If you’ve been wondering what kind of website photos are better for SEO, stock images or your own unique images, wonder no more.

In this episode, we’re exploring a topic that is often overlooked but can have a big impact on your online visibility: your website images. 

Specifically, we’re asking the question: When it comes to SEO, does Google prefer stock photos or unique photos? Stick with me as we discover how the type of imagery you use on your clinic's website can impact your visibility and brand authenticity. 

Are you ready to unlock the secrets of SEO with images? Let’s do it.


Listen to the podcast episode:

Stock Photos vs. Unique Photos: How Google Ranks Them

detailed photoshoot list


SEO Insights: Stock Photos vs. Unique Photos Explained

In the world of digital marketing, every element of your website can impact your search engine optimization (SEO). One aspect that's often overlooked but can significantly influence your online visibility is the choice of images on your website. Today, we're tackling a common question: When it comes to SEO, does Google prefer stock photos or unique photos?


Defining Stock vs. Unique Photos

Before we dive into the findings, let's quickly define the two types of images we're discussing:

  • Stock photos are readily available online, whether from free sources or paid stock libraries. They're convenient but also widely used.
  • Unique photos are ones that you or a professional photographer take specifically for your business. AI-generated photos can also fall into this "unique" category. These images are personal to your business, showcasing your services, products, or team.


What Google Really Cares About

Contrary to popular belief, Google doesn't necessarily prefer unique photos over stock photos or vice versa. What Google truly values is high-quality content and the relevance of your images.


Here's what really matters for SEO when it comes to images:

  1. Relevance: Your images should match the intent of the search query.
  2. Quality: High-quality, clear images are always preferred.
  3. Optimization: Use descriptive file names and alt text for your images.

The key takeaway is that Google cares more about quality and relevancy than whether an image is stock or unique. As long as your images are relevant to your audience and truthful, Google won't penalize you for using stock photos.

detailed photoshoot list

The Advantages of Unique Photos

While Google may not explicitly prefer unique photos, they offer several advantages that can indirectly benefit your SEO:

  1. Authenticity: Unique photos signal to Google that your content is original and relevant, which can help with rankings.
  2. Engagement: They tend to capture more attention than generic stock photos. When users engage with your content, it sends positive signals to Google, potentially boosting your SEO.
  3. Branding: Unique images help differentiate your business from competitors, making your brand more memorable.


The Problem with Stock Photos

Stock photos are easy to use, but they come with risks:

  • Your competitors likely have access to the same images, which means they're not setting you apart.
  • Google's algorithm can recognize stock photos and may filter them out if they're overused across the web.
  • Overuse of stock photos can give the impression that your content lacks originality.


When Do Images Matter for Google Rankings?

Here's a pro tip for determining if images will impact your rankings for specific search terms: check the search results page. If you see an image carousel, a local pack with images (Google Maps/Google Business Profile), or a featured snippet that includes an image, it's a good sign that Google's considering images as a ranking factor for that specific query.


Best Practices for Using Images in SEO

To make the most of your images for SEO:

  1. Use a mix of high-quality stock photos and unique images of your business.
  2. Focus on relevance and quality above all else.
  3. Optimize your images with descriptive file names and alt text.
  4. Ensure your images match the intent of what people are searching for.
  5. Align your images with what's already ranking in Google's image results.


Attract and Engage with High-Quality Photos

While unique photos don't directly boost your SEO, they can enhance your overall digital presence. The goal is to attract and engage potential customers, not just to rank higher. Use images that showcase your expertise, your approach, and the results you deliver for your customers.

Remember, in the eyes of Google, relevance and quality trump the source of your images. However, for branding and user engagement, unique photos often have the edge. By focusing on providing valuable, relevant visual content, you'll be on your way to a stronger online presence and improved SEO performance.

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Podcast Episode Transcript - Google SEO Secrets: Stock Photos vs. Unique Photos How Google Ranks Them

Today, we're tackling questions that a few people have recently sent in regarding stock photos versus unique photos. 

What's the difference in using them on your website? Which does Google actually prefer? Which is better for SEO, stock photos or unique photos? Does Google even care? And should you care? 

Hey there. Welcome back to another episode of The Clinic Marketing Podcast. I'm your host, Darcy Sullivan, from Propel Marketing & Design. 

As I mentioned, the questions that we're answering today have been sent in from people just like you, tuning in and listening. If you have a question about SEO, websites, content marketing, or anything of the sort, please reach out via Instagram at @propelyourcompany and we would love to feature your question on an upcoming episode. 

On this episode, we're diving into a topic that often gets overlooked, but can have a big impact on your visibility. And that's your website images. 

Specifically, we're asking the question: When it comes to SEO, does Google prefer stock photos or unique photos? Stick with me as we unpack this because the results might just surprise you. 

First, let's break it down. What is the difference between stock images and unique photos? 

Well, stock photos are readily available online; whether it's from a free resource or a paid stock library, they're very convenient to find. But they are also widely used. 

On the other hand, unique photos are ones that you or a professional photographer have taken that are specific to your clinic or business. And believe it or not, AI-generated photos can also fall into this unique category. 

These images are personal to your business or offerings and showcase your services, products, or team. 

All this is great, but what does this actually mean for your work, clinic, your chiropractic practice, your acupuncture company, the company that you're running–what does it mean? 

Should you stick with stock photos? Well, not necessarily. While Google does not seem to penalize stock photos, unique photos offer advantages. 

So why should you care? Well, for starters, unique photos add authenticity to your overall brand. When visitors see real photos of your clinic, it helps build trust. 

In fact, we found that unique photos give businesses some core advantages. One, we already mentioned, is authenticity. Unique photos are a great signal to Google that your content is original and relevant, which can help your rankings. 

Engagement. Real images tend to capture more attention than generic stock photos. When users engage with your content, it sends a positive signal to Google, which could boost your SEO.

And branding, which we also already mentioned. Unique images help differentiate your clinic from your competitors, making your brand more memorable.

The problem with stock photos, now, again, we already mentioned stock photos are easy to use, but they come with their own risk. Your competition likely has access to the same stock photos you do, which means you're not really setting yourself apart. 

Even worse, Google's algorithm can recognize stock photos and may even filter them out if they're overused across the web. This can give the impression that your content lacks originality. 

If you are going to one of the big websites or main websites like depositstock.com or istock.com to purchase stock photos, 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. 

Now, the real SEO secret for images and what really matters to Google are three things. 

Relevance: That your images match the intent of this search query or keyword that's been searched.

The quality: That your images are high-quality, clear images, 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 what the image actually shows. 

Here's the thing, the truth is Google values high-quality content. The relevance of your image matters more than whether or not it's a stock photo or a unique photo. Google's focus is on quality and relevance. 

Here's the key takeaway: 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, if you're offering a weight loss treatment and using stock photos for before and after shots, that would be an absolute, huge red flag. 

However, in most cases, the relevancy of the image is more important than where it came from. 

So why should we even bother with unique photos if Google doesn't technically care about them? 

Well, even though we know Google cares more about the quality and the relevancy, we still recommend using unique photos when possible. You can use a mix of stock photos and unique photos on your website, but having some unique photos helps reinforce your brand identity and create a more personalized experience for your website visitors. 

Just make sure that your images match the intent of what people are searching for and they align with what's already ranking on Google's image results. 

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. 

And the big takeaway here is, when do images really matter for Google rankings? Here's a quick tip to figure out if you need something unique in the category of images to help rank for a specific search term: check the search term results page. 

So if you go to Google and type in the keyword that you were trying to rank for, if you see an image carousel, a local pack with image–that would be your Google Maps or your Google Business Profile listing or a featured snippet that includes an image–it's a good sign that Google's considering images as a ranking factor for that specific query (the query being the keyword or keyword phrase that you typed in Google and searched for).

So, while unique photos don't directly boost your SEO, they can enhance your overall digital presence. 

For chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, and other clinic owners, consider using a mix of high-quality stock photos and unique images for your practice; make sure you're focusing on relevancy and quality, and you'll be well on your way to a stronger online presence. 

Remember, the goal is to attract and engage potential patients, not just rank higher. Use images that showcase your expertise, your caring approach, and the results you deliver for your patients. 

There are a few additional resources that you can find included in this Show Notes for this episode. They include a DIY Blog Images: Tips & Tools to Create Impact, Image SEO: How to Optimize Your Website Images, a Detailed Clinic Photoshoot List–this has become very popular–and a link to the article and podcast episode on How to Plan a Picture-Perfect Photo Shoot. 

Again, these additional resources can be found in the Show Notes associated with this episode. 

That's it for today's episode. If you found it helpful, be sure to check out our other content on improving your local SEO. 

And, as always, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more tips on how to grow your practice.

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Darcy’s SEO strategies are easy to implement and effective. She’s the #1 SEO expert I refer to whenever I need help with my rankings.

 

SEO queen! I can’t thank Propel and Darcy enough for holding my hand through the SEO process! I’m loving the podcast and all the insight! Also loving that my business is now getting the brand awareness and sales I’ve always wanted!

 


Wow! Clear, concise and impactful. Excellent details and tips - already seeing a return!! Worth the 20 min listen.

 

Sponsors

This episode of the Propel Your Practice Podcast is brought to you by Propel Marketing & Design. Propel Marketing & Design helps Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Physical Therapists, Wellness Practitioners, and other clinic owners improve their website rankings.


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