If you have a blog, you probably already include images and you know how
important it is to do so. Adding visuals not only breaks up your text,
but it makes the post more exciting for your readers — hopefully
enhancing their reading experience and grabbing their attention.
Images also can affect your blog topic, because they can help introduce it or capture the emotion you’re trying to convey.
But even though pictures are important, you shouldn’t settle for the first one you come across when doing a Google search. This can land you in a lot of trouble if the image is copyrighted, and a lot of times, it might be difficult to tell if the image is copyrighted.
If you do a Google Images advanced search the right way, you’ll ensure the images you find are totally and completely free. There are also plenty of other resources besides Google that can help you find free images to liven up your blog posts, as well as help you steer clear of breaking any copyright laws.
Using an Advanced Google Search
There are a few simple steps to finding free images using Google and, if you haven’t been searching for your images this way, it’s a safe way to make sure you’re not breaking any copyrighting regulations. This article from Search Engine Watch breaks the steps down with helpful screenshots.
Try a Creative Commons Search
By using a Creative Commons search, you can search across multiple platforms for images to use on your blog. Even if you want a form of multimedia that’s not an image, you can search through YouTube or SoundCloud for video and audio.
Creative Commons licenses are unique in the fact that most copyright owners require a link back to them as a form of attribution. While Creative Commons searches allow you to check the ‘use for commercial purposes’ box, it’s still important to understand the license so you know how to give credit to the owner.
Check Out Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons is similar to the Creative Commons search, but it’s a project built under the Wikimedia Foundation. Its layout is in the form of a library that has multiple categories, such as images, audio and video — all of these files can be used for free, too.
You can also narrow your search into different categories of images like photograph or drawing, which makes searching Wikimedia Commons valuable and efficient. Most of the images have public domain, so you can use them freely without attribution; however, it’s important to note that some images may have Creative Commons’ licenses.
Wikipedia Commons also allows you to browse based on license, so you can easily search for images that have public domain. They also make it easy to check the license information below each picture, so you don’t have to worry about mistakenly ignoring license information.
Search for Images Using stock.xchng
Stock.xchng organizes and tags its collection of images, so you can save time when searching while also finding the ideal image for your blog. There are specific niche categories you can browse through, or there’s a basic search feature as well.
Most of the images are high quality, so using them on your blog or website can enhance your message. If you search for an image that’s widely-recognized and not niche-specific, you may unfortunately come across images you’ve seen on a lot of other blogs or sites. But if you take the time to use search terms that are unique to your niche, stock.xchng makes it easy for you to find unique images that most people haven’t used yet.
Try Photo Pin
Photo Pin is a source that can lead you to unique photographs to use in your posts, but it works similarly to a Creative Commons search. Most of their images are Creative-Commons-licensed photographs, which means you’ll probably have to give attribution. Fortunately, this tool makes it easy, providing a snippet of HTML for you to copy and paste to the bottom of your post.
Finding images for your blog is easy when you have the right resources. Don’t make the costly, unfortunate mistake of breaking a copyright regulation. If you use some of these sources, you can liven up your blog and use images fairly at the same time.
Images also can affect your blog topic, because they can help introduce it or capture the emotion you’re trying to convey.
But even though pictures are important, you shouldn’t settle for the first one you come across when doing a Google search. This can land you in a lot of trouble if the image is copyrighted, and a lot of times, it might be difficult to tell if the image is copyrighted.
If you do a Google Images advanced search the right way, you’ll ensure the images you find are totally and completely free. There are also plenty of other resources besides Google that can help you find free images to liven up your blog posts, as well as help you steer clear of breaking any copyright laws.
Using an Advanced Google Search
There are a few simple steps to finding free images using Google and, if you haven’t been searching for your images this way, it’s a safe way to make sure you’re not breaking any copyrighting regulations. This article from Search Engine Watch breaks the steps down with helpful screenshots.
- First, when you go to Google, make sure you’re in the ‘images’ section for your search. Enter your search term, and then click on the Gear icon. You’ll see various options on a drop-down menu, but select Advanced Search.
- Then, you’ll use the ‘usage rights’ menu, which also drops down, to select the option ‘free to use or share, even commercially.’ Once you select this, all you have to do is press the blue ‘advanced search’ button, and you’ll see a bunch of images appear that should be free.
- If you want to be safe, you can find tools like TinEye to double check the image’s usage rights to make sure a blogger didn’t remove the copyright information and upload it without the original owner’s knowledge.
Try a Creative Commons Search
By using a Creative Commons search, you can search across multiple platforms for images to use on your blog. Even if you want a form of multimedia that’s not an image, you can search through YouTube or SoundCloud for video and audio.
Creative Commons licenses are unique in the fact that most copyright owners require a link back to them as a form of attribution. While Creative Commons searches allow you to check the ‘use for commercial purposes’ box, it’s still important to understand the license so you know how to give credit to the owner.
Check Out Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons is similar to the Creative Commons search, but it’s a project built under the Wikimedia Foundation. Its layout is in the form of a library that has multiple categories, such as images, audio and video — all of these files can be used for free, too.
You can also narrow your search into different categories of images like photograph or drawing, which makes searching Wikimedia Commons valuable and efficient. Most of the images have public domain, so you can use them freely without attribution; however, it’s important to note that some images may have Creative Commons’ licenses.
Wikipedia Commons also allows you to browse based on license, so you can easily search for images that have public domain. They also make it easy to check the license information below each picture, so you don’t have to worry about mistakenly ignoring license information.
Search for Images Using stock.xchng
Stock.xchng organizes and tags its collection of images, so you can save time when searching while also finding the ideal image for your blog. There are specific niche categories you can browse through, or there’s a basic search feature as well.
Most of the images are high quality, so using them on your blog or website can enhance your message. If you search for an image that’s widely-recognized and not niche-specific, you may unfortunately come across images you’ve seen on a lot of other blogs or sites. But if you take the time to use search terms that are unique to your niche, stock.xchng makes it easy for you to find unique images that most people haven’t used yet.
Try Photo Pin
Photo Pin is a source that can lead you to unique photographs to use in your posts, but it works similarly to a Creative Commons search. Most of their images are Creative-Commons-licensed photographs, which means you’ll probably have to give attribution. Fortunately, this tool makes it easy, providing a snippet of HTML for you to copy and paste to the bottom of your post.
Finding images for your blog is easy when you have the right resources. Don’t make the costly, unfortunate mistake of breaking a copyright regulation. If you use some of these sources, you can liven up your blog and use images fairly at the same time.
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