Web Photography and Search Engine Performance
Tips to Improve Google Ranking for Photographer’s Web Sites
May 15, 2009
The basis of all Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not trying to fool Google but presenting the content in such a way that search engines easily classify it and match it to searcher’s requests. Designers and content providers need to make it clear to search engines what the site is about and what is the subject of each page.
Keywords
The importance of keywords in HTML metadata to search engine routines has diminished greatly. This is due to efforts of some developers putting in keywords unrelated to the page’s content to try and trick search engines. However, making keyword, or short phrase, lists is still important as it helps focus on word choice in the textual content of a page. Choose words and phrases to describe the image that web surfers are most likely to use as search terms.
Content is King
The key to any successful web site is providing something people want to view and read. This is translates into return visits and, most importantly, recommendations via links on blogs, forums and other websites.
Text is the Key
Great pictures are not enough to attract high search engine rankings. Search engines are not visual; they look for words matching the search words entered by the searcher.
- Title, every image should have a simple title describing the subject. Google does not have a sense of humor, so no puns, or clever plays on words.
- Captions should expand on the title and give a broader context to the image while including some of the keywords and phrases.
- Alternative text in the HTML image link displays before the image loads and gives the reader some idea of what is coming. It is more text the search engine can evaluate, so make it meaningful and interesting.
IPTC Metadata
International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) sets the worldwide standards for Photo Metadata describing photographs, making visual content easily accessible by people, photo management software, and search engines. Many photo editors, particularly the professional versions, can edit and view this part of the information embedded in the image file. For your important images filling out the IPTC metadata benefits your overall image management, not only any possible increase in search engine rankings.
Beware that some photo editors strip all the metadata from the image file in the save for web function. Instead save a copy at the required size and jpeg quality rating.
Java script
Search engines do not read java script, so avoid it unless it is necessary. There is no place in Google’s view of the world for fancy effects, as they prefer just plain text. Web designers often use java script to hide things such as email addresses from automated search routines looking to add addresses to their email address lists. Java scripts are useful for human visitors, but be sure to have plenty of descriptive text for search engines.
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