Sheltering from Google Image Indexing?

There’s an interesting discussion going on on the Photoshelter forum on Google Image Search indexing of images.

Some people are very upset that their images are not rapidly indexed. Some people have had some very great information to share on how to do things. It seems clear that there is work to do to make the Photoshelter site work even better, but also very clear that each photographer needs to take things in his own hands and work – IN THE LONG TERM – with improving images. Photoshelter will not do the work for you, but does provide some very good tools and some very (very) good advice. Your web site does not exist in isolation. You need to connect it to others. Many others.

Frankly, I am very impressed by the Photoshelter service. Since a few months I use it as an experiment. If all works fine I will build a (more) customized site around it, including e.g. an integrated blog. It will also include the possibility to license the images directly on my site and perhaps even buy prints.

Coming back to this thread on Google Image Search on the forum. I thought I’d make a page (this one) with links to some of the posters / photographers on who have posted in that thread.

It seems, according to the discussion, that I have achieved relatively good Google indexing and ranking. That may be because I’ve been doing this blog for a few years as well as some other SEO related things. A long terms strategy that seems to work.

One effect of that is that if I put a link to one of my galleries or images on this blog it is rapidly indexed by Google. Perhaps the effect will be the same if I link to the other photographers.

So, here are some of the photographers who have appeared in the discussion:

• Allen Murabayashi CEO of Photoshelter taking pictures under the name of Allen3 of, well, maybe sports and New York (not much text here either)
• Andrew Ptak Photography doing many nice photos (but since you don’t put any text info on the site I’m not so sure what the focus is)
• Caroline Sellke who is a cocktailing Photoshelter employee and makes some family and friends photos
• Craig Joiner doing some landscape photography in the United Kingdom, West countries and South Wales 
• Chuck Goodenough, whose Apparel, Apparel Accessories, Fashion, Product Photography is better than eponymous 
• Danielle Lewis young freelance photgrapher doing travel and infrared (!) photography
• David Doody specialising in Aerial, Architecture, Stock & Historic Subjects (with a nice thunder storm image on the first page)
• Darren Pierson with Dperceptionswho makes pictures of fast cars and racing (although the text and menu is very difficult to read on the page)
• David Welling who does stock images of wildlife, grand landscapes and scenics and initmate views of the natural world
• Frits Meyst with Adventure4ever doing adventure, travel trekking photography
  
• Jolene Grabill, who has a different eye, and makes photos of various kinds (almost no text at all on the site but some nice photos…)
• Jaak Nilson an Estonia-based stock photographer with travel and other photos 
• Kathleen Nelson who is also very short on text but seems to be doing e.g. children and nature
• Martin Stevens / Wolverlei Images with nature photography 
• Marty Faulkner with HappyValleyImages.com (that’s a difficult name for SEO) with images that want to “emotianally connect” (not easy for SEO that either)
• Matt Considine specializing in Nature, Wildlife, People, Culture, Lifestyle and Historic & Boutique Hotels
• Michael Hickey photographing weddings, higher education, sports and entertainment
• Milton Barber who photographs natural scenes 
• Olaf Protze Travel Stock Photography of European, Asian, African, South American and Polynesian tourism destinations 
• Pam Kelso with, well, f 3.2 Photography unbound (?) of nature, mostly 
• Paul Williams with FunkyStock.eu (try that for SEO!), with a lot of awards on the list, and travel stock photos of Hungary, Sicily and Dubrovink (sic) and food
  

And if any of you would like to link back to me I’d appreciate that, to my all now custom URL: www.bkwinephotography.com. My specialty is wine, vineyard, winery photography, with some food & gastronomy, as well as travel.

The whole purpose of this post was to have an excuse to link to the people above. 😉 Perhaps you will see some effect. Actually, it is beyond question that you will (all (legitimate) back-links enhance your ‘juice’).

But it may take time.

And you’re not alone.