If you have ever taken the time to search for stock photos, you no doubt know how time tiresome the whole process can be. There is no shortage of stock photo sites that you can use to locate the perfect image for your website or design project. However, this myriad of sources only makes the whole process even more confusing.
Most people do a keyword-search when looking for stock photos and while this is a moderately effective strategy, you will still need to sift through hundreds if not thousands of photos to find the perfect one. Whether you are using Click A Snap or any other stock photo website, the following tips should help make the process easier.
- Use Multiple Keywords instead of just one
Searching by keyword is one of the most effective ways to look for photos on a stock photo site, however, you’ll have far better results when you use multiple keywords or what is known as long tail keywords. For example, searching for “business people” will give you more than 100,000 results – but you can significantly reduce this number by choosing to search for “business people group meeting table.” Be as specific as you need to be about the type of photo you need and you’ll significantly reduce the number of photos you have to go through to find the right one.
- Use Advanced Search Options
Even as you use long-tail keywords to specify exactly what you are looking for, you may also want to further reduce the number of results you get. Almost every stock photo site has an advanced search options where you can specify exactly what you need your image to be. You can choose between horizontal or vertical orientation and even how many people you want on the image. You can even choose if you want the subject to be looking at the camera or away from the camera.
- Choose to exclude Some Keywords
There is also the added option to exclude a certain keyword in your search. For example, if you wanted a photo of cities in Europe that are not London or Paris, you could exclude the keyword “London” or “Paris” in your search. This way, you will get photos from all other European Countries except London and Paris.
This function is very valuable when you want make sure your search results are precise and can even save you a lot of time. The more specific the search criteria, the fewer the search results and the less time you have to spend looking for the right photo.
- Take the time to Find your Keywords
It therefore goes without saying that the most important aspect of finding stock photos for your website or design project is the keywords. Take the time to locate keywords that are in harmony with what you want. Keyword tools like Google Keyword Tool can help you find the ideal keywords to help you locate the right image. Take the time to do keyword research; the right keyword will mean less time spend sifting through images.
