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Earlier this month, Google announced the “Licensed” tag to be placed on Google Images thumbnails. The feature is now officially available and could help all photographers to sell their work or stock photos much more easily.
When you search for a photo, those that include licensing information have a “Licensed” badge on the thumbnail of the results page. Then when you click on a photo and it opens in the image viewer, Google shows more details. There is a link to the details page and / or license terms provided by the content owner or the licensor. “If available, we will also display an additional link that directs users to a content owner or licensor page where the user can purchase the image,” writes Google. This is what it looks like:
Image Credits: Google
Furthermore, Google also makes it easy to find photos with license metadata. The usage rights drop-down menu in Google Images now allows you to choose between Creative Commons, Commercial, and other licenses when searching for photos. Here’s a preview:
Image Credits: Google
So as a photographer, what do you get out of this new feature? First, it will make it much easier for users to purchase or license your images from a stock site or your website, for example. Then if your photo is on a page where your photos cannot be purchased (for example, a portfolio, article, or gallery page), you can add another link that takes the user to the page where can buy or license the image. Lastly, publishers who have purchased your images can also apply the metadata. This makes your license details visible with your images when used by your clients.
Please note that there are a few steps you need to take to prepare your photos for the new feature. You can visit Google’s developer help page and FAQ page for more information, and more detailed guidelines are shared by Google in this blog post.
[via PhotoShelter]
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