March 20, 2025 • 12 mins
If you’ve been wondering what kind of website photos are better for SEO, stock images, or your own unique images, wonder no more.
In this episode, we’re exploring a topic that is often overlooked but can have a big impact on your online visibility: your website images.
Specifically, we’re asking the question: When it comes to SEO, does Google prefer stock photos or unique photos? Stick with me as we discover how the type of imagery you use on your clinic's website can impact your visibility and brand authenticity.
Are you ready to unlock the secrets of SEO with images? Let’s do it.
Episode Webpage: https://propelyourcompany.com/photos-for-seo/
Additional resources and Show Notes related to this episode include:
- DIY Blog Images: Tips & Tools to Create Impact
- Image SEO: How to Optimize Your Website Images
- Detailed Clinic Photoshoot List
- How to Plan a Picture-Perfect Photo Shoot
Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today we're tackling questions that a few people have
recently sent in regardingstock photos versus unique
photos.
What's the difference in usingthem on your website?
Which does Google actuallyprefer?
Which is better for SEO stockphotos or unique photos?
(00:21):
Does Google even care?
And should you care?
Hey there, welcome back toanother episode of the Clinic
Marketing Podcast.
I'm your host, darcy Sullivanfrom Propel Marketing and Design
.
As I mentioned, the questionsthat we're answering today have
been sent in from people justlike you, tuning in and
(00:45):
listening.
If you have a question aboutSEO, websites, content marketing
or anything of the sort, pleasereach out via Instagram at
Propel, your Company, and wewould love to feature your
question on an upcoming episode.
On this episode, we're divinginto a topic that often gets
(01:09):
overlooked but can have a bigimpact on your visibility, and
that's your website imaging.
Specifically, we're asking thequestion when it comes to SEO,
does Google prefer stock photosor unique photos?
Stick with me as we unpack this, because the results might just
(01:35):
surprise you.
First, let's break it down.
What is the difference betweenstock images and unique photos,
between stock images and uniquephotos?
Well, stock photos are readilyavailable online, whether it's
from a free resource or a paidstock library.
They're very convenient to find, but they're also widely used.
(01:59):
On the other hand, uniquephotos are ones that you or a
professional photographer hastaken that are specific to your
clinic or business and, believeit or not, ai-generated photos
can also fall into this uniquecategory category.
(02:29):
These images are personal toyour business or offerings and
showcase your service, productsor team.
All this is great, but whatdoes this actually mean for your
clinic, your chiropracticpractice, your acupuncture
company, the company that you'rerunning acupuncture company,
the company that you're running?
What does it mean?
No-transcript.
(02:50):
While Google does not seem topenalize stock photos, unique
photos offer advantages.
So why should you care?
Well, for starters, uniquephotos add authenticity to your
overall brand.
(03:11):
When visitors see real photosof your clinic, it helps build
trust.
In fact, we found that uniquephotos give businesses some core
advantages.
One we already mentionedauthenticity.
Unique photos are a greatsignal to Google that your
(03:32):
content is original and relevant.
This can help out your rankings.
Engagement Real images tend tocapture more attention than
generic stock photos.
When users engage with yourcontent, it sends a positive
signal to Google, which couldboost your SEO signal to Google,
(03:53):
which could boost your SEO.
In branding, which we alsoalready mentioned.
Unique images helpdifferentiate your clinic from
your competitors, making yourbrand more memorable.
The problem with stock photos,now, again, we already mentioned
.
Stock photos are easy to use,but they come with their own
(04:17):
risk.
Your competition likely hasaccess to the same stock photos
you do, which means you're notreally setting yourself apart.
Even worse, google's algorithmcan recognize stock photos and
may even filter them out ifthey're overused across the web.
This can give the impressionthat your content lacks
originality.
(04:37):
If you are going to one of thebig websites or main websites
like depositstockcom oriStockcom to purchase stock
photos, make sure that you sortthe stock photos and that you're
not using the stock photos thatare the most popular for your
(05:00):
specific search because, lo andbehold, most likely most other
people will already be usingthose images.
Now, the real SEO secret forimages and what really matters
to Google are three thingsRelevance that your images match
(05:22):
the intent of the search queryor keyword that's been searched.
The quality that your imagesare high quality, clear images
and that they're easily able tobe viewed.
That they're optimized.
That you're using descriptivefile names and alt text for your
images that match what theimage actually shows.
(05:47):
Here's the thing.
The truth is, google valueshigh-quality content.
The relevance of your imagematters more than whether or not
it's a stock photo or a uniquephoto.
Google's focus is on qualityand relevance.
(06:09):
Here's the key takeaway.
Google doesn't necessarily careif you are using stock photos
or unique photos, as long asthey are relevant to your
audience and truthful.
For example, if you're offeringa weight loss treatment and
using stock photos for beforeand after shots, that would be
(06:32):
an absolute huge red flag.
However, in most cases, therelevancy of the image is more
important than where it camefrom.
So why should we even botherwith unique photos if Google
doesn't technically care aboutthem?
Well, even though we knowGoogle cares more about the
(06:55):
quality and the relevancy, westill recommend using unique
photos when possible.
You can use a mix of stockphotos and unique photos on your
website stock photos and uniquephotos on your website, but
having some unique photos helpsreinforce your brand identity
and create a more personalizedexperience for your website
(07:17):
visitors.
Just make sure that your imagesmatch the intent of what people
are searching for and theyalign with what's already
ranking on Google's imageresults.
So if you're using stock photos, again make sure you're not
using the most popular onesbecause other people will be
(07:39):
using them.
And the big takeaway here iswhen do images really matter for
Google rankings?
Here's a quick tip to figureout if you need something unique
in the category of images tohelp rank for a specific search
(08:00):
term, check the search termresults page.
So, if you go to Google andtype in the keyword that you are
trying to rank for, if you seean image carousel, a local pack
with images that would be yourGoogle Maps or your Google
Business Profile listing or afeatured snippet that includes
(08:25):
an image, it's a good sign thatGoogle's considering images as a
ranking factor for thatspecific query, the query being
the keyword or keyword phrasethat you typed in Google and
searched for.
So, while unique photos don'tdirectly boost your SEO, they
(08:49):
can enhance your overall digitalpresence For chiropractors,
acupuncturists, physicaltherapists and other clinic
owners considering using a mixof high-quality stock photos and
unique images for your practice.
Make sure you're focusing onrelevancy and quality and you'll
(09:12):
be well on your way to astronger online presence.
Remember, the goal is toattract and engage potential
patients, not just rank higher.
Use images that showcase yourexpertise.
Showcase your expertise, yourcaring approach and results you
deliver for your patients.
(09:32):
There are a few additionalresources that you can find
included on the show notes pagefor this episode.
They include a DIY blog images,tips and tools to creating
impact image SEO, how tooptimize your website images, a
(09:54):
detailed clinic photo shoot listthis has become very popular
and a link to the article andpodcast episode on how to plan a
picture-perfect photo shoot.
Again, these additionalresources can be found in the
show notes associated with thisepisode.
(10:15):
That's it for today's episode.
If you found it helpful, besure to check out our other
content on improving your localSEO and, as always, don't forget
to like, share and subscribefor more tips on how to grow
your practice.
Today we're tackling questions that a few people have
recently sent in regardingstock photos versus unique
photos.
What's the difference in usingthem on your website?
Which does Google actuallyprefer?
Which is better for SEO stockphotos or unique photos?
(00:21):
Does Google even care?
And should you care?
Hey there, welcome back toanother episode of the Clinic
Marketing Podcast.
I'm your host, darcy Sullivanfrom Propel Marketing and Design
.
As I mentioned, the questionsthat we're answering today have
been sent in from people justlike you, tuning in and
(00:45):
listening.
If you have a question aboutSEO, websites, content marketing
or anything of the sort, pleasereach out via Instagram at
Propel, your Company, and wewould love to feature your
question on an upcoming episode.
On this episode, we're divinginto a topic that often gets
(01:09):
overlooked but can have a bigimpact on your visibility, and
that's your website imaging.
Specifically, we're asking thequestion when it comes to SEO,
does Google prefer stock photosor unique photos?
Stick with me as we unpack this, because the results might just
(01:35):
surprise you.
First, let's break it down.
What is the difference betweenstock images and unique photos,
between stock images and uniquephotos?
Well, stock photos are readilyavailable online, whether it's
from a free resource or a paidstock library.
They're very convenient to find, but they're also widely used.
(01:59):
On the other hand, uniquephotos are ones that you or a
professional photographer hastaken that are specific to your
clinic or business and, believeit or not, ai-generated photos
can also fall into this uniquecategory category.
(02:29):
These images are personal toyour business or offerings and
showcase your service, productsor team.
All this is great, but whatdoes this actually mean for your
clinic, your chiropracticpractice, your acupuncture
company, the company that you'rerunning acupuncture company,
the company that you're running?
What does it mean?
No-transcript.
(02:50):
While Google does not seem topenalize stock photos, unique
photos offer advantages.
So why should you care?
Well, for starters, uniquephotos add authenticity to your
overall brand.
(03:11):
When visitors see real photosof your clinic, it helps build
trust.
In fact, we found that uniquephotos give businesses some core
advantages.
One we already mentionedauthenticity.
Unique photos are a greatsignal to Google that your
(03:32):
content is original and relevant.
This can help out your rankings.
Engagement Real images tend tocapture more attention than
generic stock photos.
When users engage with yourcontent, it sends a positive
signal to Google, which couldboost your SEO signal to Google,
(03:53):
which could boost your SEO.
In branding, which we alsoalready mentioned.
Unique images helpdifferentiate your clinic from
your competitors, making yourbrand more memorable.
The problem with stock photos,now, again, we already mentioned
.
Stock photos are easy to use,but they come with their own
(04:17):
risk.
Your competition likely hasaccess to the same stock photos
you do, which means you're notreally setting yourself apart.
Even worse, google's algorithmcan recognize stock photos and
may even filter them out ifthey're overused across the web.
This can give the impressionthat your content lacks
originality.
(04:37):
If you are going to one of thebig websites or main websites
like depositstockcom oriStockcom to purchase stock
photos, make sure that you sortthe stock photos and that you're
not using the stock photos thatare the most popular for your
(05:00):
specific search because, lo andbehold, most likely most other
people will already be usingthose images.
Now, the real SEO secret forimages and what really matters
to Google are three thingsRelevance that your images match
(05:22):
the intent of the search queryor keyword that's been searched.
The quality that your imagesare high quality, clear images
and that they're easily able tobe viewed.
That they're optimized.
That you're using descriptivefile names and alt text for your
images that match what theimage actually shows.
(05:47):
Here's the thing.
The truth is, google valueshigh-quality content.
The relevance of your imagematters more than whether or not
it's a stock photo or a uniquephoto.
Google's focus is on qualityand relevance.
(06:09):
Here's the key takeaway.
Google doesn't necessarily careif you are using stock photos
or unique photos, as long asthey are relevant to your
audience and truthful.
For example, if you're offeringa weight loss treatment and
using stock photos for beforeand after shots, that would be
(06:32):
an absolute huge red flag.
However, in most cases, therelevancy of the image is more
important than where it camefrom.
So why should we even botherwith unique photos if Google
doesn't technically care aboutthem?
Well, even though we knowGoogle cares more about the
(06:55):
quality and the relevancy, westill recommend using unique
photos when possible.
You can use a mix of stockphotos and unique photos on your
website stock photos and uniquephotos on your website, but
having some unique photos helpsreinforce your brand identity
and create a more personalizedexperience for your website
(07:17):
visitors.
Just make sure that your imagesmatch the intent of what people
are searching for and theyalign with what's already
ranking on Google's imageresults.
So if you're using stock photos, again make sure you're not
using the most popular onesbecause other people will be
(07:39):
using them.
And the big takeaway here iswhen do images really matter for
Google rankings?
Here's a quick tip to figureout if you need something unique
in the category of images tohelp rank for a specific search
(08:00):
term, check the search termresults page.
So, if you go to Google andtype in the keyword that you are
trying to rank for, if you seean image carousel, a local pack
with images that would be yourGoogle Maps or your Google
Business Profile listing or afeatured snippet that includes
(08:25):
an image, it's a good sign thatGoogle's considering images as a
ranking factor for thatspecific query, the query being
the keyword or keyword phrasethat you typed in Google and
searched for.
So, while unique photos don'tdirectly boost your SEO, they
(08:49):
can enhance your overall digitalpresence For chiropractors,
acupuncturists, physicaltherapists and other clinic
owners considering using a mixof high-quality stock photos and
unique images for your practice.
Make sure you're focusing onrelevancy and quality and you'll
(09:12):
be well on your way to astronger online presence.
Remember, the goal is toattract and engage potential
patients, not just rank higher.
Use images that showcase yourexpertise.
Showcase your expertise, yourcaring approach and results you
deliver for your patients.
(09:32):
There are a few additionalresources that you can find
included on the show notes pagefor this episode.
They include a DIY blog images,tips and tools to creating
impact image SEO, how tooptimize your website images, a
(09:54):
detailed clinic photo shoot listthis has become very popular
and a link to the article andpodcast episode on how to plan a
picture-perfect photo shoot.
Again, these additionalresources can be found in the
show notes associated with thisepisode.
(10:15):
That's it for today's episode.
If you found it helpful, besure to check out our other
content on improving your localSEO and, as always, don't forget
to like, share and subscribefor more tips on how to grow
your practice.
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