Search for photos, illustrations, video and audio
All FilesAll FilesThe success of your portfolio depends on you and your keyword skills. iStock uses the following standards in metadata inspection:
Choose 10 words or less describing the logo design’s subject or theme. Please don't name files starting with: A1, A, AAA, 1A, etc. Trying to manipulate search results by starting every clip with A1, A, AAA, 1A, etc. is not tolerated (nor is it effective). Titles should accurately reflect the subject. Reviews of member accounts occur regularly.
Please provide us with a good description of your logo design — this information may help us decide if we can approve your logo. Provide any information that you can regarding the logo’s theme, color, look and feel, or any other interesting or valuable information regarding the logo. We recommend including the number of colors used in your design so the client has a better idea of print costs related to color. Please note that descriptions shouldn’t include trade names, trademarks or copyrighted material/names.
Unlike other files on iStockphoto, logos will be organized by categories to help our clients determine which logos apply most closely to their industry. You will be able to select three categories that apply to your logo when you upload it. Based on our research we have determined that most businesses fit into one of these categories:
How well you keyword your logo determines how effectively the search engine matches it to client searches. The trick is to appear in relevant searches. Getting in front of the buyer with the content they want usually results in sales. But accuracy is essential — bloating up your keywords to squeeze into searches where you don't belong really irritates our clients (they frequently call in to tell us they boycott keyword spammers). However, with thousands of clients searching every day, someone wants to find your design. Here's how to help them:
Importance of keywords – Describe the subject of your logo design. You have a maximum of 50 words to describe all the pertinent details. However, using 50 semi-descriptive words will not put your logo in front of people that want to see it. It is far better to use 10 words that perfectly fit the logo. The more specific you are, the more likely your logo will be found in the right searches. Be sure to tell the search engine the correct information.
Describe everything – Include everything about the logo. Aim to include the color, theme, font, orientation, shape, mood and feeling (i.e., dreamy, exotic or whimsical).
Be general – No one thinks alike, and no one visualizes in the same terms. Exact details are great, but without general terms, overly specific words can keep your logo away from less detailed searches. Someone may search for "tap shoes on wood," but are just as likely to search for "dance," or even "shoes." Include them all. Start with your specific description and then expand to something more general.
Synonyms – There are no hard and fast rules for adding synonyms to your keywords. On one hand, you want to broaden the possible range of searches that will find your track. On the other hand, you need to remain specific enough that the description is accurate. Padding out your 50 available words with every entry in the thesaurus may bring you more results, but increases your chances of being irrelevant to many of them.
Include a few synonyms for each of the most important parts of your logo. Be creative but realistic. Try to imagine all the different words a person might use to describe the same thing.