Analysis and news
Get the picture – keywording in context Keywords help people find visual content on search engines, photo libraries and in-house image databases, writes Clemency Wright
Successful keywording is measured by the efficiency and efficacy of the user experience. There are a number of factors to consider when developing a reliable and relevant keywording methodology: • Relevance and accuracy; • Consistency; • Usability; • Equity, diversity and inclusion; and • Accessibility. The way we search and the keywords
we use reflect the way we think, our cultural values, belief systems and our relationship with technology. It is an ever-changing landscape. Everything from how we work, the way we spend or leisure time, how we raise our families, to the way retail brands promote and sell products online shifts with technological advances. The popularity of social media and user-generated content allows brands to connect with target audiences by presenting themselves in an ‘authentic’ light.
But this requires attention not only to
the way content is produced and styled, but also to the way visual content is labelled, stored and retrieved.
Keywording fundamentals When working with creative imagery, there are two main types of keywords: attributes and concepts. Attributes are words used to describe the physical or stylistic elements of what can be seen in an image, and concepts are words used to convey the meaning or emotional context behind an image. Both are equally important to optimising
the search experience. One without the other can lead to content being missed, even though an image might provide the perfect solution to a very specific query. Attributes can include descriptive
terms about people (age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, relationship, occupation, activity, emotion, expression, clothing, distinguishing features etc.) Attributes are likely to account for around 80 per cent of the keywords attached to a creative image for search optimisation. These must be accurate and relevant, in
16 Research Information August/September 2021
other words, they must not be ambiguous, tenuous or too subjective. I like to call these types of keywords ‘non-negotiable’. They are what they are. Concepts, on the other hand, pose
more of a challenge. The way individuals respond differently to the same image can lead to confusion and uncertainty during the keywording process. Concepts cover broad themes such as ‘wellbeing’, ‘innovation’, ‘sustainability’ or ‘mentoring’. These are not easily classified; they are implied through a combination of style, setting, model type and any number of visual motifs. Concepts are naturally more subjective
but they must still be ‘true’ to the telling of the story. Relevant and accurate concepts will be those that most users agree on, that are typically recognised in the collective consciousness. They’re slightly more negotiable than attributes. Added to this is the increasing
responsibility we have in the creative content sector to ensure the content itself, and the way we search for it, is as accessible as possible to as many users as possible, regardless of their background, knowledge or experience. This is why search-based organisations continually review and adapt their messaging, update their visuals, and revise keywords on websites and blogs.
Keywording tools and techniques Keywording takes many forms. Some images have no keywords, some have too many. The only thing worse than having no keywords is having the wrong keywords. But how do you know what to add and what not to add? Keywording typically involves adding
keywords to images, videos, illustrations or any other asset type within some sort of search system, database or Digital Asset Management system. Alternatively, photographers, videographers and designers may use IPTC metadata fields embedded in the file to capture keywords (this can be performed in tools such as Photoshop, Lightroom or Capture One). Some of the above systems and
software allow users to create lists and templates for the keywords most often
required, creating greater efficiency and improved consistency. There are also plenty of situations
where keywords are applied ad-hoc with no template or structure, resulting in inconsistent keywording and varying degrees of search relevance. This is typically seen when keywording in a flat- format. Terms are not related in any way, and simply listed in a string (as is often the case in an Excel spreadsheet, with all keywords in one cell.) The benefits of structured keywords is that it allows for easier, faster keywording and more relevant and efficient search. In a keyword hierarchy (or controlled vocabulary) organisations can define and organise keywords relevant to their users and content, creating broad ‘parent’ terms (such as Mode of Transport) at the top, and related sub-categories (such as
“Content has the power to do good, and we have a responsibility to manage it with integrity”
Water Transport) beneath. A hierarchy can drill as deeply as required, depending on the needs of the specific users. Being able to pinpoint results for ‘submarines’ or more specifically ‘ballistic submarines’ is made possible through implementing a controlled vocabulary. As a keyworder, your main task is to ‘input’ keywords to help people find content. As a customer, your main concern is that the keywords you enter bring back relevant and accurate results. Understanding the language and search queries of your users is therefore essential to create a successful search experience.
User-focused search language The best way to approach keywording is to find out how users search, what terms they use, and what their expectations are. This can be achieved through questionnaires,
@researchinfo |
www.researchinformation.info
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
