As some of you may have already noticed, the
deviantART Prints storefront has a brand new Search feature. This will enable you to search through the prints available on deviantART using their
keywords. Here are some tips for using keywords that will help people find your work:
Use as many words as you can
The more words you use, the more times your print will be viewed. Let's say, for instance, you are posting an image of some lovely roses. Some keywords you may use are "roses, flowers, plants, nature, Valentine's Day, romance, love, gift, bouquet, red, bloom, blossoms..." and anything else you can think of (while keeping it relevant, of course).
Keep them on topic
Sure, putting in "Harry Potter" and "hot girls" will get you more hits; however, there is a very slim chance the people searching for those words are going to buy your print if it doesn't have to do with the subject they've searched for. Try to keep your keywords relevant to the content of the image.
Username
Many deviantART Prints artists promote their artwork in the real world through word-of-mouth, gallery showings, etc. Adding your username (or real name, depending on how you promote yourself) will enable non-dA members to find your artwork quickly and easily. While it makes perfect sense to dA members to view the artists gallery or store, non-members may very well take the easiest route to finding the artwork.
Description
The deviantART Prints Search function will also search the contents of your print's description. There is no need to list the contents of the description as keywords as well.
Title
The title of your artwork will not be queried in the search process. If you'd like people to be able to find your work based on the title (again, possibly from real world promotion), you will need to add the full title in the keyword or description.
Putting it to the test
Let's look at a print and create a list of keywords using the tips above:
This is a field of canola situated just outside of Calgary, Alberta. From viewing the image and knowing a few details about the subject, we can come up with the following keywords:
calgary, alberta
canola field
blue sky
clouds
farm
prairie
landscape
yellow
plants
godofodd
There are probably more that could be used. It is up to the artist to use the keywords they feel will be most effective in achieving two things: 1) Bringing up their artwork in a search and 2) having their print match the desired subject of the person performing the search.
Applying these tips to your current prints
You can access your current prints by using the
Update my Prints link in the "My Account" options down the right-hand side of your
Message Centre. Once in your store management, you will want to click
Your Products to view your currently active prints. Select the Details link on the print you wish to change and you can then edit your keywords and description.
Using these simple tips, you can assure that your prints will appear in the appropriate search results, gaining you exposure, sales, and fans! Good luck!
Devious Comments
Good article Bryan!
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Ollie
Lead Apostle of Real-Time Logic Enhancement
deviantART, Inc. - We iterate transparent paradigms!
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LOOK PRINTS
LOOK HOMEPAGE
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when adding say 3 words into keywords, it has to be like
1 2 3 or 1, 2, 3 or 1; 2; 3.. ?
thanks
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.c y b e r p h 0 b i a __ s t u d i o s
~cyberphobia | ~cyberpinup | ~da37
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The Dude Abides
Bryan Gibbs
Prints Quality Control
godofodd@deviantart.com
Shop deviantART
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.c y b e r p h 0 b i a __ s t u d i o s
~cyberphobia | ~cyberpinup | ~da37
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Some kick-ass Wedding Photography
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The community deserves respect.
Kitties, Character Design, Nature.
~hereKITTYthere
Something that I would like to add is if you wish to bring more people to your page to view/enjoy your art: simply think outside of your native tongue. Remember DA is worldwide.
Recently I have been typing in KEYWORDS for my pictures in English, French, Italian, and Spanish. [link] Wordreference is a wonderful resource when you need keywords in Italian, French, or Spanish. You could simply add more keywords in different languages and get views from people interested in that subject (and possibly even a sale).
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"Our thoughts form the universe - they always matter"
--G'Kar Babylon 5
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