Search Engines Have No Vision - SEO for 2.0 sites.
March 22, 2011
In the previous post, we discussed how search engines can not see your images. In this post, we move on to the titles and descriptions for 2.0 sites.
Search engines only read text. To a search engine, images alone are just blank space. But images can have text titles and descriptions that enable search engines to match your images with queries. If you want your images to be found, they need titles and descriptions.
TEST THIS RIGHT NOW. OPEN A NEW WINDOW and do an image search for your art or craft. What do you see?
It is very difficult to get images posted on 2.0 social networking sites to show up in a search for images. If you don't add titles and/or descriptions for your images, they will NOT be found. Don't miss every opportunity for search engines to "see" your images.
Title your images with your name (or business name).
After you upload the file, change the file name to the title of your work AND your name. (Etsy now adds the maker's name automatically.) Every title should be different, otherwise, search engines think every image is the same. I have discovered that search engines find my work posted on 2.0 social networking sites only if I put my name in the title. In other words, titles should include the name of the item/object/artwork/painting AND the name of the artist and maker.
Yes, title your images on 2.0 sites should include your name (like in the box below.)
Including your name in every image title may seem repetitive, egotistical, or unnecessary, but search engines need to connect you (the artist or maker) with every image. Images posted in your albums, sets, or collections are NOT automatically linked to your name.
(Facebook doesn't allow you to title your images, so include your name in the description. See below)
In the description, include your name (or business name). Then add other information that describes the work, such as materials, techniques, style, color, or type of item (i.e. painting, bowl, purse).
The Internet is not the place to think that your work should "speak for itself." Search engines can not see your images.
If you want people to find your images, you must add text descriptions.
Here is a sample description (below) for this Kisses Flower Pin.
Testing, testing, testing...
do a GOOGLE Search for your images.
Study the results
On all 2.0 sites, add text for the titles and descriptions whenever and however possible.
The next post topic is a discussion of TAGS for images on 2.0 sites.
Next week?
Coverage of CraftFORWARD on ASK Harriete.
This post was updated on January 28, 2022.