Relevance Sorting on Shutterstock

Today’s post is a translation of another update from Shutterstock about improving the image search experience for users who come to the stock photo site to buy images by introducing relevance-based sorting. At the same time, this is useful for contributors to understand as well.

When we surveyed our subscribers about what they wanted from Shutterstock, many said they needed a tool to help find the right image faster. Point taken!

This week we’re introducing a new option in the Shutterstock search system: a sort mode codenamed Relevant.

Our search engine has one core mission – to help buyers find the most suitable image based on your keywords. With every passing day, our search gets smarter!

Now, when buyers search on the site, they see four buttons, each activating a different sort filter: New, Popular, Relevant, and Random.

It’s all quite straightforward.

Here are some frequently asked questions about what this change means for contributors:

Will relevance sorting become the default?

No, it’s a new option added alongside existing sort modes, so everything continues to work as before. In the future, we might change the default sort, but only if buyers clearly prefer it.

How does relevance sorting work?

We designed relevance sorting to deliver the most accurate and appropriate image search results for buyers. The ranking system is built to improve itself over time.

Of course, we’ll refine it based on user feedback. We make adjustments so results can vary from day to day and even from user to user.

What’s the difference between sorting by popularity and by relevance?

Popularity is straightforward and depends directly on download counts. Relevance uses a more advanced algorithm that weighs a combination of many different factors.

What’s the takeaway for contributors?

Relevance sorting favors images with accurate, well-curated keywords. Rolling out relevance should increase downloads for contributors who carefully optimize their keywords.

Where can I learn more about choosing the right keywords?

Here are several helpful resources on keywording:
Choosing the right keywords for editorial images
Keywords and sales: why the right choice matters
Choosing the right keywords. Part 2
Shutterstock’s “Keyword Trends” tool
Smart keyword selection during attribution

Author: Shutterbuzz
Original source: [http://buzz.shutterstock.com/shutterstock-new-search-order](http://buzz.shutterstock.com/shutterstock-new-search-order)