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Google sees some images, others not.


john falkenstine

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Got a question here. As I do a search on Google for my images, some from

photo.net show up, others do not. Obviously, Google has some kind of tag on

those images, which, BTW I like. This is good for me and what I have in mind.

However, why do only SOME images appear to be tagged, and others NOT? Should I

be asking GOOGLE perhaps?

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Certainly interesting, I wonder if it depends on whether someone has linked to an image from elsewhere?

 

Searching on photos by myself shows only 2 results mixed in with the myriad other Ben Anderson's - you have a name which is a little rarer which probably helps too.

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I think you should try asking google, because it would appear that their image search is full of these kinds of results. For example, when I google my name in image search, I get exactly one photo of mine under my domain name, one under the name of the host for my domain, two from zonezero, where there are at least six, a bunch from myspace (usage with permission on various pages) but only about a tenth of the ones there that have my name associated with them, a couple from random other locations including one that has been long gone (gives a "not found" error when you try to go to the page.) Plenty of sites that have images labeled with my name do not show up, nor do the hundreds at my own site other than the two mentioned at the beginning.

 

On the other hand, a painter friend has images at a large art rep (i.e., commercial) site and she has all of her images (about 100) at that site show up in a google search under her name.

 

Obviously they are favoring commercial sites that will potentially give them revenues. Otherwise, there is no explanation.

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I was recently contacted by an author to use a (fairly) recent pic in one of his books - he had located it thru google by putting in the name of the restaurant, the town and "pictures." When you google it, it links to my entire portfolio as well as a selected quote from my portfolio comments...

 

Cool, but scary too. I'm glad he was honourable and respected the copyright (no more about THAT - I like this thread).

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John I can tell you this. When ever anyone asks me how to see my work I tell them to google search my name. The more people google search you, the more you float to the top. If I search my name, alot of Scott Clarkes come up but I am on top. Just because of the traffic. Not sure if that helps or not. But google seems to rely on traffic.
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I'm a little confused about Google's relation to me.

 

When I search my name, I find I am the first three main 'hits', the first is to my Photo.net main page, etc., and the second is labeled 'Photos by John Crosley' with a 'hot link' to my entire portfolio with all 700+ photos. People just 'click the link' and they're on my portfolio with ALL my photos downloading, all in order.

 

When people on the street (subjects, often) ask for a business (or visit card) which I never have carried, I just tell them to Google my name (In English) and to click the 'hot link' to my portfolio and that's how to find me, I tell them.

 

A year ago, out of half a million John Crosleys, there wasn't one listing that mentioned my name, and suddenly I think they changed their search algorithm, or somehow Photo.net changed its permissions for the Google search bots (if that is the way it works).

 

Also, I find under one of the links, there is another link to 'other links to (my name), and when I last searched that, it had 54 PAGES of links, all to Photo.net.

 

But when I go to the Photo.net 'link' at the top return, and it prompts me to go to Google Images, and I click on that, it has just one image -- a 'detail' of a thrift shop owner posted in a comment under a main photo -- it's obvious that under Photo.net listings -- Google Images is programmed to ignore posted images exposed in the gallery and portfolio (as that would seem to be redundant).

 

I looked for my first posted image (and my highest-rated) -- though never submitted for critique -- 'Balloon Man' and with that name alone for search, couldn't find it right away, but when I added my name to the photo name for search, I found it right away.

 

I hope this data helps your understanding of how Google works. Do others have a 'hot link' to their portfolios under their names in Google? It seemed to me that this was just 'something that Google did . . . '

 

John (Crosley)

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Google uses link weight analysis (as one method) to calculate its indexes - so if your name appears on a very highly linked site (such as photo.net) then you will appear towards the top of the results. Basically the more popular a site that your name is associated with, then the more likely you are to be close to the top of the results list.

 

The images search does appear to use a different algorithm - I think google are likely to be vague about the details to avoid manipulation of rank. But I am often wrong.

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