Adding original pictures to your Hubs helps drive more traffic?

1. STAFF

   Paul Edmondsonposted 15 years ago

   I've noticed that several of my Hubs where I have taken the pictures and the only place they have been posted is on my Hubs are getting more traffic.  I'm curious if others have done this experiment.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Google Galposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I haven't done this experement yet because I just started here at HubPages  but it seems to me to make a more attractive hub pictures and videos are nice additions

      replyreport
2. 67

   relacheposted 15 years ago

   When I do a Hub that's got more of a "how-to" feel to it, and I take my own pictures, it definitely does better.  After all, in that scenario, I'm able to tailor my images to better illustrate what I'm saying.

   replyreport
3. 73

   torimariposted 15 years ago

   For my two art hub tutorials I took my own photos. They do pretty well.

   replyreport
4. 0

   lyricsingrayposted 15 years ago

   I don't know about traffic but enjoy the creativity of taking my own shots, though I have had to result to stock as well.

   replyreport
5. 78

   kirstenblogposted 15 years ago

   I wouldn't be surprised if your pic came up in a google search for that sort of picture, meaning more traffic. I actually had a site link to my hub by using the picture on their site, I am not sure what kind of back link that is but it was definitely interesting. Funny thing was it was a pic I found in the public domain so they coulda taken it without giving the back link.

   replyreport
   1. 73

      torimariposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Good point and I do get google traffic from images.google.com because it picks up the picture.
      
      Soooo more pictures in general can result in more traffic because of google's picture search.

      replyreport
6. 68

   Ms Chievousposted 15 years ago

   When i add my own pics it seems I get a higher starting hubscore. I don't see any correlation between my own pics and page views though.  I do seem to have a lot more slide show views than I do page views sometimes.

   replyreport
7. 78

   kirstenblogposted 15 years ago

   I guess the saying is true, a picture is worth a thousand words.

   replyreport
8. STAFF

   Paul Edmondsonposted 15 years ago

   You'll definitely get image search traffic.  Relache's comment about illustrating and creating a higher quality experience is most likely the causation.
   
   I'd love to have data on a couple of things.  One, do people link to Hubs more often naturally that have pictures and two, does google give content a boost in the search results that have original pictures - ie is it a quality signal?

   replyreport
   1. 80

      sunforgedposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      How would google understand "original picture" ?
      
      I have always created unique keyword rich filenames even when using CC/PD pictures, but here on hubpages it seems as if that file name is lost on the upload? and the best i can do is use descriptive captions and headers in the capsule?
      
      Does Google compute file size and image meta data? to measure an image as "unique"
      
      I use a lot of original images or CC images that i have manipulated/cropped and renamed (properly credited of course) but never really crunched the stats/split tested to see the effects of unique uploaded images vs hotlinked images.

      replyreport
      1. 88

         Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         When I do image searches, there's always a message that says something like "Google has omitted similar images, click here to see the full search results".  If you click on the link, you get a huge additional number of images.  So Google definitely makes a judgment on what is a "similar" image, but what criteria it uses, who knows.

         replyreport
   2. 90

      rebekahELLEposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      this sounds exciting to find out. I think pics do add to the quality of a hub. my hubs with my own pics get searched for images. personally, I think articles without some form of visual are boring, even when I'm searching on the web. if it's an article saturated with ads, I move on.
      
      I think people appreciate to see the authors pics especially if its travel related.

      replyreport
   3. 67

      relacheposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I think it's clear that having images on a Hub gets more traffic than not, but I don't think that just yet Google itself puts more weight to an original image versus one gleaned from elsewhere.
      
      When I do a GIS, it's clear from the results returned that sometimes Google really has no idea what image it's serving to me.  After all, it's just a series of programs trying to do the best it can with what info it gets from people about the images.  I think when Hub visitors respond more to images on our Hubs, Google gets a better idea of which images are higher quality and more relevant but even visitor response won't really give it an idea of what's original and what's not.

      replyreport
9. 66

   lakeerieartistsposted 15 years ago

   I get google image traffic when I have images on hubs.

   replyreport
10. 0

    Crazdwriterposted 15 years ago

    I only post pictures that are original, i.e. me and family or pics I have taken like of books and things and I haven't noticed any drive more to my hubs than others. lol I guess I just don't pay attention.

    replyreport