How does Google view duplicate photo content?

[Lina500]

Now that we can search by image on Google and see every site that is using the same photo, I assume that Google is going to use this as a signal for ranking as well. Is that already happening?

I ask because I have sold many photos over the years with first-use only rights, where I retain the copyright. So I have photos on my site that I own the copyright for that are on other sites (and were there first). I am not sure if I should make an effort to remove these photos from my site or if I can wait another couple years.

[PatrickDelehanty]

Hi Lina

What Google wants is unique markup and tagging for that image. It relies on things like image optimization (for SEO), Schema markup, and image sitemaps to assist in understanding the photo better and what it represents so it can be returned in search results.

You can learn more about reverse image search here.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[Lina500]

Well, I'm not that good at it. Overall, it's not a big deal but some of the photos are from places that are far away and that I'm not likely to go back to soon. And now I need to go through the whole site and see which ones might be on other sites. In the future, I know to keep my best photos for my own use!

I just watched that white board video and realized that I have an awful lot to work on.

[ClaytonJ]

Lina

I would look at it glass half full. I cant take a photo - so it costs me or clients 1,000's if not 10,000 for photography.  You clearly can - so cost effective and you can control what goes onto your site.  You are in a great position. Upsell original photography...

I also think though it is a factor it is not high ranking factor (yet!).

I also found a great WBF for you.    https://a-moz.groupbuyseo.org/blog/panda-optimization-whiteboard-friday  - states the position better than me!

good luck, photography is a great talent to have.

[Lina500]

It's a shame, because many of the photos were included with CNN articles, so they have been scraped and are on hundreds of sites. The photos all have my name on the photo itself as the copyright holder, but that isn't going to mean anything to Google when I used the same photo two years later. This sort of means that photographers won't be able to resell photos, and that stock photography is a terrible idea!

[ClaytonJ]

Yes, that is already happening.

Most assume that even though "google reverse image" is "public" behind the scenes it forms part of the google algorithm. Google wants originality...  and it seems only natural to use google reverse image as an indicator.

If it is one photo on a few sites i would not get too excited, but if it is on alot of sites and is not difficult to change - I would suggest you do.

test your image on google reverse image... always a good start.