Keywording and Optimizing Your Stock Media for Maximum Visibility
Making sales from stock photos, videos, templates and assets depends heavily on optimizing your portfolio for SEO visibility within marketplaces. Proper titles, descriptions and keywording allow buyers to actually find your creative work.
This comprehensive guide covers best practices for adding metadata, tags and contextual descriptions designed to maximize search visibility and licensing sales. Let’s dive in!
General Title Optimization Tips
Titles are the very first element buyers see in search results. Well-crafted titles immediately convey what your item is and entice further inspection.
Include Main Subjects Upfront
Begin titles with primary subjects like “Smiling senior man on mountain hike” rather than starting with descriptors like “Happy mature hiker…”
Use Keyword-Rich Phrasing
Include verbatim terminology buyers are likely using in searches like “cupcake recipe book template” or “woman relaxing in bathtub”. This matches intent.
Avoid Overused Superlatives
Resist flowery language like “magnificent” or “breathtaking” that becomes noise. Let the visuals speak more than the titles when possible.
Be Exact Not Cryptic
While creative titles help stand out in some contexts, stock media benefits more from clear factual titles stating precisely what the item is of. Remove any mystery.
Include Relevant Context
Provide useful setting details like “Diverse professionals in office meeting” and activity details like “Woman painting fence in backyard”. Adds relevance.
Mention Notable Attributes
Point out key visual aspects like “Low angle view of modern skyscrapers” or “Golden retriever puppy on carpet”. This helps buyers know what makes your item unique.
Choose Descriptive Single Keywords
Opt for “Adorable baby eating spaghetti” over generic “Portrait of child”. Specificity equals findability.
Crafting Video Titles That Convert
Video titles have additional opportunities to inform buyers by summarizing sequences, stories and concepts covered:
Summarize The Storyline or Action
For videos involving narratives or processes, describe the overall scene like “Engineer programming robot arms”, or “Best friends laughing together at cafe”.
Set Expectations for Stock Clips
If selling more generalized clips, help buyers know what to expect with details like “Slow motion pouring milk macro shot”.
Include Production Styles
Point out noteworthy cinematic techniques like “100fps extreme slow motion woman dancing on beach”. This indicates production value.
Note Locations and Environments
Where applicable, mention settings like “Chinese food stall vendor preparing noodles in market” or “Overhead hyperlapse view of wave crashing on tropical beach”. Provides useful context.
List Key Moments
For longer story-driven videos, summarize sequences like “Man anxiously proposing to girlfriend in restaurant – she says yes!” This overview provides the full narrative arc.
Mention Emotions and Reactions
Describing the characters’ emotional state helps buyers know the feeling and energy of clips like “Teenage girls celebrating and hugging after graduation”.
Optimizing Tags For Maximum Discoverability
Tags supplement titles with additional keywords to expand association to related search terms. Use to the full character capacities.
Include Single Word Tags
Break down titles into individual words. Ex. For “woman laughing outdoors”, also tag with “woman”, “laughing”, “happy”, “outdoors”, etc.
Add Location Tags
Cities, countries, regions, landmarks, etc. Ex. “London”, “Great Barrier Reef”, “Singapore”, “Eiffel Tower”.
Use Relevant Adjective Tags
“Silhouetted couple holding hands”, also tag with “silhouette”, “backlit”, “dramatic” etc.
Tag Emotions And Reactions
Happy, sad, angry, excited, celebrating, crying, etc. These describe the feeling of visuals.
Include Demographic Tags
Age ranges, gender identities, occupations, relationships, special needs, etc. Ex. “Toddler”, “grandmother”, “doctor”.
Note Diversity Factors
Race, sexual orientation, ability status. Diverse selections sell better to ensure representation.
Tag Technical Specs
Resolution, aspect ratio, techniques like “slow motion”, “black and white”, “aerial”, etc.
Include Conceptual Themes
Ex. “Success”, “freedom”, “relaxation”, “family”. Helps for conceptual searches.
Crafting Engaging Descriptions
Detailed descriptions provide the ultimate opportunity to “sell” your media to potential buyers. Convince them your item is the best choice for their needs.
Open with Core Value Proposition
Summarize upfront what makes your item useful and different from 1000s of similar options. Explain why it’s worth the purchase.
Elaborate on Key Subject Details
Expand on headline titles with deeper physical descriptions, biographical info, precise emotions, interesting backstories or technical breakdowns conveying value.
Note What Makes It Unique
Unlike cookie-cutter stock images, point out rare details, diversity factors, special moments captured, quality production, ideal framing, etc setting your work apart.
List Exact Potential Applications
Explain how the item could help marketers, advertisers, editors, filmmakers, publishers. What projects is it perfect for?
Add Background Context If Applicable
For narrative videos, set the scene and subject matter relevance. Explain why this moment was captured.
Specify Licensing Rights Included
Detail usage rights like geographical scope, commercial licenses, unlimited seats, etc so buyers fully understand what they can do.
Insert Calls To Action
Prompt buyers to purchase the license, download comps, contact you for custom shoots, etc. Don’t just state facts – make a case for the sale.
Continuously Re-Optimize Back Catalog
Don’t just set and forget old content. Frequently reassess for new optimization opportunities.
Rework Underperforming Listings
Analyze metrics to identify titles, tags and descriptions not gaining traction. Try new keyword combinations and messaging.
Update Metadata
Refresh old listings with new titles and details reflecting current trends, genres and buyer needs. Allows content resurgence.
Add Emerging Tags
Regularly incorporate updated demographic, diversity,concept and emotion tags that have gained relevance.
Improve Older Media Technically
Crucial for photos but especially true for older video. Enhance resolution, colorgrade footage, fix imperfections. Breaths new life.
Delete Irrelevant Content
Be ruthless getting rid of content no longer selling or aligning to your brand. Avoid wasting buyer time.
Group into New Collections
As portfolio expands over time, reorganize content into new tightly curated collections and bundles around trends.
Successfully selling stock media at volume is a never ending optimization effort. Continuously research keywords, tweak metadata, improve assets and align to changing demands. Doing so ensures your creative work reaches its maximum audience and earning potential over the full content lifecycle.