• Try “portfolio”, “ink”, “branding” or a code like “PRS 101”.

PRS 235Professional Identity and Online Presence

Google Images and Visual Discoverability

Make your artwork findable and properly credited in image search: file names, alt text, context, image sitemaps and creator metadata.

Planned

About this course

For visual artists, image search is often how strangers first meet the work. This course applies Google's published image guidance to portfolio sites: descriptive file names, useful alt text that also serves people using screen readers, placing images near relevant text, supported formats and sizes, image sitemaps, and embedding creator and credit information so your name travels with the file where platforms support it. Builds directly on Search Engine Optimization for Artists.

Who it’s for: Artists, illustrators and photographers who publish work online and want it found and credited. Complete Search Engine Optimization for Artists first.

You will be able to

  • Rename and prepare image files with descriptive names in supported formats
  • Write alt text that is accurate, useful and not keyword-stuffed
  • Place images with relevant surrounding text and a preferred preview image
  • Add creator, credit line and rights-notice metadata to image files
  • Check how your work currently appears in image search and set a baseline

Prerequisites

Studio project

Ten portfolio images fully prepared for discovery and credit: descriptive names, alt text, captions, embedded creator metadata and a baseline for tracking image search.

To complete this course

  • Complete every required lesson.
  • Have the assignment “Image discoverability pass” accepted by an instructor.
  • Records of completion are issued only for courses whose content has passed instructor review.

Part of

Syllabus

Working titles: they may change as the course is written.

  1. Module 1: How image search finds your work

    What Google can and can't read about an image.

    1. 1.1How images are foundReading · 25 min
    2. 1.2Your image search baselineExercise · 25 min

  2. Module 2: Preparing files

    Names, formats and sizes.

    1. 2.1Descriptive file namesExercise · 25 min
    2. 2.2Formats, sizes and speedReading · 20 min

  3. Module 3: Alt text and context

    Describe the image for people first.

    1. 3.1Writing alt text for artworkExercise · 35 min
    2. 3.2Context, captions and preferred imagesReading · 20 min

  4. Module 4: Credit, metadata and sitemaps

    Help your name travel with the work.

    1. 4.1Creator, credit and rights-notice metadataExercise · 35 min
    2. 4.2Image sitemapsReading · 20 min
    3. 4.3What metadata can't doReading · 15 min

Sources

Author: Ricketts University curriculum team (draft for founder review) · Not yet reviewed

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