In my blog, I create unique contents for my posts. The only un-unique content are the images. I get images from Google image and use that for my posts, can Google punish me for using this technique? or would I have to actually be a photographer and take the pictures myself? I've always wanted to know this, because a post without an image is quite boring. Most blogs don't have unique images I believe, unless it is a website from a big organisation.
That my impact your site, it may be considered duplicate content? I don't think Google looks at every picture, just the name of it. I'm not sure. But, if you are doing that I'd consider downloading them first.Then just rename the picture, then to Google it appears to be whatever you named it. You can also include keyword rich words in the picture name, and get some extra seo out of it.
If you're going to do that you're going to have to do more than just rename the picture, you should also consider changing the EXIF data also.You can use this link to see any EXIF data that a picture contains: http://regex.info/exif.cgi If I were you I would be more worried about getting sued by the owner of the image for copyright infringement. Read this post: http://www.roniloren.com/blog/2012/7/20/bloggers-beware-you-can-get-sued-for-using-pics-on-your-blog.html If I see a picture I want to use I just take a high resolution picture of the picture on my screen with my camera then upload it.
Google may not penalize your website, but the owner of the picture... Better take pictures from free stocks. E.g. sxc.hu
Hi, It might become a copyright issue if any blogger have posted his own creation and might report it to google and you might get penalised very unlikely to happen but its good to post your own pictures I would say. Siyaram.com
You won't be caught by Google if you save the image on your desktop, rename it and then upload for your purposes, Google is not able to reach image.. the text which was used as name of image was replaced by you. For optimization purposes, you can use alt tags, caption, title etc.. to get more benefit.
I've heard that even that method doesn't work. You change only the name, but not something like parameters and google can find out the picture anyway. fishook said about EXIF data, I think it can work
I didn't expect that many replies. Thanks for your suggestions. I like what you mentioned. I think using the print-screen also could work right? then cropping the image out and making it like a completely new image without the EXIF data. Sometimes finding a picture that is not copyrighted is hard. Say you wanted an image of a celebrity then you wouldn't be able to actually go visit them to take the photo for your blog, especially when your blog is not big. I guess contacting the owner of that image for permission is the best way, but still google can still punish you if they think it is a duplicate. I think what I mentioned above about the print-screen, would be enough to prevent google from knowing.
You can try a image hosting website like photo bucket and just rename the image. Or you can use photoshop to alter it a little bit.
Yes using print screen can definitely work as you are creating an entirely new image. Don't forget that you can put unique content in the description section with your keywords. Also put your keywords in the title and headline areas. Like this - If you do use other people's images make sure you are getting permission from the whom ever holds the rights to the image! A photographer could create the image but sell the exclusive rights to someone else!
I don't think the images will be a problem as much as you taking images that are not yours that may become a problem.
You just have to use copyright free images in public domain. they are free form copyright and you can use them without any issue of penalization..
I don't think also that Google will punish for image...if there are some logo or some special effect, created by image owner, into the image(s), never try to use such kind of images. it's better to make some changes by using photoshop. But, there is one very bad thing to use google images - if you want to put Ad Sense on your site, you never get Ad Sense code due to this image problem...so it's better either keep blank (without image) or to use your own created image.