New Zealand keywording company Keedup has announced the launch of a streamlined keywording service aimed at the microstock market segment. The service relies on a 15-word standard that captures the most important technical, literal, thematic and conceptual keywords.
The primary goal of the new micro standards is cost-effectiveness. Keedup is targeting agencies and photographers on a budget, or those with large collections that would incur a prohibitively high keywording cost.
Why couldn’t the photographer come up with these 15 words himself? According to Keedup chief executive Kevin Townsend, there are benefits that go beyond the sheer volume of work it would take to keyword a sizeable amount of images. For example, Townsend says that the best results are achieved by keyworders with experience and an excellent grasp of the English language.
“Knowing the right balance between the literal and conceptual is also important,” he adds. “A picture of a woman meditating could include many keywords describing her literal appearance, such as eyes closed and legs crossed, but more useful keywords could relate to the subject of meditation or words such as peace, harmony and well-being.”
Townsend also suggested that the new micro standard is a good first step of a deeper keywording process, which can be done at a later time, in a less budget-constricted environment. He hopes that the cost-effectiveness of the new service will attract customers who have not previously outsourced keywording tasks.