Metadata and keywords play a crucial role in how your images are found, displayed and understood by users and search engines. Well-structured metadata improves visibility, search accuracy and overall user experience.

1. Be accurate and descriptive
Always describe what is actually visible in the image.

Avoid:
• misleading titles
• unrelated keywords
• generic descriptions without meaning

Accurate descriptions help users find exactly what they are looking for.

2. Use relevant keywords only
Keywords should reflect the content of your image.

Good keywords:
• match the subject of the image
• include location (if relevant)
• include theme or category

Bad practice:
• adding popular but unrelated keywords
• repeating the same keyword multiple times

Irrelevant keywords reduce search quality and may negatively affect visibility.

3. Keep keywords structured
Use a clean and consistent format:

• lowercase only
• separated by commas
• no special characters or unnecessary punctuation

Example:
valletta, malta, sunset, harbour, skyline, travel

4. Avoid keyword stuffing
Adding too many keywords does not improve search results.

Instead:
• focus on quality over quantity
• use 5–15 strong keywords per image
• keep them relevant and specific

5. Use all metadata fields
Make full use of:

• title
• caption
• description
• meta description
• keywords

Each field serves a different purpose and improves discoverability.

6. Think like a user
Ask yourself:

• What would someone search for to find this image?
• Which words best describe it?

This helps create more effective keywords.

7. Use multiple languages where possible
Adding metadata in multiple languages increases visibility across different audiences.

If your language is not supported, always use English.

8. Review before submitting
Before submitting your image:

• check spelling and grammar
• remove duplicate keywords
• ensure consistency across fields

9. Metadata length guidelines
For best results in search engines and on the platform, keep your metadata within recommended length ranges.

Recommended:
• Title: 50–60 characters
• Meta description: 140–160 characters
• Caption: short sentence
• Description: 1–3 short paragraphs
• Keywords: 5–15 relevant terms

These are guidelines, not strict limits. Focus on clarity, relevance and natural wording rather than exact character count.

Well-prepared metadata increases the chances of your image being discovered, viewed and used.