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<p><strong>Not every business has a budget to hire an SEO team, but that shouldn’t prevent you from working on your organic search traffic and improving your online presence.</strong> There are many things you can do as an individual or a small business that can further your organic exposure and Google search rankings.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">1. Create content with value to the end user</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">2. Utilize the power of social media</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">3. Backlinking and Outreach</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">4. Use engaging media in your content</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">5. Utilize software to measure your traffic and analyze your Google rankings</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">6. Look for opportunity</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">7. Implement user-friendly plug-ins to increase the speed &amp; performance of your site</span>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en" style="text-align: center;">If digital is still an afterthought, it’s time to rethink your strategy. <a href="https://t.co/6MLhHsB7ie">https://t.co/6MLhHsB7ie</a> <a href="https://t.co/Oqfvryj3TZ">pic.twitter.com/Oqfvryj3TZ</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/844282562176565248">March 21, 2017</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>At the end of the day, <strong>SEO is all about your ability to build trust with Google</strong>. If you think about it, Google has an obligation to its users to provide accurate, relevant information to the user’s search query — if Google does not produce relevant/expected results, Google loses the user’s trust and essentially its advertising base/source of revenue.</p>
<p><strong>Think of it like this: </strong></p>
<blockquote><p><em>Google is a bank, offering you a loan with terms dependent on your ability to produce trust between you and the bank through historical performance, financials, etc. The bank has a risk in offering you the loan, similar to how Google has a risk of offering you a higher placement on the search engine results pages. The more information you can provide, the better your loan terms will be — similarly, the more historical performance and information you can supply to Google, the more Google will be willing to trust your website and push your website links to the front page of the search results.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>I often have clients asking what they can do to improve their search rankings of their website so I decided to write a little reference list of my recommendations. <strong>Following is a list of some of the most effective do-it-yourself SEO tips for you and your small business:</strong></p>
<h2><span id="1_Create_content_with_value_to_the_end_user">1. Create content with value to the end user</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Viewers care more about content than platform. To engage people, create videos they want to watch. <a href="https://t.co/FKqYcdLNLl">https://t.co/FKqYcdLNLl</a> <a href="https://t.co/sHouMKzZqC">pic.twitter.com/sHouMKzZqC</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/841335551227748352">March 13, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Number one on this list, and arguably the most important, is to <strong>create content that provides valuable information for your visitors.</strong> In this day and age we have web platforms that allow non-technical people to create and publish content on a website with ease. With a content management system solution (CMS) there’s no need to fuss  with code or any other development mumbo-jumbo.</p>
<p>These platforms allow you to create content without hiring the help of the developer every time you wish to make updates to your website. The more valuable, relevant content you produce, the more Google will trust your website and push your Google rankings up the ladder of the search engine results page (SERP).</p>
<h2><span id="2_Utilize_the_power_of_social_media">2. Utilize the power of social media</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Audiences don’t care about where they watch, they care about what they watch. Are you embracing these blurred lines? <a href="https://t.co/CY9p0vmsLt">https://t.co/CY9p0vmsLt</a> <a href="https://t.co/jCQzz3dW7Z">pic.twitter.com/jCQzz3dW7Z</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/838811420967960576">March 6, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Although social media links to your website are considered “no follow” links, meaning that they do not pass along link “juice” to your website, the <strong>social media activity and engagement is a major indicator to Google that your website is relevant and worth trusting.</strong>  This is a rather simple and effective method to engage with your audience, create content with value, and promote your brand online — and generate new business.</p>
<p>These platforms are very easy to use and there are tools/plugins (such as <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jetpack</a> – a WordPress plug-in) that allow you to manage all social media accounts at once without all the micromanaging.  I can’t stress the importance of social media enough, not only is this another avenue of exposure for your business online, but you have the potential to reach the eyes and ears of networks beyond your current audience which could net exponential growth for your business online.</p>
<h2><span id="3_Backlinking_and_Outreach">3. Backlinking and Outreach</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Online videos help shoppers narrow their search, before they even set foot in a store. <a href="https://t.co/JOfY1OZkUX">https://t.co/JOfY1OZkUX</a> <a href="https://t.co/GUL2JTxNrZ">pic.twitter.com/GUL2JTxNrZ</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/835916090651856897">February 26, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The strategy of backlinking essentially entails getting other trusted and relevant sources to link back to link back to your website from their own. This is most effectively done when the links pointing to your website are coming from a website (relevant to your industry, if you’re a web designer — a backlink from an auto body shop would be considered irrelevant and may not benefit you as much as if you were to receive a backlink from  web development forum) that already has Google’s trust and has a relatively high  Domain authority. Domain authority is essentially the ranking of trust that Google has for specific website and the relevance that website has to its current industry.</p>
<p>The idea here is that the more other relevant websites trust your website, the more Google will trust your website and rank you higher  in the search engine results pages. As an additional bonus, chances are that if someone finds your website through another relevant site, the user is more likely to be interested in your product/offerings!</p>
<h2><span id="4_Use_engaging_media_in_your_content">4. Use engaging media in your content</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Is the growth of online video a threat to TV? Nope, online video is mostly additive. <a href="https://t.co/h0DlU5erQR">https://t.co/h0DlU5erQR</a> <a href="https://t.co/2uerCVYe2V">pic.twitter.com/2uerCVYe2V</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/845323076288024576">March 24, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Ever wonder why a website will embed a video at the beginning of a blog article before the content even begins? Have you ever seen a long scrolling page that populates article after article on that same page (Fortune, Buzzfeed, etc.)?</p>
<p>The idea here is that Google looks at how long a visitor stays on your page after clicking your link from Google. This is considered page visit duration, a primary signal  Google that your content is worth reading. The longer a user stays on your page, after being directed from a Google search result, the more relevant your content becomes in the eyes of Google, pushing your website up the rankings.  You can encourage visitor page visit duration by embedding engaging media within your pages or blog post. This can be anything from YouTube videos, infographics, social media, tweets, etc. – Don’t forget to pay credit where credit is due and cite your source!</p>
<h2><span id="5_Utilize_software_to_measure_your_traffic_and_analyze_your_Google_rankings">5. Utilize software to measure your traffic and analyze your Google rankings</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What can help you design, deliver, and measure high-impact campaigns? Data. <a href="https://t.co/aQZVpn1Pa9">https://t.co/aQZVpn1Pa9</a> <a href="https://t.co/GXWrkmXQAP">pic.twitter.com/GXWrkmXQAP</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/845002211537096705">March 23, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>There are many tools out there that will help you analyze and assess your current position and the organic search market. I highly recommend that every single website utilize the power of Google analytics. This is a free to use software platform that allows you to analyze all types of data about your visitors, from demographics, location, page visit duration, traffic sources, and more-this is an incredibly powerful tool  to include in your arsenal of SEO applications.</p>
<p>Another tool to monitor your SEO traffic and possible opportunities for organic growth, is called SEM Rush. While this tool requires a paid subscription to unleash the full power of the platform (and it can get pricey), you can start doing some of your own research with a free account.</p>
<h2><span id="6_Look_for_opportunity">6. Look for opportunity</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">To drive impact when sharing results, simplicity is key. <a href="https://t.co/pYT1xBMdHA">https://t.co/pYT1xBMdHA</a> <a href="https://t.co/GBo7xH3l8C">pic.twitter.com/GBo7xH3l8C</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/847070844262240256">March 29, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Utilize tools like <a href="https://www.semrush.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SEM Rush</a> mentioned above to find “low hanging fruit” and opportunistic keywords. Ideally, you’d like to find keywords with high search volume and low keyword difficulty, meaning that it it is a less saturated topic and the possibility for ranking for that topic may be a bit more realistic (especially if you’re just starting out). Long gone are the days where you rank for specific keywords, but you can use this keyword research to give yourself an idea about which topics to focus on and what your audience is looking for.</p>
<p>Another tool that’s completely free to use is called <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Trends</a>, this website allows you to see what’s trending in the organic search traffic world. You can start out with a simple topic and expand on that topic with trending searches based on location, time period and more!  This will give you an idea of what people are looking for, increasing the likelihood that users will engage with your content and net you increased visibility with search engines.</p>
<h2><span id="7_Implement_user-friendly_plug-ins_to_increase_the_speed_performance_of_your_site">7. Implement user-friendly plug-ins to increase the speed &amp; performance of your site</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Slow sites are left in the dust. Speed up your load time or say goodbye to users. <a href="https://t.co/A1sVLsufYo">https://t.co/A1sVLsufYo</a> <a href="https://t.co/22hmWbx6Gc">pic.twitter.com/22hmWbx6Gc</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/847433233633390594">March 30, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Regardless of the web platform your website is built on, there are often many user-friendly plug-ins that expand the functionality of your site.  As mentioned in our earlier blog post about <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/blog/9-essential-plugins-every-wordpress-site-needs/">WordPress plug-ins to improve SEO visibility and performance of your website</a>, there are many powerful user-friendly plug-ins to help you achieve your SEO goals.</p>
<p><a href="https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yoast SEO</a> is a popular WordPress plug-in that allows you to customize the many different SEO aspects of your website, from  page titles to meta descriptions (the little blurb of text you see below a search engine result), this tool allows you to customize much more than you would be able to do the standard WordPress installation. W3 Total Cache is another powerful tool that will help optimize your WordPress website. This tool allows you to speed up the performance and load times of your website not only to improve the overall user experience but also to signal to Google that your website is a quality link worth sharing.</p>
<p><em>I hope you find these tips useful and your next (or current) SEO endeavor. If you need any clarification/assistance with the above or are looking for a free SEO consultation, feel free to <a href="mailto:bryan@brytdesigns.com">reach out to me directly</a> and I’d love to hear from you!</em></p>
<p><em>Do you have any DIY SEO tips of your own to share? Feel free to leave them in the comments below!</em></p>


7 [FREE] SEO Tips & Tricks That Anyone Can Do

<p>Vector icons can be an excellent tool for web designers or developers (without a knack for design) to <em>indicate or highlight UI elements and solve responsive issues on retina displays</em> (vectors are a mathematical representation of a design, allowing for an unlimited and loss-less ability to scale for any resolution/size). Below are some resources that I’ve found over the years — while most of these resources are free, be sure to check (and double check) the required license for each.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">1. Smashing Magazine</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">2. Font Awesome Icons</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">3. Glyphicons</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">4. Awwwards.com Collection</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">5. FLATICON</span>
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Not_sure_what_a_license_means">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Not sure what a license means?</span>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-319" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/smashing-icons.jpg" alt="Smashing Magazine Icon Freebie" width="710" height="350" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/smashing-icons.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/smashing-icons-300x148.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="1_Smashing_Magazine">1. Smashing Magazine</span></h2>
<p>Not only one of my favorite resources for web development and design reading, tips, and ideas — but a great resource for free icon sets! Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a> meaning that they’re absolutely <strong>FREE Icons</strong> to use and modify.</p>
<p>Link: <a href="https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/07/freebie-smashicons-icon-set/" target="_blank">https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/07/freebie-smashicons-icon-set/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-317" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/fontawesome-icons.jpg" alt="Fontawesome Icons" width="710" height="350" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/fontawesome-icons.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/fontawesome-icons-300x148.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="2_Font_Awesome_Icons">2. Font Awesome Icons</span></h2>
<p>Another great resource for <strong>svg web icons</strong> — include this in your next web project for fully rasterized, crisp, svg web icons. <a href="https://fortawesome.github.io/Font-Awesome/get-started/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to learn how to include these icons in your next web project (they’ve got a great CDN I recommend you use, especially if you’re on a shared host).</p>
<p>Link: <a href="https://fortawesome.github.io/Font-Awesome/" target="_blank">https://fortawesome.github.io/Font-Awesome/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-318" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/glyphicons-icons.jpg" alt="Glyphicons Icons" width="710" height="350" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/glyphicons-icons.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/glyphicons-icons-300x148.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="3_Glyphicons">3. Glyphicons</span></h2>
<p>If you’re familiar with <a href="http://getbootstrap.com/" target="_blank">Bootstrap</a>, you’re familiar with Glyphicons. Glyphicons is a set of <strong>svg web icons</strong> to use in your next web project (via icon classes) — this can save a tremendous amount of time when it comes to indicators, helpers, etc.</p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://glyphicons.com/" target="_blank">http://glyphicons.com/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-315" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/awwwards-icons.jpg" alt="Awwwards Icon Freebie Set" width="710" height="350" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/awwwards-icons.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/awwwards-icons-300x148.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<div class="mceTemp"></div>
<h2><span id="4_Awwwardscom_Collection">4. Awwwards.com Collection</span></h2>
<p>A compilation of both <strong>wireframe and color-rich svg web icons</strong> brought to you by <a href="http://www.awwwards.com/" target="_blank">awwwards.com</a>!</p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://www.awwwards.com/great-collection-of-free-vector-icons-and-pictograms-for-interfaces-and-responsive-web-design.html" target="_blank">http://www.awwwards.com/great-collection-of-free-vector-icons-and-pictograms-for-interfaces-and-responsive-web-design.html</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-316" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/flaticons-icons.jpg" alt="Flaticons Icons" width="710" height="350" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/flaticons-icons.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/flaticons-icons-300x148.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="5_FLATICON">5. FLATICON</span></h2>
<p>This may be one of the best compilations of flat icon designs I’ve found. The only issue with this resource is that not all of the icons will be free for commercial and personal use — some may require author attribution or license purchase (be sure to check the license requriements).</p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://www.flaticon.com/" target="_blank">http://www.flaticon.com/</a></p>
<h3><span id="Not_sure_what_a_license_means">Not sure what a license means?</span></h3>
<p>Be sure to check out <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/blog/free-stock-photo-resources/">a previous article of ours explaining the different types of licenses and what to look out for</a>.</p>


Free Vector Icons, Graphics, and More for Web Designers

<p>Working in the world of web development and design for over 5 years now, whether it’s filler content for a new project or shiny new photos for a live production, I’ve spent countless hours scouring the internet for quality photography. While there are many fantastic paid solutions out there, free photography can be a great solution for lower budget projects. I’ve compiled a list of excellent <strong>free photography resources</strong> that I thought I’d share with the web community.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#1_THE_STOCKS">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">1. THE STOCKS</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">2. PEXELS</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#4_morgueFile">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">4. morgueFile</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#5_SuperFamouscom">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">5. SuperFamous.com</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#6_GoodFreePhotoscom">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">6</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">6. GoodFreePhotos.com</span>
    </a>
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Attribution_Licenses_and_Why_Google_images_are_a_No-No">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">6.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Attribution, Licenses, and Why Google images are a “No-No”</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div></div></div>
</div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive alignnone wp-image-307 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/the-stocks.jpg" alt="The Stocks free photo compilation" width="710" height="200" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/the-stocks.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/the-stocks-300x85.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="1_THE_STOCKS">1. THE STOCKS</span></h2>
<p>This is typically my go-to, this resource offers a great collection with varying styles of photography — free for personal and commercial use (be careful as I’ve noticed that some of the “sponsored” links are now requiring a license — regardless, still a great resource).</p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://thestocks.im/" target="_blank">http://thestocks.im/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive alignnone wp-image-304 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/pexels.jpg" alt="Pexels royalty free stock photos" width="710" height="200" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/pexels.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/pexels-300x85.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="2_PEXELS">2. PEXELS</span></h2>
<p>This is a rather recent find of mine. Again, another great resource with the added functionality of a search bar!</p>
<p>Link: <a href="https://www.pexels.com/" target="_blank">https://www.pexels.com/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive alignnone wp-image-305 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/pixabay.jpg" alt="Pixabay free photo resource" width="710" height="200" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/pixabay.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/pixabay-300x85.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="3_Pixabay">3. Pixabay</span></h2>
<p>High quality photos for personal and commercial use free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like. A web designer’s delight!</p>
<p>Link: <a href="https://pixabay.com/" target="_blank">https://pixabay.com/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive wp-image-303 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/morguefile.jpg" alt="morgueFile free stock photos" width="710" height="200" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/morguefile.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/morguefile-300x85.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="4_morgueFile">4. morgueFile</span></h2>
<p>For those with limited time (and patience) available for digging through pages of photography, morgueFile does a great job at streamlining and simplifying the search process.</p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://www.morguefile.com/" target="_blank">http://www.morguefile.com/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="img-responsive wp-image-306 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/superfamous.jpg" alt="Superfamous awesome free photos" width="710" height="200" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/superfamous.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/superfamous-300x85.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="5_SuperFamouscom">5. SuperFamous.com</span></h2>
<p>For great aerial, textured, or contemporary photos, this is my go-to. I’ve found that if you desaturate and lower the opacity, many of these photos work as great backgrounds to spice up a web page.</p>
<p>Link: <a href="http://superfamous.com/" target="_blank">http://superfamous.com/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-370" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/good-free-photos-snapshot.jpg" alt="GoodFreePhotos.com" width="710" height="200" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/good-free-photos-snapshot.jpg 710w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/good-free-photos-snapshot-300x85.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px"></p>
<h2><span id="6_GoodFreePhotoscom">6. GoodFreePhotos.com</span></h2>
<p>This site has over 7000 photos (categorized mainly by location) and specializes in photos of state parks, national parks, national landmarks, and historical sites. It also has business, tech, animal, plant, and food photos as well. <em>All photos are free to use for commercial and personal use.</em></p>
<p>Link: <a href="https://www.goodfreephotos.com/" target="_blank">https://www.goodfreephotos.com/</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span id="Attribution_Licenses_and_Why_Google_images_are_a_No-No">Attribution, Licenses, and Why Google images are a “No-No”</span></h3>
<p>I’ve found that more often than not, the images supplied to me for a project are grabbed from a quick Google search. This is not always the best approach as in most cases, the photos are still covered by photographers’ copyrights.</p>
<p>If you want to use a photo for your personal or commercial use, and keep yourself out of copyright trouble, you’ll need to locate the origin of the photo and where the website explicitly defines the copyright license of the image. Some of the most common license types you’ll typically find are Creative Commons zero and Creative Commons with attribution. <strong>Creative Commons zero</strong> means that you can use the photos in any way that you’d like (personal or commercial) without asking permission. <strong>Creative Commons with attribution</strong> means that you can use the photo in a personal or commercial project, but you are required to credit the creator of the image.</p>
<p>If you have any thoughts/resources you’d like to share, feel free to post them below in the comments section!</p>


Tag:"Free"

Tag:
"Free"