TOP IMAGE: Freelance Work And Writing Online Concept by VECTORIUM.
Our intelligent search algorithm works just like the search engine you’re used to when shopping for a specific item or researching a particular topic. In the same way that keywords promote pages on Google, relevant keywords help buyers find your work on Pond5.
The unique Keyword Codes (also called “tags”) in our Shoot Briefs, Music Briefs, and Buyer Requests are a great example. In this case, we assign a specific Keyword to each topic. When you include this keyword with your upload, it is “tagged” as that particular theme, allowing us to find and promote it to buyers searching for that type of content. Read on to learn expert get-my-work-noticed tips!
Picking The Right Keywords
Choosing effective keywords can feel daunting, but it’s easier than you think. Find inspiration from work that’s already performing well by using our top-selling content to your advantage! Search for your subject on Pond5 and sort the results by ‘popular’.
Then click on any thumbnail and scroll down to see Related Searches and Related Categories. These popular headings are also relevant ideas for your keywords!
Additionally, check out the Data and Trends section for Trending Searches and our 20 top searched keywords. We update the content every month for each media type!
Stay Up To Date
Keywords are most helpful when they’re current, so remember to prioritize re-tagging your work according to topical events.
For example, if your page has a generic shot of a hospital, you may want to add “Covid-19” as a keyword. Because the pandemic is such a trending topic, it’s likely that people will search for it by name—and voila! Your work would be served to them.
Similarly, if you had a shot of uniform-clad school pupils, you could re-tag your clips with Back To School at the end of July. On that note, read on for more tips on how to say the right thing at the right time.
Think Like a Buyer and Plan Ahead
Try to plan your productions so that your work is ready when buyers need it. Marketers and production companies plan their campaigns months ahead of the actual event, so it’s important to plan even earlier than that!
For example, if you are an After Effects artist looking to upload work for November’s Midterms 2022 elections, aim to upload your content by the end of April. Campaign managers will be looking for suitable assets as early as May, make yours the first work they see!
Tell Both Sides of the Story
It’s all about perspective so be sure to describe your subject in diverse ways. Buyers will use your content for varying purposes, and search terms should reflect that.
For example, if you shoot a closeup of bacon rotating on a plate, you could use
crispy, yummy, roasted, salty, burger, BBQ, etc.
However, you can also use
unhealthy, fatty, junk food, health risk, high cholesterol, etc.
As you can see, keyword planning is an exercise in creativity and strategy. Thankfully, updating them is simple.
How to Add Keywords:
Keywords can be added or edited in a few different ways:
Directly From Uploads
- Navigate to the Uploads page
- Click on the bracketed number in the “TAGS” column (to the left of your price)
- A small window will pop up. Here you can add or edit up to 50 keywords, separating them with a comma.
- Click on “Submit”
While Editing Items
- In Uploads, click on an item’s ID number.
- You will be directed to an “Edit Item” page.
- Scroll down to the Keywords section and add or edit keywords.
- Click on “Save and Submit for Review”.
- Note: If your media is already online and you’re just re-tagging your content, you’ll see “Save changes” instead.
By Applying CSV
- In Uploads, click on Apply CSV and select your media type below.
- Click on the “Download CSV” button. This downloads a CSV file of your entire portfolio, featuring mandatory information like the Filename, Title, and Keywords; as well as optional information fields.
- Add new data or edit the existing information in this file.
- Re-upload the updated file via the APPLY CSV page. (Applying in bulk? Find step-by-step instructions here)
By Collection
- In Uploads, select your collection from the drop-down menu and add the keyword to each media item.
Pro Tips: The more thorough your description, the better your chances of appearing in searches! Just avoid keyword stuffing, special symbols, and characters.
Ready to get noticed?
Keywords are essential tools that maximize your chance of sales by putting your work in front of interested buyers. So dive in and give all your hard work the exposure it deserves!
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