How to properly credit any image you download from a free stock photo website:
- What your credit should say
- Where to find the name of the photographer
- Where to put your photo credit
- How to get Google to love you
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What Your Photo Credit Should Say
As a fashion and beauty editor for Glamour, Mademoiselle and Weight Watchers Magazine photo credits were a must.
Today many free stock image photo sites say, ‘Attribution is not required, but appreciated.’ I like to give credit to anyone who has given me something of value for free.
Where To Find the Name of the Photographer
- Go to the site where the image is located (such as Pexels, Pikwizard, Pixabay, Unsplash, etc.)
- Click on the image
- Look for the following information
- Photo URL
- Photographer’s name
PRO TIP
Copy & paste the photo URL and the photographer’s URL into a simple text document like this…
Where To Put Your Photo Credit
The following instructions are for WordPress
- Go to your Media Library
- Click on the photo to bring up the Description field
- Add the Photo URL (from the stock photo house) in the Description field
Optional: Add a photo credit as a “Caption”
- Insert an image into your Post or page.
- Under the image look for “Write caption” (see below)
- Add “Photo courtesy of [link to photographer] via [link to stock photo house]
How To Get Google to Love You
Part of giving credit is linking to the photographer and the stock photo house (“Photo courtesy of [link to photographer] via [link to stock photo house].)
The problem is you don’t want the search engines, like Google, to follow the link because Google may think you are a spammer who is trying to create false links, just for attention.
The solution is to create a nofollow link. Here’s how:
- In your WordPress Post or Page click on the “Text” tab
- Type in nofollow as indicated below
Don’t Forget to Alt Tag Your Images
Super important!
Search engines cannot yet read your images so you need to describe each image you upload for people who are visually impaired.
This short article will show you how to tag your images in WordPress.
Join Me Live On 10-Minute Monday
Hi. I’m Nancy Fields. I’ve been a graphic design for over 28 years. I build websites for coaches, entrepreneurs and small business owners.
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Featured images courtesy of picjumbo via Pexels and Pikwizard