Best Practices for Keywording on The Luupe

Boost visibility and get your stock images licensed. Learn how to write strong titles, descriptions, and keywords that help brands find your work on The Luupe’s creative marketplace.

• Think like a buyer. Put yourself in the mindset of a brand or creative director. Ask: What might someone search for to find this image? Start with the obvious (what’s literally in the photo), then expand into potential campaign themes or emotions.
• Add locations to your keywords. If you're licensing imagery on The Luupe (especially travel and places) be sure to include the location (city/state/country) in your descriptions and keywords!
• Mix literal and emotional keywords. Pair descriptive tags (e.g. woman laughing, sunset picnic, coffee shop interior) with emotional and conceptual ones (joy, freedom, cozy, authenticity, togetherness). Brands often search by vibe.
• Use strong titles and descriptions — not just keywords. Our search pulls from title, description, and keywords. Short but specific titles like “Friends sharing iced coffee in summer sun” beat generic ones like “Outdoor photo.” It’s fine if your titles and descriptions are similar, just use them strategically!
• Describe the unseen. Is there a theme of sustainability? A moment of quiet joy? A generational story? Tagging those less obvious ideas can help your image surface in niche, high-intent searches.
• Consider using AI. AI keywording tools (like phototag.ai) can help to speed up the process if you’re tagging large quantities of image listings. Run a quick human check to make sure everything’s accurate — and add any important details the tool might’ve overlooked.
• Be inclusive. The Noun Project has some great tips on how to create inclusive descriptors.