Comment posted on Blog Post Images That Will Rock Your World - And Where to Find Them by Cindy Bidar @ Internet Marketing Strategies
What a fantastic list! It’s so nice to see something that doesn’t just rehash the old faves like Flickr CC, iStock, and Wikimedia.
I’m a little obsessive about the images in my blog posts, often spending nearly as much time choosing a good image as I do writing the blog post. Clearly, that’s not a good use of my time. I think I’m going to adopt your attitude and go for quirky and irreverent instead. That’s got to be more fun!
Recent comments by Cindy Bidar @ Internet Marketing Strategies
- Blog Audit Friday: Let’s All Be Friends
I really enjoy these Friday audits, Ana. You do a great job of pinpointing exactly what’s not working without being condescending about it. And you give good solid advice we can all use on our own blogs. Thanks!The one thing I think I would change on Lisa’s site (that I wouldn’t have noticed if Dino hadn’t pointed it out) is that her social media icons grow when you mouse over them. It’s a neat effect, but they didn’t scale well, so they’re fuzzy at the larger size, which looks worse than doing nothing at all, IMO.
Lisa, I can’t wait to see what you do with all the great info Ana’s given you!
- How to Successfully Write an Awesome Post Per Day - Every Day
You’re absolutely right about your brain needing the practice. Not only does writing often make you a better, more efficient writer, it also gives you a nearly endless supply of topics to write about.I use Evernote to keep my posts and ideas organized, and I almost always have 30 or 40 drafts in various states of completion. When I’m drafting posts for the week, I just go through my list and pick the ones that look promising.
I got a chuckle out of you saying you write the opening and closing paragraphs last. I rarely write in linear order, and might write the ending first, then the middle, then the opening. What’s the right way to do it? The way that works for you.
- Guest Posting: How To Successfully Borrow A-list Bloggers Traffic
I love guest-blogging - it gives me access to a whole new audience, and I’ve seen some good traffic spikes as a result.One problem I have with posting a guest-post offer on sites like My Blog Guest is that some of the sites who want me to write for them are not [trying to be tactful here] up to my standards. I don’t care if a blog is new or old or even how much traffic it gets; but poor quality writing, advertisements in bad taste, and recommending products and techniques that encourage copyright infringement (or worse) are all things I don’t want my name associated with.
- Keep Your Money, Honey: Which Internet Marketing Products Are Not Worth Their Salt
Well that’s refreshing! It’s nice to see someone talk about what doesn’t work for a change, rather than the usual “Rah-Rah! This is great!” affiliate-link-laden post.I don’t buy a lot of IM tools myself, and have been disappointed with some of those I have - most notably those of the link-building variety. I don’t believe there’s any shortcut to link-building. It just takes work. But then that’s not what people want to hear, is it?
Thanks for the great list. I’m off to check out the list of things you DO recommend, now. I’m sure there will be some “must have” tools there.
- Link Building: What’s Naughty, What’s Nice?
I hope you’re right about Google finally having found a way to differentiate good links from bad. Although the people who sell spinners and such will continue to insist that the key to higher SERPs lies in sheer quantity, and new marketers will continue to flood the Internet with unreadable nonsense.I love guest blogging as a link-building technique, but aside from the link-juice benefits, I really enjoy the exposure to a whole new audience. Most of my guest blogging has been on blogs I found through sites like Blogger Link Up, and I would not have been aware of them otherwise.
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I am a wife to a great husband of 13 years (here ya go, now I have to make changes to this sentence once a year), a mother to a beautiful and, no doubt, genius little girl, and a successful internet entrepreneur. I also devoted my life to Jesus Christ many years ago, and He remains my true priority, focus, and hope.
{ 77 comments }
HI….
ANNA..
i am new in SEO and really i feel very good to read a post like this. Specially the way you express the thing is very good.i really want to know more about other seo tech….can you tell me anything to get deep knowledge in seo….
and offcourse…!!!
Thanks a lot…..for this post
Great post, Ana. I just finished fleshing out my next blog post and remembered you were going to talk about where to find good images. You not only did that, but described how to use them correctly. Thanks!
Alicia Jay´s last blog ..6 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Clients
Hope you’ll dig up some good ones with these resources, Alicia!
And as always, thanks so much for coming by and always RTing my posts - I always notice and appreciate it!
I have always loved your blog post images, Ana. They set you apart and pique interest!
Thanks for sharing your secrets and for the kind mention and link-love!
All the best,
Mavis
Mavis Nong @ Free Marketing Training´s last blog ..Blog Traffic- Promote Your Blog Right Here!
You are so welcome, Mavis - your images definitely draw to your content!
Ana
Ana,
Your images are one of the things that really stands out here. Love it, always wonder where you got that from. Thx for sharing your secrets
It’s time to use something unconventional!
bryan´s last blog ..Link Building Recipe- Bad Ingredients That Spoil The Pot
If traditional doesn’t work any longer, why not go outside the box?
Have a great day, Bryan!
The most attractive aspect is to post funny pictures as this provide me cool satisfaction.You have also introduced good sites.Hopefully I swill visit here time and again.
Great post Ana. Thanks for the share.
pavithra´s last blog ..25 Beautiful and Free 2011 Calendar Wallpapers for Desktop
Thanks for coming by, Pavithra.
Admittedly I did not read all 45 previous comments, my apologies if it seems I’m duplicating someone; it is not intentional…
Not directly matching the image to the post is not unique, but it is a skill to get it just right…a skill many have not mastered.
If you actually can pull it off successfully, it is an awesome idea!
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Three Blog Types- Personal-Business-Corporate – Clearing the Confusion
Yes, indeed it is, Dennis. But it ain’t rocket science either; not worth overthinking it!
Over no, but some for sure. Just putting a funny photo of a baby picking it’s nose in your software review article is not going to convert at 20%…
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Commentluv and Twitter-Links- Not JUST for Your Readers!
Have you tested it?
I think I’m in love…kudos for that.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..New DEDC Feature- Quick Tips!
Hi Ana,
This is another good post by you and I want to ask you about social bookmarking… I have no idea about it but I have heard it really play important role for traffic generation. If possible for you please write a post about Social bookmarking. Thanks in advance…
Shailender @ Romantic Getaways´s last blog ..Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from India Darshan
Good idea for a post, Shailender!
In short, social bookmarking, just like social media, can generate some traffic, but it’s also a lot of work. Will cover some of it!
Hey Ana,
I sure got a lot out of this post!,some of it was brand new and super valuable!
Thank you for sharing this!
Prakash
You are welcome, Prakash!
Thanks Ana for this imagery post & also the sites to get some images for our blog, you are right your image depicts whats you store in your post. Copying image is not ethical & can lead you to battle with the owner.
Interview with Danny Sullivan..Oh my! He is one of the greatest person in Search Industry even before Google comes into the market. Here is my few questions to him..1. According to him what a SEO person should do to improve the ranking of the sites? 2. Which kind of link building is still working? 3. What a newly developed site should do to avoid falling in Sandbox? 4. Is Social Media ahead in terms of ranking with SEO? 5. Can facebook overcome Google in search?
Those are my few questions hope you’d ask him..
Thanks
Wow, some great questions here!
They came in a bit too late, but he did cover some of it in his interview. I will share the link when it’s posted on YouTube.
Cool sources and solid post Ana. I usually get my images at Deviantart and Flickr, perhaps I’ll try those 5 other sites to have a different approach through my posts’ images
Jason Acidre´s last blog ..10 Hard-hitting On-page SEO Strategies to Improve Search Rankings
Sure thing, Jason!
I agree… picture are an additional thing to for your blogs appearance.
Mariam´s last blog ..Importance of Social Media
Thanks, Mariam!
Thank you for sharing Ana, I was running out of pictures to use, so this is right on time. Thanks
Quaneshia Holden´s last blog ..Free Mass Traffic What Is It- and How Can I Get It
These are some endless image sources, Quaneshia - no running out any longer!
Hi Ana,
Must be my lucky day
… I used to add images on my posts, but I easily got those from google images. I deleted everything after my hubby pointed out that I should be more careful of copyright. I never worked on exploring other resources, and am glad that I found your post today. I finally decided to add some color (interesting and funny photos) to my blog, and I’ll start with today’s post.
Thanks much, Ana. Been following your blog for quite sometime, but never really implemented most of your tips (Yes, I belong to the larger percentage of your 11K followers who don’t take action, but I will starting today
)….
-Rowena
rowenabolo´s last blog ..Why You Should Be An Entrepreneur Despite Your Family and Friends
Today is a great day for a change, Rowena!
Glad you finally decided to say Hello - I love putting faces to numbers! Makes blogging much more worthwhile…
Have a blessed day!
Hey Ana, great sources you’ve got here. I usually go a bit lazy and will search through Google or Flickr for images whenever I can’t make an image myself but the problem is that so many other bloggers do this as well. The images you snag for your posts are perfect because they always tie in and really get others active on checking out the rest.
We’re spending all this time creating great content, headlines and resources - the picture could be the make or break for your post so yeah, definitely don’t skip out on a great way to pull people in!
Murlu´s last blog ..How to Create an eBook using Existing Content
Very well summed up, Murray - the picture could make or break your post! So why don’t we pay a little more attention to it; ain’t rocket science.
Thanks for coming by!
Pictures have been something I’ve been struggling with, so this will definitely come in handy! Thanks a bunch!
Morgan´s last blog ..Why You Should Recommend on LinkedIn
You are so very welcome, Morgan - all you need is a couple of good resources and a little patience.
Ana:
I always wondered about that URL line! Of course, I should just smack myself in the head because I know I should come here first for the answers! I don’t Google anymore…I Ana.
Cheers
Lisa
Lisa´s last blog ..Stop Buying Link Building e-Books
You “Ana”? No pressure at all…
Working on your blog today.
FANTASTIC post on images!! I think one of the most important things to remember is to give credit where credit is due. If you can’t find the original artist, then at the very least link back to where you found the photo. Great info!!
Jackie Christiansen´s last blog ..Why IS Personal Development Important
Acknowledgment is definitely needed, Jackie.
Thanks for coming by and have a blessed day!
Ah, the business of traffic generation it’s always at the edge!
Ana, you know how to take advantage of every thing that can bring you more visitors and greater exposure.
Pictures in posts is a great way to add more color and more expression to your content, because many people get bored just seeing the same ‘ol letters all over the place. Also, like you mentioned pictures can also help you in SEO and increasing your CTR when sharing your post (not to mention - maybe some traffic from google images).
Rock on, Ana!
Alex@Jocuri´s last blog ..Bratz la coafat
Thanks, Alex… Such a simple thing, yet so underused! Hopefully, not after this post.
Perfect blog post, Ana. I often search for my images over Flickr and StockExpress. They usually have quality stock images that I need.
I have heard about to optimize your images, you have to place proper title tag, alt tag, … but I think the gurus also advice you should name your image file properly, like link-builing.jpg. In fact, if you do a quick image search on Google for link building, you will see lots of images which file names contain keywords. What do you think, Ana?
Definitely, Mike - I wrote about that in the post as well.
Thanks for another great post Ana. I was starting to get a bit tired of Flickr creative commons - thanks for giving me some other sources. Will also be adding that plug in right away. You rock!
Chris
Chris Dale´s last blog ..5 Ways To Attract More Customers For Free
You are very welcome, Chris!
All images around the blogosphere start looking the same after a while, since everyone gets them from the same place pretty much. These resources should spruce things up!
Ana
Hi Ana, thanks so much for the list of places to get images from. I also don’t mind Istock’s Dollar Bin. It doesn’t seem to have the ‘greatest’ search capabilities compared with the rest of the site, but it does the trick. I don’t mind spending a dollar for an image but spending $10-$15.00 makes for an expensive blog post if you regularly shop on the rest of the site. I will check out the other sites. I believe you introduced me to Picsearch last summer it is pretty good. Thanks so much for this, I often have a laugh at some of your images! ~Jayne~
Jayne Kopp´s last blog ..How Do You Like Yourself So Far
There are so many incredible images you can pick up for free, Jayne! I would love for you to start focusing on images that stand out and don’t cost a penny.
Hi Ana,
Yea! More places for me to check out…thanks for the suggestions! I also learned about using the word image or photo in the alt tag to differentiate it from the title. New tip for me. Thanks for sharing it!
Heather
Heather C Stephens´s last blog ..Beginner Blogger Q and A- Infinite Content Ideas
You are getting to be such a knowledgeable blogger, Heather, it’s getting harder for me to find tips you don’t know yet!
Glad you picked up something today - great images will only enhance your already incredible content.
Ana
Hey Ana,
I sure got a lot out of this post!
Much of it I’ve picked up a little at a time in the past year, but some of it was brand new and super valuable!
Thank you for sharing this!
Susanna
So good to see you, Susanna, and, of course, you are very welcome!
Hi Ana,
Thanks for sharing your image insight.
I’m all about posting humorous pictures on my blog. Not only does it lighten the mood - I mean, who seeks out a serious blogger - but it also piques curiosity. Inquiring minds want to know, that type of stuff.
We live through our senses. You can write a garbage title but if a reader sees your post and the image is enthralling you will get plenty of looks at the article. We seem to respond to vivid imagery before words because we like bright, shiny and funny things.
Awesome pointer about the image-title. I’d been keeping the title imaged themed but now I know to make it post topic themed. Thanks for the pointer and have a powerful day!
RB
Ryan Biddulph´s last blog ..3 Catastrophic Mistakes I Made as a Home Based Entrepreneur
Isn’t it amazing, Ryan, how many bloggers simply ignore the fact that funny/interesting images simply work better, even though they see it in action on our blog time and time again?
Their loss, I supposed.
Have a blessed day!
What a fantastic list! It’s so nice to see something that doesn’t just rehash the old faves like Flickr CC, iStock, and Wikimedia.
I’m a little obsessive about the images in my blog posts, often spending nearly as much time choosing a good image as I do writing the blog post. Clearly, that’s not a good use of my time. I think I’m going to adopt your attitude and go for quirky and irreverent instead. That’s got to be more fun!
Cindy Bidar @ Internet Marketing Strategies´s last blog ..Murder Your Darlings
That’s exactly what I used to do, Cindy - spend too much time combing the web for the “right” image.
Unfortunately, no one ever notices the “right” image, but they always notice the uncommon and funny ones.
So I made my life easier and increased reader involvement by simply thinking outside the box on this one.
This is good information. I never feel right about using images straight off the web, but sometimes do. It is better to find them from a site that allows ‘borrowing’ of pictures. Just like a writer does not want their words mangled by other sites I am sure the original owners of the pictures don’t want their work misused. I will also start using the ALT and the titles you talk about. I never really knew the benefit of adding these. Thanks for your insight.
I see your point about “borrowing” pictures, Nicole.
However, here’s another side of it: when you “borrow” a picture that doesn’t explicitly say you can’t use it on your site and you link back to image source, that website is getting some free link building. That’s a very good thing.
Just as well as I don’t necessarily mind my content being syndicated all over the web without my clear permission, but as long as they keep my posts intact and link back to me, I get free backlinks.
So there’s definitely an advantage in having your image distributed around the web.
I was going to comment on how funny some of the images you use for you post before but I guess now is the best time to do it
But yeah some of your images are just too funny sometimes. I do take the time to find the image that I like but maybe I need to some more exploring 
Btw that’s digg digg plugin to the right…right? If it is I was wondering how you put the blokube button on there? coding?
Kevin
Kevin´s last blog ..Top 5 Social Bookmarking WordPress Plugins – Share Your Blog Post To The World
My social buttons to the right are not a plugin; they are coded into my theme. You can find the instructions on how to do it in this post: https://trafficgenerationcafe.online/add-social-media-buttons-wordpress/
Ana
Funny is the best way to people’s heart
Definitely!
I’ll give that social media post a look. Thanks!
Kevin
Kevin´s last blog ..Top 5 Social Bookmarking WordPress Plugins – Share Your Blog Post To The World
Ah I love funny pictures. I always try to make them funny, as well as relevant to the topic. If the picture is just a funny picture, but has no relation to the topic, you’re just advertising false information.
Pictures are a great way to get people to read your posts. If you find the perfect balance of funny and relevant, then your blog post will spread like wildfire.
Great Post Ana! Keep it coming!
Adrian Padua
Adrian Padua´s last blog ..MLM Training- Finding the Right Bass Player For Your MLM Business
Hi Ana, I thought this was a great article about images. I am very new to blogging and have not really been uploading pictures. Also, when I have uploaded pictures, I’ve not been doing it correctly… I haven’t bothered changing their names etc. I am now going to start adding a lot more pictures to my blog, thanks for all of the resources!
Justin
Justin Teoh´s last blog ..Recap Of The Six Figure Mentors Marketing Webinar- Free Facebook Traffic
You are very welcome, Justin.
Images are definitely something every blogger needs to pay more attention to.
Hi Ana,
These were some good tips. Regarding images, permissions are one thing that can cause a lot of trouble. In past, I had copied images straight from Google but now I mostly choose from flickr Creative Commons and iStockPhoto.
Leaving “URL” for image is an unheard tip that many people do not pay attention to. Good job in highlighting that. Luckily, I have always left it blank because I did not see any value in adding it(except when image was a banner ad!)
Ishan @ Blogging With Success´s last blog ..Ultimate Blogging FAQ- 101 Most Asked Questions
It’s so true, Ishan - we need to pay very close attention to permissions.
I know just linking to the site you got the image from is always a great idea, but it’s not always enough.
To be quite honest though, I try not to overthink those things - I do my best to give credit where credit belongs and move on.
Hi Ana,
I like having images. For regular posts, I try to find an image I can just put at the top as an introduction type picture and usually limit it to one. For pillar articles, like these instructional posts, I think screenshots are just invaluable for visualizing your point.
Richard´s last blog ..5 Traits of an Outstanding Blogger
There’s a lot of power in using the right image, Richard; glad you are using them!
Hi Ana
Thanks for such a comprehensive and informative post. I have had my Gen Y niece do my graphics up until now, but with college starting again and her life getting busier, I’ve been looking for this sort of resource. Thankyou so much for sharing this. Will go check out some of the sites and see if there are images that fit my small niche blog. Much appreciated.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia@lavenderuses´s last blog ..A Gardener’s Guide to Growing a Business
Outsourcing this kind of work is always great, Patricia, even if it’s your niece.
And now you know where to look on your own!
Hey Ana,
I know how alt tags are important since Google sent me the first visitors to my first static website via image search. I always use my keyword as an image name.
I do have some great resources where I can get images from for free and without attribution or links but here is where I am confused.
First - I asked a blogger once about the images he uses. They were obviously copyrighted. He had no attribution, no links, nothing. He said something like: “I don’t take it from original site but from another blog so it is not me doing something wrong it is them. This sound like non sense to me. Copyrighted image is that, no matter where you take it from.
Second, I used the image search engine you recommended (I believe the first one here) and when I click on an image it says it might be copyrighted. Well, how can I find out? Where can I go to check if it is.
I see many bloggers using images I know come from big stock photography sites and they say, No, I am not paying for them, I just download the smallest image and use it. How legal is that??
Anyway, I am trying to say that I can see a lot of stuff going on that is confusing, and I also want to have the best and coolest images, but don’t want to get in trouble
Brankica@How to blog like a star´s last blog ..SEO blogger Firefox add-on Free keywords research tool every blogger will love
All good points, Brankica.
First of all, I don’t aim to get my images listed on image searches, because for the most part, that traffic is not targeted. Most of the times, they are just looking for an image they can use on their site, not your content.
I use ALT tags primarily to strengthen my SERP positions for my chosen keywords.
As far as image copyrighting is concerned, it’s a tough one, since opinions differ vastly.
In any way, you are absolutely right: you need to credit the image source to be on the safe side.
For instance, many of the images I use have a copyright stamp right on them - this keeps me out of trouble and gives credit where credit is due.
If there’s no copyright on the image, then I always link to the image source - wherever I found it. Al least that way, I feel more confident using images on TGC.
Also, to answer your question, there is rarely a way to truly tell if the image is copyrighted since images are freely republished so many times, it’s almost impossible to trace them back to the source.
Bottom line: always name your source, even if you are not sure, it was the original one.
All of the places you mentioned are new to me. i use on flickr and compfight to search images, now my resources extend and will go for more.
optimizing images should be necessary and you have mentioned it very clearly. One thing i like to ask, what should be the minimum size of the image and whether we use .png or .jpeg images in out post??
Vivek Parmar´s last blog ..Make Money By Author Advertising WordPress Plugin
I don’t think it matters in any way what type of image you use or what size it is, Vivek.
Smush.It plugin will do a great job optimizing any image in any size, and that’s all you need to make sure you do.
Hi Ana,
I can’t help but wanted to write this comment to thank you. Not only some great resource for finding images but a clear and detailed explanation on alt text and image caption.
I normally fill up the title and then forget about alt text and image caption. This post really helps me on my next post.
Thanks a lot for sharing.
Lye
Lye Kuek Hin´s last blog ..3 Questions You Need to Ask to Build Your Email List Wisely
You are so very welcome, Lye.
These are some great tips to start implementing on a regular basis and making them a part of your regular post writing routine.
Ana
I like blog posts with images but I am kind of lazy to add images to my own blog post or maybe it is a lack of creativity lol, don’t know.
If I haven’t convinced you by now, Andreas, that you MUST use images to draw in more readers, I don’t know what will.
Thanks Ana! I typically use places like the stock.xchng and other free picture sites but these sites will add some nice variety. I also use Zemanta (WordPress plugin) but I don’t think there is a way to edit the alt tags - unless you go into the code? Hmmm - will have to check on that.
Danielle McGaw @ social media for freelance writers´s last blog ..The Social Media Secret for Freelance Writers
Those are good resources, Danielle.
My main problem with them - they are BORING. Your image has a lot of power to attract visitors and we might as well use that to our advantage!
Ana
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