There’s been a fair amount of discussion recently about how accurate the Google Insights data is as an indicator of the market for stock photography subjects.
All picNiche result graphs now include data loaded from the google insights API, showing demand over time based on ‘Google Image Search’ searches and results for that keyword phrase.
Comparison
I’ve run the same queries I used as examples in my previous post and found there’s a pretty close correlation.
The google results growth starts later (much nearer the event/season), drops off sooner after, and peaks much higher. (You can hide the insights data using the ‘Show Google Image Insights’ checkbox when the peak is so high it affects the clarity of the regular data).
The peak is mainly due to the different model google uses to report the figures, though the nearer rise is probably a reflection of the types of people and small businesses using creative-commons sourced (or just plain stolen) images, those are the ‘less serious’ image consumers, unlikely to plan as far ahead as production professionals, and with little interest once past the usuable date.
Right now, I don’t see an obvious way to convert ‘freeloaders’ (if you’ll pardon the term) into microstock image buyers, though one thing is certain: there is still much space in the micro-priced markets, for any agency capable of reaching out to these ‘less-organised’ potential image buyers, and likewise, there is much to be gained in producing good quality work in subjects where there may currently be a lack of usable ‘free’ images.
Try your own searches at picNiche.com and let us know what the data says to you
Google Insights on picNiche Rating Graph
There’s been a fair amount of discussion recently about how accurate the Google Insights data is as an indicator of the market for stock photography subjects.
All picNiche result graphs now include data loaded from the google insights API, showing demand over time based on ‘Google Image Search’ searches and results for that keyword phrase.
Comparison
I’ve run the same queries I used as examples in my previous post and found there’s a pretty close correlation.
The google results growth starts later (much nearer the event/season), drops off sooner after, and peaks much higher. (You can hide the insights data using the ‘Show Google Image Insights’ checkbox when the peak is so high it affects the clarity of the regular data).
The peak is mainly due to the different model google uses to report the figures, though the nearer rise is probably a reflection of the types of people and small businesses using creative-commons sourced (or just plain stolen) images, those are the ‘less serious’ image consumers, unlikely to plan as far ahead as production professionals, and with little interest once past the usuable date.
Right now, I don’t see an obvious way to convert ‘freeloaders’ (if you’ll pardon the term) into microstock image buyers, though one thing is certain: there is still much space in the micro-priced markets, for any agency capable of reaching out to these ‘less-organised’ potential image buyers, and likewise, there is much to be gained in producing good quality work in subjects where there may currently be a lack of usable ‘free’ images.
Try your own searches at picNiche.com and let us know what the data says to you