Popular Keyword Trends on Shutterstock

What’s more popular: summer or spring? Cats or dogs? Over the past few months since the launch of the new Keyword Trends tool (which is a clearer name than the literal “keyword trends instrument” — Keyword Trends Tool), we’ve had fun comparing what buyers actually search for.

We also discovered seasonal insights that help contributors identify the best time to upload images to Shutterstock.

Top 5 Shutterstock Trends

Here are five of our favorite trend charts built from words suggested by Shutterstock’s contributor support team — and what we learned from them.

1. Dogs beat cats

Heard people say cat images rule the internet? Well, folks who buy on Shutterstock are clearly dog people — “dogs” have outperformed “cats” week after week. Woof!

2. Buyers prep for winter earlier than other seasons

Seasonal search interest usually peaks as the season arrives — with one exception: winter. Searches for “winter” peak in the last week of November, roughly three weeks early. So start uploading winter visuals in November to maximize visibility. Other seasons are more predictable: “spring” peaks in the third week of March, “summer” in the third week of June, and “fall/autumn” in the third week of September.

3. Clients want happy images, especially in December

Emotion terms are popular queries. Comparing them shows positive words like “happiness” and “joy” easily outrank darker terms like “sadness,” “anger,” and “seriousness.” That makes sense: brands want to associate with positivity, and people-expression content sells year-round. What surprised us is that searches for “happiness” and “joy” spike at the end of December.

4. Most users search “iPhone,” not “phone”

Here’s a clear signal of Apple product demand. In last year’s Q4, generic “phone” fell behind the keyword “iPhone.” Even more people searched for “iPad.” “Tablet” shows steady growth, likely from users seeking tablet devices. “Smartphone” remains popular (more so as one word), but its growth is slower.

Important note: Apple and other manufacturers strictly control product design, so submit device images as editorial-only content suitable for news. Generic phones and tablets are fine for non-editorial use.

5. Start creating snake images NOW

Late last year, searches for “dragon” surged because the Year of the Dragon began on January 23. Expect a repeat pattern when buyers start seeking visuals for the upcoming Year of the Snake, which starts in February. Want to capture demand for snake photos? Create them now and be ready to upload later this year.

We hope you find these insights as useful as we do. What interesting discoveries have you made with the Keyword Trends tool? Share in the comments!

Author: Shutterstock
Link: http://www.shutterstоck.com/buzz/keyword-trends-highlights