Author Topic: Why is it necessary to choose a "deeper" keyword? at iStock keywording. (Read 5654 times)

leremy · « **on:** August 20, 2018, 19:12 »

I have been contributor to iStock for many years now. One thing that troubling me and I failed to understand is the need choose a "deeper" iStock keyword term.

For example, if I put "woman" as keyword, it will suggest me to choose either
"one woman only" or "women".

Another example would be "snatch", it will suggest me to choose either
"kidnapping" or "snatch - weightlifting".

Even if I don't choose any of them and remain it as "woman" or "snatch", the said image will still appear in the search result by searching "woman" or "snatch".

So my question is, why do I bother to choose a "deeper" keyword term? Furthermore, I don't find that the keyword term suggested is more relevant, if not worse than my original intention.

Brasilnut · « **Reply #1 on:** August 20, 2018, 19:43 »

They pay 15%, are you really going to bother jumping through their silly hoops?

nobody · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2018, 20:10 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on August 20, 2018, 19:43

They pay 15%, are you really going to bother jumping through their silly hoops?

I am assuming they are 'Exclusive' thus yes to deeper keywords...

ShadySue · « **Reply #3 on:** August 21, 2018, 03:19 »

Quote from: leremy on August 20, 2018, 19:12

I have been contributor to iStock for many years now. One thing that troubling me and I failed to understand is the need choose a "deeper" iStock keyword term.

For example, if I put "woman" as keyword, it will suggest me to choose either
"one woman only" or "women".

Another example would be "snatch", it will suggest me to choose either
"kidnapping" or "snatch - weightlifting".

Even if I don't choose any of them and remain it as "woman" or "snatch", the said image will still appear in the search result by searching "woman" or "snatch".

So my question is, why do I bother to choose a "deeper" keyword term? Furthermore, I don't find that the keyword term suggested is more relevant, if not worse than my original intention.

It's for the benefit of the buyer.
So if, for example, a buyer wants an image with 'one woman only', they don't need to plough through images of groups of women, women and men, women and children, women, men and children.

Of course, the more generic word will also be relevant to anyone who wants to see all images featuring women.

Your 'snatch' example is even clearer, as it's extremely unlikely that someone looking for 'snatch' will be looking for both of these options.

Can you give examples of when you "don't find that the keyword term suggested is more relevant, if not worse than my original intention."

(It would probably be better if you had posted this on their near-moribund forum.)

noelbennett235 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 21, 2018, 05:51 »

Why does it reject the word 'boat' but suggest 'nautical vessel' instead.? i am genuinely baffled. Do buyers search for a nautical vessel image or a boat image.

ShadySue · « **Reply #5 on:** August 21, 2018, 06:03 »

Quote from: noelbennett235 on August 21, 2018, 05:51

Why does it reject the word 'boat' but suggest 'nautical vessel' instead.? i am genuinely baffled. Do buyers search for a nautical vessel image or a boat image.

They search for boat. Nautical vessel is an umbrella term.
If you search on 'boat', there is an option at the top of the search page to choose boat, ship, yacht or sailboat.
I've never used the ESP system. If you click 'nautical vessel', does it then allow you to choose boat/ship/yacht/etc? In the old system, if you put 'boat' it would stem back to nautical vessel, but offer DAs of boat as well.

In the iStock help forum, there's a sticky to links about keywording, disambiguating, etc.

leremy · « **Reply #6 on:** August 21, 2018, 08:14 »

Quote from: ShadySue on August 21, 2018, 03:19

Your 'snatch' example is even clearer, as it's extremely unlikely that someone looking for 'snatch' will be looking for both of these options.

Can you give examples of when you "don't find that the keyword term suggested is more relevant, if not worse than my original intention."

Here I am using the keyword "snatch" since the mother snatch away the tablet from her son. See jpeg attached for the illustration.

iStock deep term only gives the options of "kidnapping" and "snatch-weightlifting". In my case, both of these deep terms doesn't apply to my artwork at all. It doesn't make sense to use iStock deeper term.

Other than that, they keyword "snatch" can be used for robbery cases as well. See 2nd picture attach where the snatch thief snatch the woman handbag.

ShadySue · « **Reply #7 on:** August 21, 2018, 08:47 »

For the first one in particular, try 'grab' (I don't know if their system has it, but that's what I'd say).

leremy · « **Reply #8 on:** August 21, 2018, 09:07 »

So, say if I choose the deeper term "kidnapped" instead of using the original keyword "snatch", will my image still appears in the search result if a buyer searches for the keyword "snatch"?

ShadySue · « **Reply #9 on:** August 21, 2018, 09:46 »

Quote from: leremy on August 21, 2018, 09:07

So, say if I choose the deeper term "kidnapped" instead of using the original keyword "snatch", will my image still appears in the search result if a buyer searches for the keyword "snatch"?

Only if snatch is a parent term for kidnapped.
I just searched iS for snatch and what I get at the top of the search is kidnapped images - and no weightlifting options. I guess if I wanted snatch weightlifting that's what I'd search for, but search is supposed to map to uploading options (but that hasn't always happened, for years).

zorba · « **Reply #10 on:** August 21, 2018, 14:55 »

Quote from: leremy on August 20, 2018, 19:12

I have been contributor to iStock for many years now. One thing that troubling me and I failed to understand is the need choose a "deeper" iStock keyword term.

For example, if I put "woman" as keyword, it will suggest me to choose either
"one woman only" or "women".

Another example would be "snatch", it will suggest me to choose either
"kidnapping" or "snatch - weightlifting".

Even if I don't choose any of them and remain it as "woman" or "snatch", the said image will still appear in the search result by searching "woman" or "snatch".

So my question is, why do I bother to choose a "deeper" keyword term? Furthermore, I don't find that the keyword term suggested is more relevant, if not worse than my original intention.

I think it's about "automatic" translation between many getty/istock regional localizations of websites. IMHO