Latest / The Clinic Marketing Podcast | Local SEO & Healthcare Online Marketing Tips for Clinic Owners & Wellness Providers / Website Photos and SEO: Stock vs. Unique Images and How Google Ranks Them
Transcript
- 0:25Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Today we're tackling questions that few people have sent in regarding stock photos versus unique photos.
- 0:35Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: What's the difference in using them on your website?
- 0:38Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Which does Google actually prefer?
- 0:42Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Which is better for SEO stock photos or unique photos.
- 0:47Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Does Google even care.
- 0:49Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And should you care?
- 0:51Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Hey there.
- 0:52Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Welcome back to another episode of the clinic marketing podcast.
- 0:58Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: I'm your host Darcy Sullivan from propel marketing and design.
- 1:03Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: As I mentioned, the questions that we're answering today have been sent in from people just like you tuning in and listening.
- 1:11Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: If you have a question about SEO, websites, content marketing, or anything of the sort.
- 1:18Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Please reach out via Instagram at propel your company.
- 1:23Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And we would love to feature your question.
- 1:28Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: On an upcoming episode.
- 1:30Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: On this episode, we're diving into a topic that often gets overlooked, but can have a big impact on your visibility.
- 1:40Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And that's your website images specifically?
- 1:45Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: We're asking the question when it comes to SEO, does Google prefer stock photos or unique photos?
- 1:54Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Stick with me as we unpack this because the results.
- 1:59Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Might just surprise you.
- 2:02Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: First let's break it down.
- 2:04Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: What is the difference between stock images and unique photos?
- 2:09Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: We'll stock photos are readily available online, whether it's from a free resource or a paid stock library, they're very convenient to find.
- 2:22Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: But there are also widely used.
- 2:25Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: On the other hand, unique photos are ones that you or a professional photographer.
- 2:33Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Has taken that are specific to your clinic or business.
- 2:38Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Or offerings and showcase your service products or team.
- 2:44Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: All this is great, but what does this actually mean for your work clinic, your chiropractic practice, your.
- 2:52Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Acupuncture company, the company that you're running, what does it mean?
- 2:57Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Should you stick with stock photos?
- 3:00Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Well, not necessarily.
- 3:02Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Well, Google does not seem to penalize stock photos.
- 3:09Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Unique photos.
- 3:11Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Offer advantages.
- 3:14Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: So why should you care?
- 3:15Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Well, for starters, unique photos at authenticity to your overall brand.
- 3:24Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: When visitors see real photos of your clinic, it helps build trust.
- 3:29Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: In fact, we found that unique photos give businesses some core advantages.
- 3:37Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: One, we already mentioned.
- 3:39Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Authenticity.
- 3:41Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Unique photos are a great signal to Google that your content is original and relevant.
- 3:47Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: This can help out your rankings.
- 3:50Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Engagement.
- 3:51Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Real images tend to capture more attention than generic stock photos.
- 3:59Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: When users engage with your content, it sends a positive signal to Google, which could boost your SEO.
- 4:06Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And branding, which we also already mentioned.
- 4:09Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Unique images help differentiate your clinic from your competitors, making your brand more memorable.
- 4:17Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: The problem with stock photos.
- 4:19Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Now, again, we already mentioned stock photos are easy to use, but they come with their own risk.
- 4:25Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Your competition likely has access to the same stock photos you do, which means you're not really setting yourself apart.
- 4:34Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Even worse Google's algorithm can recognize stock photos and me even filter them out.
- 4:41Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: If they're overused across the web.
- 4:45Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: This can give the impression that your content lacks originality.
- 4:50Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: If you are going to one of the big websites or main websites like deposit, stock.com or I stopped.com.
- 5:00Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Two two.
- 5:01Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: To purchase stock photos.
- 5:03Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Make sure that you sort the stock photos and that you're not using the stock photos that are the most popular for your specific search because lo and behold, Most likely most other people will already be using those images.
- 5:22Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Now the real SEO secret for images and what really matters to Google.
- 5:29Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Are three things.
- 5:31Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Relevance.
- 5:33Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: That your images match the intent of this search query or keyword that's been searched.
- 5:40Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: The quality that your images are high quality clear images.
- 5:44Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And that they're easily able to be viewed that they're optimized that you're using descriptive file names and alt text for your images that match.
- 5:57Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: What the image actually shows.
- 6:00Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Here's the thing.
- 6:01Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: The truth is Google values, high quality content.
- 6:06Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: The relevance of your image matters more than whether or not it's a stock photo.
- 6:14Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Or a unique photo.
- 6:16Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Google's focus is on quality and relevance.
- 6:21Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Here's the key takeaway.
- 6:23Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Google doesn't necessarily care if you are using stock photos or unique photos, as long as they are relevant to your audience and truthful, for example.
- 6:35Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: If you're offering a weight loss treatment and using stock photos for before and after shots.
- 6:44Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: That would be an absolute, huge red flag.
- 6:48Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: However, In most cases, the relevancy of the image is more important than where it came from.
- 6:56Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: So why should we even bother with unique photos if Google doesn't technically care about them?
- 7:04Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Well, Even though we know Google cares more about the quality and the relevancy.
- 7:09Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: We still recommend using unique photos when possible.
- 7:14Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: You can use a mix of stock photos and unique photos on your website, but having some unique photos helps reinforce your brand identity.
- 7:25Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And create a more personalized experience for your website visitors.
- 7:31Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Just make sure that your images match the intent of what people are searching for.
- 7:36Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And they align with what's already ranking on Google's image results.
- 7:42Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: So if you're using stock photos again, make sure you're not using the most popular ones because other people will be using them.
- 7:53Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And the big takeaway here is.
- 7:55Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: When do images really matter for Google rankings?
- 7:59Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Here's a quick tip to figure out.
- 8:02Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: If you need something unique.
- 8:06Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: In the category of images.
- 8:09Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: To help rank for a specific search term, check this search term results page.
- 8:17Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: So if you go to Google and type in.
- 8:20Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: The keyword that you were trying to rank for.
- 8:23Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: If you see an image carousel, a local pack with images that would be your Google maps or your Google business profile listing.
- 8:33Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Or a featured snippet that includes an image.
- 8:38Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: It's a good sign that Google's considering.
- 8:43Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Images as a ranking factor for that specific query, the query being the keyword or keyword phrase.
- 8:52Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: That you typed in Google and searched for.
- 8:55Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: So while unique photos don't directly boost your SEO, they can.
- 9:02Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Enhance your overall digital presence.
- 9:06Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: For chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists and other clinic owners.
- 9:12Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Considering using a mix of high quality stock photos.
- 9:16Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And unique images for your practice.
- 9:20Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Make sure you're focusing on relevancy and quality.
- 9:24Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And you'll be well on your way to a stronger online presence.
- 9:29Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Remember the goal is to attract and engage potential patients, not just rank higher use images that showcase your expertise.
- 9:39Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Your caring approach.
- 9:41Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And results.
- 9:42Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: You deliver for your patients?
- 9:45Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: There are a few additional resources that you can find included on this show notes.
- 9:52Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Page for this episode.
- 9:54Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: They include at DIY blog, images, tips, and tools to creating impact.
- 10:01Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Image.
- 10:02Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: SEO, how to optimize your website.
- 10:05Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Images.
- 10:06Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: A detailed clinic, photo shoot list.
- 10:09Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: This has become very popular.
- 10:12Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And.
- 10:13Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: A link to the article and podcast episode on how to plan a picture.
- 10:19Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Perfect photo shoot.
- 10:21Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Again, these additional resources can be found in this show notes associated with this episode.
- 10:28Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: That's it for today's episode, if you found it helpful, be sure to check out our other content on improving.
- 10:35Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: Your local SEO.
- 10:38Microphone (TONOR TC30 Audio Device)-1: And as always, don't forget to like share and subscribe for more tips on how to grow your practice.