Maybe you’ve heard about reverse image search but do not understand what it is. It’s not something that a lot of business owners know of. But when they do, they’ll be able to use them to meet their goals.
Put simply, here’s how it works.
What the Process of Reverse Image Search is
To do it, all you need is to head over to Google. Choose the option “Image” at the upper right-hand corner of Google search. You can use this search engine feature to find images for your business by typing in keywords related to your niche.
The second option would be to click the camera icon and upload an existing image of yours (image URL or file) that you will want to look up on the web. Here, you get to find images that are similar to the one you uploaded.
As mentioned previously, you can use image reverse search for several business purposes. For example, when you’re running a drop shipping business, one thing you can do with it is find competitors that are selling the same products as you do. Use this competitive intelligence to improve your campaigns and make better decisions.
Also, Google is not your only option to discover similar images. There are other tools at your disposal if you only knew about them. Examples include TinyEye and Image Raider.
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Track Where Your Designs Are Published
Do you own a website where you create your own images for your content? Theft may not come to mind, but, yes, online image theft can happen. In fact, it is a common thing now that people can click an image they fancy and download it.
It’s never fun to be stolen from, especially if you spent a great deal of effort in designing an image that is meant to be exclusive to your brand. If, from the start, you failed to place a watermark on your photos, start tracking your designs.
Spot Fake Stories Before You Share Them
Often, to build lasting relationships with other business owners in your niche, you share their stories with your audience. The best relationship building practices entail helping others so others will help you.
However, you need to be extra careful because the stories that you might re-share may not be real. Here’s a scenario. Let’s say that you offer fitness advice and found a blog post about a successful weight loss story. It is possible that the images in the story may not be real and are published under multiple different weight loss schemes.
Proceeding to re-share the content can harm your reputation in case your readers are aware that those photos were not originally meant for your content. A reverse image search tool will help you uncover fraud stories to protect yourself.
Find the Original Source of an Image
One of the best ways to improve the look and feel of your website is to use relevant and compelling images. Incorporate them into your blog content to clarify ideas and demonstrate a point. Whether you found an infographic you would like to add, a chart, or screenshot, use reverse image search to find the source of the image.
More often than not, some websites grab images initially published elsewhere. If you came across these sites and wanted that picture too, you might assume that it’s theirs. As a result, they earn natural links from you. Be a content creator that practices due diligence by adequately attributing all your borrowed visuals.
Earn Natural Backlinks
When you discover websites using your visual content, it’s your choice whether to ask them to take down your stolen image or not. If you choose the latter, consider this an opportunity for you to acquire backlinks from them. You have all the privilege to do so because you initially own the images.
Once you find your images on several sites, email these site owners. Introduce yourself as the owner of the content. Let them know that you are permitting them to use your work as long as they link back to you from the image.
Building backlinks through this strategy is easy and less time-consuming. Perhaps by now you already know that backlinks go beyond boosting rankings. They also help drive website traffic, enhance your online authority, and grow relationships.
Identify Fake People You May Relate To
If you offer guest posting opportunities on your website, it’s vital that people who write for you have real profiles. Again, this prevents you from running into problems later on.
Even though you are running a business where you only connect with people digitally, maintain relationships with people who use their actual photos – not those downloaded from stock photo sites or stolen from an Instagram profile.
Another situation where you need to be wary of fake people is when you’re bringing in new members to your team. Whether you hire a content writer, SEO, or graphic designer, verify that they are genuine by uploading their profile image to Google image search.
Figure Out the Names and Details of Food or Places
Are you writing content about a recipe? Do you blog about traveling? In cases where you are not sure of the details of an image, you don’t need to play the guessing game. Just put that picture in a reverse image search tool, and within seconds, you will be provided with a list of sources that have the same image with complete information.
In addition to getting the exact details you want to support your post, you will also discover relevant content that’ll give you future ideas. It’s surprising that not all business owners use this tactic. Because you do now, you have an advantage.
Final Thoughts
What we have discussed today allows you to realize how reverse image search helps you protect your online reputation and build your brand with less stress. Hopefully, you’ll be able to start taking advantage of these practical uses. Let me know your experience in sorting through images.
