We know that every blog post should have an image for SEO reasons. But finding quality images to use can be a daunting task. And taking your own photos just isn’t always realistic.
If you’re thinking, “What!? Images are everywhere! Just use Google!” Keep reading…
Why can’t I use Google Images?
Google Images doesn’t actually own the images it’s showing you. It’s simply a search engine bringing up images from websites all over the Internet. Most of the images you see are copyrighted, and are the exclusive property of their owners. Copyrighted images should not be republished without the owner’s permission.
Just because an image is not watermarked or listed as copyrighted doesn’t mean it’s not copyrighted. In fact, it’s better to assume it is copyrighted, unless specified otherwise.
You can use Google Images to help you locate images. But it’s up to you to verify the copyright status on any image before you republish it on your blog or website.
Now that we know what we can’t use, let’s move on to what we can use.
How to Verify the Copyright Information of Images from Google Image Search Results
When you’re searching for images using Google Images, you filter images by license type using the Tools taskbar. Under the “Usage Rights” dropdown option, click “Creative Commons licenses.”
Google should show you only images that have been marked as free to use under Creative Commons licensing. However, images can be mistakenly labeled, so it’s important to double check before using an image. For this example search for “dogs,” we’re going to click on the first image and go to the site it’s hosted on.
The link takes me to a blog post about dogs you can follow on Instagram. It’s not a link to an image hosting site that lists the license information. If you’re really interested in using the image, you can save the image and reverse image search using a site like Tineye to find the original image host. When we put the image there, it shows the original host as Shutterstock, which requires paying for the images. However, the second site to host it is Unsplash, which is a free stock photos site. If you click the link from Tineye, it will take you to the image on Unsplash where you can view the license information. Success! Unsplash allows you to download and use the image for free.
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of hunting down the license information of every image you find on Google, then take a look at this list of sites that offer free photos you can use worry-free.
8 of the Best Sources for Photos for Your Blog
Below is a list of several free stock photography websites. Copyright restrictions vary by site and by image. For example, some images require that you credit the photographer. So take note of that before using any image on your blog or website.
Unsplash
Unsplash has positioned itself as one of the go-to sites for downloading high quality stock photography. Search through their giant library of free and premium (for purchase) images.
New Old Stock
This site bills itself as “vintage photos from the public archives free of known copyright restrictions.” Lots of cool images, but no easy way to search.
Pexels
Search through Pexel’s library of thousands of free images or browse through their curated collections and leaderboards of recently popular photographs and photographers.
Pixabay
Pixabay boasts a huge library of stock photos, videos, illustrations and even vectors. It also has an integration with Canva so you can use their photos in projects like social media posts.
PicJumbo
You’ll find a smaller selection of high-quality images in a variety of broad categories.
Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons is 20 million images strong and growing. It’s bound to have something you can use.
Free Images
The selection is pretty good for many basic needs.
Shopify Stock Photos
A surprising source of stock photos comes from Shopify, the e-commerce website hosting platform. They have a wide variety of stock images that can be used for a variety of purposes, as well as photo kits for selling specific types of products.
Great Stock Photos are Just a Few Clicks Away
With sites like Unsplash, Pexels, PicJumbo and the others mentioned above, finding great, high-quality stock photos for your website or project is easier than ever. Browse through their libraries and find your next great image!
