Imagine you’ve taken an amazing photo like a beautiful sunset, a tasty meal or a cool product you want to sell. You want people on the internet to see it right? That’s where “image submission sites” come in. These are online places made for you to share your photos and for others to find them. The digital advertising market around the world is massive and keeps growing. In 2025 it’s expected to be worth about $763.6 billion. And guess what? A big part of digital advertising relies on visuals! Research shows that articles with images receive 94% more views than those without. People are more likely to click and engage when they see pictures.
To see why this matters let’s take a step back and look at the internet today. It’s very focused on visuals! Think about platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and even news websites. Overall the internet is increasingly about images and videos. Image submission websites are tools that help people share their pictures and get them noticed online.
Types of Image Submission Sites
Not all image upload sites are created equal. They have various purposes and come in different forms. Let’s consider some of the typical forms that you might come across:
Image Hosting Sites:
They are cloud-based storage sites just for your images. Think of them as photo albums stored in the cloud. Imgur, Flickr, and 500px are good examples that easily come to mind. They are simple and ideal to share images with ease.
Stock Photo Sites:
These are Image Submission Sites where pictures are sold and purchased. You can post your good photographs to websites like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Getty Images. Your images are sold to businesses, bloggers, and designers who need photographs for their projects. You get a share of the revenue when your work is licensed by someone.
Creative Portfolio Sites:
As a visual creator – a photographer, illustrator, designer – you might want to show your best work professionally. There are Behance and Dribbble for that. They’re basically portfolios online where you can upload your images to prove your skill and attract clients or jobs.
Social Media Sites (Image-Oriented):
While social media is not only for posting images, platforms like Pinterest and Instagram are visually oriented. They are wonderful platforms to post your pictures and get a following. Pinterest is a more visual discovery platform where images are used to link to websites and products.
Business Directories and Listing Websites with Image Areas
If you have a business, especially a local business, you can use web directories like Yelp, Google My Business, or industry-specific business-class directories. Some of them offer the ability to add photos with your business listing.
Key Uses of Image Submission Sites
So, why would anyone be using these submission sites? What’s in it for you? Let’s demystify the top reasons:
- Getting Backlinks to Your Website (SEO Boost): This sounds a little techie, but it’s really easy. A “backlink” is a vote of confidence from one site to another. When you submit your photos to some websites, you usually have the opportunity to link back to your own site. Search engines such as Google interpret these backlinks as endorsements.
- Boosting Online Exposure: By sharing your photos on these Image Submission Sites, you’re basically spreading your net wider online. Your photos are no longer only on your site (assuming you have one). They’re now exposed in these other locations as well. Individuals searching for something on these picture sites could happen upon your photos and, from there, make their way to you or your company.
- Generating Traffic to Your Site: Most image submission sites enable you to add links with your images. Strategically placed links can send visitors who view your images back to your site, blog, or store. If a visitor views an image they like on an image website, a strategically placed link can make it simple for them to click through and find out more about what you have to offer.
- Displaying Your Visual Portfolio: For artists, these websites are a venue where you can put your best foot forward and expose your work to more people. If you are a photographer searching for clients, a designer wishing to flaunt your projects, or an artist in need of exposure, image submission websites, particularly portfolio-based ones, can be great platforms to demonstrate your visual abilities.
- Embedding Pictures on Websites and Blogs: Sites that host pictures, especially, allow it to be extremely simple to obtain embed codes for your pictures. This allows you to place a picture on a hosting site, obtain a code, and then copy that code onto your web site or blog so the picture will appear.
Why Aim for High DA Sites? How DA Boosts Backlink Power
Now, let’s discuss something termed “Domain Authority” or DA. Suppose sites have reputations, as do people. The greater the DA, the more authoritative and trustworthy the site is viewed.
So, why do we need to target “High DA” image submission websites? It’s all about the strength of those backlinks that we discussed before.
- Credibility by Association: When you have a backlink from a website with high DA, it’s similar to having a recommendation from a very influential individual. Google interprets backlinks from high-DA Image Submission Sites as more powerful endorsements. A backlink from a site with a DA of 70 or 80 is going to be more powerful than a backlink from a site with a DA of 10 or 20.
- Stronger Backlinks = Improve SEO: Backlinks from high DA websites do more to enhance your website’s search engine position. They inform Google that your site is also linked with trustworthy sources, which can enhance your site’s own credibility over time.
- Trust and User Perception: Although DA is primarily a measure for search engines, it also indirectly indicates user trust. Established, reputable sites have high DA. Placing your images (and links) on these sites may also add to your brand’s perceived trust with users. If users see your images on trusted sites, they are more likely to perceive your brand as trustworthy.
- Long-Term SEO Advantages: Backlinks from high DA pages tend to be more consistent and worthwhile in the long term. They will rarely be discounted or penalized by search algorithms. Creating backlinks from influential pages is an age-old SEO method that can result in lasting gains for your website’s online visibility.
Explore off-page sites: Article submission sites
Why Use Image Submission Sites for SEO?
1. Creating Valuable Backlinks:
Sites where images can be submitted are an excellent source for creating such valuable backlinks. When you submit an image, you will typically have the ability to include a link back to your site. This link is a backlink. Getting backlinks from various sources, like image submission websites, helps create a good foundation of backlinks for your site, which is a very significant aspect in SEO.
2. Increasing Web Presence
When you upload your pictures on these sites, your pictures are now visible on another site. People visiting these picture sites can view your pictures and see the link back to your site. This actually enhances your online presence. Your site and brand are now exposed to a wider audience who might not have found you through a direct search by themselves.
3. Building Website Authority
Getting backlinks from high DA submission sites is a way of promoting your website’s authority. It is like being endorsed by an extremely credible source. When a high authority site links to you, Google will consider it as a signal that your website is probably good and trustworthy as well. Over time, acquiring backlinks from credible sites will help boost your website’s overall authority score, leading to better search engine rankings.
4. Referral Traffic Driving
The people looking for these submission websites are often seeking information visually. If your pictures are suitable and compelling, and your title and description are compelling, people might click your picture. If you have put up a prominent link to your website, and if their interest is piqued, they are likely to go through and visit your website. This is “referral traffic” – visitors that arrive from a referral coming in from a second site to your site.
5. Image Search Ranking Improvement
When people search for images related to your business or topic on Google Images, your image-optimized images hosted on image submission websites are likely to be displayed in these results. This is another visibility and traffic boost opportunity, but this time from people who are actually searching for visual content related to what you have to offer.
150+ Image Submission Sites List
How to Optimize Images for Maximum Impact?
Here’s how you can get your pictures looking terrific and doing good work for you online:
- Choose the Right File Name: Save your image file as something more than “IMG1234.jpg.” Give it a name based on words people may search for. Use dashes to space out words. It makes search engines know what your picture is all about.
- Use “Alt Text” : “Alt text” is an abbreviation for “alternative text.” It’s a description you insert into your image that informs search engines (and individuals who are unable to see images, such as those using screen readers) about the image. When you upload an image to an Image Submission Site, find a field with the words “Alt Text,” “Description,” or something similar.
- Resize and Compress Your Image: Large image files make sites slow. Nobody wants to wait forever for a page to open! Slow sites can even perform worse in search results. So, be sure to have the right size of image and “compressed” so that it lessens its file size before submitting it.
- Relevance is Key: Make sure the image you’re submitting is relevant to your website or the page you’re linking to. If your website is about gardening, submitting random pictures of cars won’t be very helpful (or relevant!). Choose images that make sense in context and align with what you’re trying to promote or share.
- Consider Uniqueness (If Possible): Although not always necessary for all submissions, if you have unique, original images, they will be more noticeable. Unique images are noticed more and are considered more valuable than generic stock photos that anyone can use.
Step-by-Step Guide to Submit Image on Image Submission Sites
Ready to implement this? Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to uploading your optimized images to Submission Sites:
Step 1: Find High DA Image Submission Sites
Do you remember we discussed “Domain Authority” (DA) before? It’s a website’s reputation score. We would like to target Submission Sites with high DA since backlinks from these websites are worth more in SEO.
Step 2: Prepare Your Optimized Image
Before you begin submitting, have your image optimized! Work through the steps we just discussed: Use a keyword-rich, descriptive file name, Write a concise and descriptive description and ensure it’s web-friendly size and file size.
Step 3: Create an Account (If Needed)
Most Image Submission Sites will ask you to sign up for a free account before you can submit images. This is normally a simple process: Visit the website of the Image Submission Site. Find a “Sign Up,” “Register,” or “Create Account” button. Enter the information needed (normally just an email and password). Occasionally you’ll have to confirm your email address by clicking on a link sent to your inbox.
Step 4: Upload Your Image
Once you’re logged in (or on sites that don’t require login), look for an “Upload,” “Submit Image,” or similar button. The upload process is usually straightforward: Click the “Upload” button. You’ll probably see a button that says “Choose File” or “Browse.” Click it and find your optimized image file on your computer. Select your image and click “Open” or “Upload.”
Step 5: Add the Details
Once you have uploaded, you will typically be prompted to add some details about your photo. This is where you make the most of your SEO potential and allow others to find your photo: Give your photo a descriptive title that is engaging.
Step 6: Insert Your Backlink
This is the most important SEO step! Find a place where you can enter a website link. It may be called “Website,” “Source URL,” or something else. Paste the URL of your site (or the page you wish to link to) carefully into this space. Double-check that the link is correct!
Step 7: Submit and Check
Lastly, press the “Submit,” “Publish,” or “Share” button to complete your submission of the image. Once you have submitted, navigate to the page of the image on the Image Submission Site and verify that your image is displayed. Click on the link you embedded in order to ensure that it properly links to your site.
SEO Do follow sites: social bookmarking sites
How to Use Image Submission Sites for Branding and Lead Generation
They’re also powerful tools for building your brand and even attracting potential customers, what we call “lead generation.” Let’s see how:
Building Your Brand Visually
Think of your brand as your personality – what makes you unique and recognizable. Just like your logo and brand colors help people identify you, your visual style does too. These submission sites are fantastic platforms to consistently showcase your brand’s visual identity.
Generating Leads Visually
Lead generation is all about attracting people who are potentially interested in what you offer and turning them into customers. These submission sites can be surprisingly effective for this. If you’re selling fitness equipment, share images of people achieving their fitness goals using your equipment. If you offer travel tours, showcase breathtaking destinations you offer tours to.
Visual Storytelling to Engage and Entice
People love stories, and images are a powerful way to tell them visually. Instead of just posting product photos, try to create mini-stories with your images. Showcase the benefits of your product or service. For a cooking class, don’t just show the kitchen; show people laughing, learning, and enjoying delicious food they’ve cooked themselves. Visual storytelling is much more engaging than just promotional pictures.
Strategic Calls to Action (CTAs):
Don’t just upload images and hope for the best. Strategically include calls to action to guide people to the next step. In your image descriptions, you can gently encourage viewers to: “Visit our website to learn more” (and include your website link).
Driving Traffic to Landing Pages:
Instead of always linking to your homepage, consider linking to specific “landing pages” on your website that are directly related to the image content. For example, if you’re sharing an image of a specific product, link directly to that product page on your site.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Following are some common mistakes to watch out for, and how to keep on track:
- Using Low-Quality or Irrelevant Images: Fuzzy, pixelated, or irrelevant photos make your business appear amateur and can actually injure your internet reputation. Be sure to employ high-resolution clear and good-looking images. Have them be of relevance to your business and image you wish to project. Have good photography or use quality stock photos if you must.
- Ignoring Image Optimization (File Names, Alt Text, etc.): You lose out on SEO advantages and make it more difficult for individuals and search engines to interpret your images. Always optimize your images! Utilize descriptive file names, craft meaningful alt text descriptions, and resize and compress your images before uploading. It only takes a few extra minutes, but the payoff is well worth it.
- Being Too Promotional or Spammy: Most people don’t like being hit with advertisements. If all your photos are just straight-up product plugs with no actual value or interest, people will ignore you. And some Image Submission Sites even prohibit too much self-promotion.
- Disregarding Site Rules and Guidelines: Each Image submission site has its own rules and guidelines about image types, content, linking, etc. Disregarding these can get your images taken down, get your account penalized, or simply make your submissions less efficient. Before submitting to a site, take a few minutes to read their “Terms of Service,” “Guidelines,” or “FAQ” section.
- Not Measuring Results and Changing Strategy: You won’t be able to see what’s successful and what isn’t. Are you really driving traffic or leads from your work? Which kind of images are performing well? Without measurement, you’re laboring blindfolded. Employ web analytics software to monitor referral traffic from image submission websites. Look at what images receive increased views and interactions on the image sites themselves.
- Omitting to Add Backlinks: If you’re aiming for SEO or traffic on your site, omitting a backlink is equivalent to installing a signpost with no destination! You lose the advantage of image submission. Always double-check that you’ve added a functioning link back to your site when you submit an image. Get it as an automatic step in your image submission routine.
Conclusion
Image submission sites are more than just digital photo collections. They are useful tools that can greatly improve your online presence search engine optimization (SEO) branding and even help you find new customers. By learning about the different kinds of submission sites enhancing your images and using these platforms wisely you can reach a larger audience, create a stronger brand image and attract more people. Whether you are a business owner, a marketer, an artist or anyone wanting to grow their online presence using submission sites effectively is a smart choice. Share your images, let them work for you and watch your online presence increase!
FAQs
What are Image Submission Sites?
They are websites made for sharing images online similar to digital photo albums.
Are they only for getting SEO backlinks?
No! While improving SEO is a big advantage they are also great for branding, increasing visibility and finding potential customers.
Are Submission Sites hard to use?
Not usually. Most of them are easy to use and navigate even if you are not very good with technology.
Is it worth spending time on Submission Sites?
Yes, if you use them wisely! By improving your images and using them carefully they can be an important part of your online strategy.
