buyers. When you are just looking at your own portfolio then clearly no keywords are being used so a different algorithm is being utilised, presumably one that promotes your new images. I wouldn't worry about it as such circumstances are irrelevant in 'real' searches.

riffmax · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2013, 08:43 »

Not worried, per se. Just makes me scratch my head that an image that has sold once since mid-February is "more popular" in my port than an image that has sold nearly 5000 times since January of 2007.

Red Dove · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2013, 10:30 »

Looking at my own port most popular has changed from:

Most DL + Time

to

Most DL/Time

Or, any new stuff that picks up immediate sales in short order rises to most popular. Some of this work has maintained position but not all. However,it does seem to have shaken my port up and I'm seeing more DL via both old and new stock - which has more than made up for the diminishing returns on my old bestsellers.

This suggests to me that SS changed the algorithm in an attempt to monetise more of the existing database and also to boost new content from the influx of contributors arriving in lifeboats from IS.

Other theories are available of course. Some are claiming a dearth of sales on any images, new or old.

riffmax · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2013, 10:43 »

Yeah, I having that dearth of sales myself.

I understand what you're saying about a new image that sells right away gets a boost - but this particular image that has sold once in the 5 months it has been up DIDN'T sell right away. I would say it was up for a couple of months before it sold. So that doesn't seem to fit the logic of the new image concept.

gostwyck · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2013, 11:07 »

Quote from: riffmax on July 14, 2013, 08:43

Not worried, per se. Just makes me scratch my head that an image that has sold once since mid-February is "more popular" in my port than an image that has sold nearly 5000 times since January of 2007.

Let me emphasise again that looking at your own portfolio does NOT give any guidance whatsoever as to how the 'Popular' algorithm works. The real algorithm is keyword-based. When you, or preferably a customer, looks at your portfolio then all you are seeing is a 'presentation order' presumably designed by SS to promote mainly newer images. It appears to have very little to do with sales or 'popularity' despite the tag.

If you want to know how 'popular' your best-selling image really is then do a real search using the keyword(s) most often used to buy it. Then do the same with your mid-Feb image that has only sold once.

riffmax · « **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2013, 11:30 »

Oh, I totally understand that. Really. And I completely agree that, as you say, the "presentation order" appears to have very little to do with sales or "popularity". And I like the way you phrase that - it's exactly correct that "most popular" as a sorting tool is merely a way for ss to present images within any one gallery.

I'm just befuddled on how that particular algorithm "chooses" how to place images.