You have likely taken a lot of time to come up with fantastic content on your site, right? You have optimized your blog entries, you have optimized your product descriptions and you have done all you can to make your site a worthwhile visit.
But what I would say is, what if I told you that there is a powerful, creative and often untapped way to get more eyes on your web site? Another method that does not necessarily mean writing more and more words?
I mean the force of visuals. The content that makes the internet so lively. In particular, I am referring to the submission of images.
It may be a little technical but trust me, it is not. This is possible in case you can post a photo on social media. This guide will go through it, bit by bit. We are going to discuss what they are, why they are the secret weapon in the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of your image submission sites, and how you can start today, and best of all, it is free.
Consider me as your good friend. We will do this in stages, one step at a time and with no jargon to confuse you. Ready? So, let us get into it.
What Are Image Submission Sites?
Image submission sites are web locations where you can send pictures and share them with a large number of people. Imagine them as huge community photo albums or the Internet art galleries. You share a photo and you have the ability to add stuff such as a title, a description, tags and above all to us, a link back to your web site.
You are likely to have heard of some of these places:
- Pinterest: The massive online bulletin board on which individuals find inspiration, be it recipes to home design.
- Flickr: An early photo-sharing community, a favorite of photographers.
- Imgur: The place to go on the internet to get viral images, GIFs, and memes.
These websites are not mere time killers. They can be a goldmine to anyone who is interested in making his or her website easier to find. Posting an interesting visual (it may be a photo, an infographic, or even a well-designed graphic) establishes a trail that leads people, and Google, directly to your online door.
Why Image Submission Is Still a Powerful Off-Page SEO Technique in 2025
You may think that this trick is too ancient. Is it functional in 2025?
Yes, SEO is dynamic, but image submission has increased. It is not all about link building anymore. It is more connected, more important, and smarter than ever.
1. The Web is highly graphical.
Scrolling through a screen, you see a large piece of text or a bright image. Images are processed quicker by people than words. Google is aware of this. Visual content has become a priority in search engines as it is what the users desire. Google Images is a search engine by itself and one of the largest ones in the world. Sharing your pictures will ensure that you reach the users at their level.
2. Backlinks are not all that it is.
Back in the olden days, SEOs would primarily submit images to gain a backlink, or a link between one site and another. Although that remains an advantage, it is not the whole picture anymore. The benefits are far more extensive today:
- Referral traffic: A human being visits your infographic on Pinterest, and it happens that they find it helpful, and they follow the link to read your entire blog post. That is a very active visitor who is landing on your site.
- Brand awareness: Your logo, the colours of your brand, your product shots all are seen by thousands, sometimes millions of people. It is similar to free advertising which creates familiarity and credibility.
- Social signals: Social signals are the positive messages that search engines receive when individuals pin, share and upvote your images on these sites indicating that your content is useful and interesting.
3. Google's AI is Getting Smarter About Images
MUM is a sophisticated AI developed by Google. Search engines today read the file name of your image only. MUM has eyes to see and know what is in a picture and the background, as well.
By posting an image on a quality site with a decent title, description and tags, you are providing Google with rich context. This informs Google that your image (and by extension your site) is a valuable asset to a particular topic.
In 2025, image submission is not only topical, but a component of a balanced off-page SEO strategy. It assists you to create a network of links that attracts people and the search engines to your site in numerous ways.
Free Image Submission Sites vs Paid: Which One to Choose & Why
In search of the places where you can send your photos, you will see both free and paid services. To most people, making a prudent decision is surprisingly easy.
Free Submission of Images Sites
These are the big guns: Pinterest, Flickr, Imgur, Imgbox, and so many others.
Pros:
It is free! This is the greatest advantage. You may begin without a budget.
- Huge Audiences: These sites boast of millions of active users per day and therefore your content can reach a very large number of people.
- Ideal to the novice: They are simple to use and an excellent place to learn what works.
- Creates a Natural Link Profile: Acquiring links on such popular sites as these appears natural and healthy to Google.
Cons:
- It is Competitive: It is very hard to be noticed with this number of users.
- Frequently Nofollow Links: A large number of free sites use rel=”nofollow” in their links. This tells Google that it should not transfer the so-called ranking power via the link.
BUT, that should not prevent you! Even a nofollow link may result in unbelievable traffic and brand awareness, which is an enormous SEO advantage by itself.
Paid Image Submission Sites
They are stock photo websites (such as Getty Images or Shutterstock) or professional portfolio websites where you buy a premium membership.
Pros:
- High Authority: Google usually considers such sites as very authoritative and credible.
- Opportunity to do ‘Dofollow’ Link: You stand a better chance of getting a dofollow link which transfers ranking juice.
- Niche Targeting: A lot of paid sites are niche-focused, such as professional photography or graphic design.
Cons:
- It is Expensive: It can be a hitch to small businesses, bloggers, and startups.
Not Always necessary: For general SEO purposes, the cost may not be worth the benefits.
The Verdict?
Start with free sites: The reach of the free image submission sites will be more than adequate to achieve great results in 99 percent of the cases of website owners, bloggers, and small businesses. First learn how to share on Pinterest and Flickr. They are free and will not cost you a penny, these platforms can drive actual traffic to your site and establish the authority of your brand.
Benefits of Image Submission for SEO
The following are some of the practical advantages of uploading your photos.
- Creates High Quality Backlinks: Each time that you submit an image with a link back to your site, you are creating a back link. Consider a backlink as a vote of confidence on another site. The better the votes you get, the more powerful your own site looks to Google.
- Sends Gigantic Referral Traffic: Suppose you are a food blogger. You pin a beautiful picture of your new cake recipe to Pinterest. Thousands of people view it, their mouths water, and they click the link to go to your site to get the recipe. This is referral traffic-actual people visiting your site because they are actually interested in what you are offering. Such traffic is usually very active and more inclined to convert.
- Increases Your Brand Awareness: It is important to get your brand name and images out there. People can learn to trust you when they see your logo on infographics or your distinctive photography style again and again. Such brand awareness can result in increased direct traffic and increased click-through rates on search results.
- Enhances Your Google Image Search Results: Don t overlook Google Images! A lot of individuals seek visually. Optimizing and submitting your images gives them an opportunity to appear in image search results. A high ranking picture can be a permanent, non-active source of traffic to your site over the years.
- Assists in Speedier Indexing: Whenever you post a new blog or a new page you want Google to locate it at the soonest possible time. Sending a picture on that page to an active and popular site can serve as a flag to Google and its bots will find your new content quicker.
40+ Free Image Submission Sites List with DA 90+
High DA Image Submission Sites List
How to Optimize Your Images for Submission: The SEO Checklist
Read these few easy steps before you begin uploading photos. It is capable of transforming a single image into something that a lot of individuals will observe and share. That is referred to as image optimization.
1. Choose The Best Image:
Begin with a good one.
- Quality is important: No fuzzy, grainy or pixelated pictures!
- Topicality matters: The image should correspond to what is on the site you are linking to.
- The picture must be value-added: Infographics, charts, checklists, special data visualizations, and arresting, original photography are effective since they present self-contained ideas.
2. Name The File Smartly
Do not put up IMG_7890.jpg. File names make search engines know what the image is about. Be descriptive and keyword-rich.
- Bad: photo1.jpg
- Good: ultimate-guide-image-submission-seo.jpg
3. Compress The Image Size
Site speed is important even to the images. Use a free tool like TinyPNG or Squoosh to reduce the file size without significantly compromising quality.
4. Pick the Right File Type
- JPEG: It is most appropriate with normal pictures. It provides quality with a small file size.
- PNG: It is ideal in graphics, logos and images requiring a transparent background. It is better quality, but also a bigger file size.
- WebP: It is a recently released format by Google that can provide high quality at significantly reduced file size. It is gaining popular support.
5. Write Amazing Alt Text
Alt text (alternative text) is the text which is shown when the image does not load. More to the point, it is what screen readers rely on to describe the image to visually impaired users and it is a massive hint to search engines.
- Be descriptive: A woman smiling sitting at a desk and writing in a notebook beside a laptop.
- Use your keyword organically: A marketing professional working on an SEO plan on a computer.
6. Craft a Catchy Title
When you post the picture, you will be requested to provide a title. Make it interesting and insert your primary keyword. “10 Surprising SEO Advantages of Image Submission (Infographic)” will be better than “My Image”.
7. Write a Detailed, Helpful Description
Here is your time to shine! Do not simply spew a list of keywords. Tell what the picture is about.
- Provide context: In case it is an infographic, outline the main points.
Here you put your link! Naturally, work it in, e.g.: “To get the full breakdown of each step, see our complete guide on the blog.”
8. Use Relevant Tags
Apply pertinent tags. A tagging system is applied in the majority of image submission sites. Apply a combination of general and narrow tags that individuals may search your image. In our case, you may apply such tags as #SEO, #DigitalMarketing, #OffPageSEO, #ContentMarketing, #Infographic.
How to Submit Images – Image Submission Tutorial (Step-by-step)
Want to have a go yourself? So, we are going to go through a submission to a very popular and simple to use site: Imgur.
Step 1: Sign up for a Free Account: Go to Imgur.com and register. It is fast and simple.
Step 2: Locate the New Post Button: After you logged in, you will see a green button at the top of the page which says “+ New Post”. Click it.
Step 3: Post Your Optimized Picture: A window will open. Now you may drag and drop your image file into this window or click on the button Choose Photo/Video to browse your computer. Don t forget to use the image that you already optimized with a good file name!
Step 4: Complete All the Info: After uploading your image, you will notice fields on the right hand side. Here your optimization efforts will be rewarded:
- Title: Use a keyword-rich, catchy title to your post. This is what all will notice first.
- Description: This is the most important one! Write a couple of sentences about your picture. Tell me why it is beneficial or helpful. And, more importantly, include the back link to your site here. Make it a full url (example, https://www.yourwebsite.com/your-blog-post).
- Tags: Put in 5-6 useful tags so that people can find your picture. Imgur will also recommend common tags as you enter them.
Step 5: Publish to the Community: When you post a picture there will be two buttons, Public or Hidden. Choose Public, in case you want SEO and traffic. Then press the green button To Community.
Step 6: You are on air!: That’s it! Your picture is up on Imgur. It is possible to upvote, comment, and find it by millions of users. And best of all, it has a link back to your site.
It is quite the same with other sites such as Flickr, Pinterest, and Imgbox. All you have to do is find the upload button and add as many details as possible.
Image Submission SEO Best Practices
Congratulations! Now you are well aware of the fundamentals of posting pictures online. Here are some pro tips to level up.
- Quantity is no match to consistency: A single good schedule will do more than an outburst of activity and then nothing. Upload 2-3 good quality pictures per week rather than uploading 100 pictures and disappearing six months later. Frequent posts gain momentum.
- Do not spam, but give real value: The purpose is to serve the community, not to irritate it. Be sure to post your best and most helpful photos and customize every description to the site.
- Approach the appropriate platforms: Photo-rich sites such as Pinterest and Flickr are ideal when you have a travel blog. In case you are a B2B software company, an infographic on a site that the marketers visit is more appropriate. Quality and relevance trumps sheer numbers.
- Deep linking to a particular, relevant page: You do not have to send people back to your homepage all the time. In case your picture is an infographic explaining 10 tips on baking, then link to the blog post explaining more on the tips. This assists the user and increases SEO.
- Participate in the community: Post and be active. Comment on other pictures, follow others in your niche and join groups on Pinterest and Flickr, spending a few minutes doing so. This gives your profile a real appearance, and can increase your own visibility.
Google Image Submission – Best Practices
A lot of individuals believe that they can post pictures directly to Google as they do with Pinterest. That is not the case. Google crawls and indexes photos on your own site.
In order to have your pictures appear in the Google images, concentrate on the on-page image SEO.
- Make an image sitemap: An image sitemap is a listing of all the images on your site. It assists Google in locating all images including images that are loaded using JavaScript. When you have WordPress, you can have one generated automatically by an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math.
- Optimize images on your site: adhere to the optimization checklist (clear file names, add alt text, compress the files). This on your own site is more important than posting to Pinterest on the images.
- Contextualize images: Google considers the text around an image to know more about it. Put your pictures next to your related paragraphs, headings and captions on your web page.
- Add Schema Markup (advanced tip): Schema markup is some extra code that you can add to your site to provide more information to search engines. The ImageObject schema informs Google about who created the image, what the image is captioned, and what the license is. Not beginner material but nice to know it is out there.
Choosing the Right Sites for Image Submission
To get you started here is a list of some of the best and most reputable free image submission sites.
- Pinterest: The outright king of image discovery and referral traffic. Great in practically any niche, particularly lifestyle, e-commerce, food, and design.
- Flickr: One of the high-authority photographer and enthusiast communities. Excellent with good, original photos.
- Imgur: Ideal to share more casual, amusing stuff such as GIFs, memes, and viral pictures. Enjoys a huge active fan base.
- 500px: A professional photographer site where photographers can share their work. This is an excellent place to be in case your brand depends on breathtaking photography.
- Behance: A site owned by Adobe where creatives can show their portfolio. Perfect for graphic designers, illustrators, and web designers.
- Imgbox: Super simple, fast and free image hosting. It is superb to get an image online and share it.
- DeviantArt: It is one of the biggest communities of online artists and designers. An excellent option for digital artists and illustrators.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
It can be simple to get going online but there are some traps to avoid.
- Copyrighted images use: Do not share a photo or art that does not belong to you. You may be sued, your account suspended and all your work deleted. Use your own photographs, or royalty-free stock images.
- Keyword stuffing: Do not repeat words in your title or description. Write to people and not to search engines. The tagline of your company is spammy and will harm your rankings: Best SEO Services SEO Expert SEO Agency.
- Forgot the connection: You may forget to backlink to your site in your haste to post. Always double-check!
- Disregarding the rules of the site: Every online community has a style. What is good on Imgur may not be good on Behance. Before you post, look around to see what sort of content is popular there.
- Use of a single site: Diversify! A better approach is to be found in 2-3 appropriate websites rather than all your efforts on one.
Conclusion
Image submission is not a black magic of SEO. It is an imaginative, entertaining and actually successful method of reaching more people.
It is a tactic that accepts the visual aspect of the new web. Links are only part of the story; it is about getting real, interested visitors to your site, creating a memorable brand and opening up more avenues of discovery.
You do not have to be a professional photographer or a graphics design genius to make it. It only takes a piece of visual content that is of value to your audience, be it an insightful infographic, a beautiful photo of your product, or a helpful screenshot tutorial, and a desire to share it.
Then what are you waiting for? Locate a wonderful picture that you are proud of, and then run it through our optimization checklist and attempt to submit it to one of the sites we listed. You may be surprised at all.
FAQs
What is the number of images I am supposed to submit daily?
Quality, not quantity. It is better to post one good, well-optimized picture on several related sites once a week than to saturate 20 bad images everywhere daily. Consistency matters.
Does the image site “nofollow links” do nothing to help SEO?
No. Such links do not transfer direct ranking power, but they are quite useful. They drive referral traffic, generate brand awareness, and establish a natural-looking backlink profile all of which are good indicators of SEO.
Am I allowed to send the same photo to multiple sites?
You can. Take a minute to write a different title and description per platform to get the best results. This gives the submission an authentic look and feel that it fits the community of that site.
Do I have to be a photographer to use image submission sites?
No! Not all the most successful content on these sites is photos. Infographics, data visualizations, charts, checklists, bespoke illustrations, and even useful screenshot guides are amazing.