How To Optimize Your Images For Image Search

[coder]

A couple more questions for this topic.

How long does it take to be indexed by yahoo and google for the image search?

Does it make a difference if the image are in the root file or sub-folders?

I've scene images being listed by just having alt tags, others by just image name. So the best solution would be image name and alt tag to be the keyword?

Also does page rank matter for image search? What are the stipulations for being ranked higher in the image search?

Does file size matter? jpg vs. gif which is better?

[google junky]

In the order of relevancy

1. Image search doesn't like images using Underscores as in web_logo.jpg . Instead use web-logo.jpg. Naturally, using the exact keyword/phrase
2. domain/page (named with keywords)that the image resides on
3. I am not sure about ALT tags being a big issue in the image search. You sure would think that you would have to work a little harder and have to add an ALT tag. I did check on top results for images and most didn't have alt tags with the image.

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I do not know how long it takes to get listed in the images directory. I do know that they still have images listed from a clients site of images that haven't existed for 4 months.

To be listed at all but not necessarily at the top. A search word/phrase being near an image will get it listed. No alt tag needed nor does the image have to be named anything special.


I have no information for you about Yahoo. Even though my clients rank high on yahoo, I won't waste my time trying to figure them out. They still seem to have an identity complex with what a good search should be.

P.S. Read Garretts first post here. It had some very interesting things explained in it. Ther are others who actually may have investigated this deeper than I have.

[coder]

I've read and re-read this entire thread, I guess what I don't understand is why none of the photos on our sites are being listed.

Can anyone see any reason why the photos on this page are not listed under the image search for fireworks?
http://www.fireworks.com/contest/view_list.asp

Some of these photos have been there for 5 months

[DisasterMan]

Programming languages, like PHP for example, have powerfull image-editing functions. You can put a transparent gif on-top of another image, careless if it's gif, jpg, etc.

Please please please tell us how and give a sample php script! That is such a cool function, and to not have to go back and re-edit or upload the images would be such a blessing (especially for people with massive galleries!)
At least tell me the php function name, and the I will go and do the research myself...

Now I just want an easy way to watermark (or Ident MTV et al. style) my videos - it sucks re-rendering everything and re-uploading videos is always a chore, even with FTP soft like filezilla that does multiple simultaneous uploads and upload resuming...
But then, that is not exactly a realistic request!!

I have been hacking away with PHP for around a year now, and am very intrigued by it's image processing capabilities, but have not investigated further due to the time it takes reading and developing. A couple of tips and pointers would make it so worthwhile.

Kind Regards
DisasterMan

[google junky]

Please please please tell us how and give a sample php script!

I did some searching for you. Hope this works for you.
You might try here http://coppermine.sourceforge.net/

It uses MySql,Choice of GD(maybe gd2 not sure) or ImageMagik, and PHP

[Deep13]

Hi,
To be frank this image optimization thing doesnt work for me at all..

for keyword Rakhi Gifts our site http://shaadi.tolshop.com/v1/rakhi/gifts.php is listed on position 2, images have the alt tags with product/category names but none of the images show in the google image sarch..

any ideas about it?

Thanks
Deep

[flashfast]

A quick look - none of your images have keyword names - such as bangle, bracelet, diamond etc etc.

Also I read in a previous post that google images don't like underscores such as in '960_subcat.jpg'.

Seems a lot of work but for what you are selling you have an opportunity there for a lot of keyword usage.

By the way, I love your site - clean and the images are very well done.

J

http://www.flashfast.com

[Deep13]

thanks flashfast for the compliment but the thing is it wont be possible to change the image names because the names and images are coming from the database and now i dont think it will be possible for us to change image names of all the products so i will have to findout the way to optimize with current situation :(

anyways if anyone knows then please let me know..
Regards
Deep

[flashfast]

I figured that might be the case. What about doing a page "Featured Products' that is meant solely for the search engines? You could name each image google specific e.g. dimaondbracelet.jpg with a short description.

Not sure if u can do this but I'm sure there's a way. I also think that, considering you have appealiong graphics, a user will be more likely to click on them amongst so many others in a google image search.

Good luck.

[Deep13]

Hey thanks for the tip..
gonna give it a try soon..

Deep