If content is queen, then photos are queen. I’m sure you’ve heard a picture is worth a thousand words. I think images can make or break a lens. I have some lenses that get more hits from their images (from Google or Yahoo! images) than they do for key words or content.

My Easter Bunny lens received over 2000 hits the week before Easter and over 90% of the traffic was from Google images. I created this lens for fun, so it doesn’t have much content. I wanted to create something for kids to check out and have fun with.

Give your photos meaningful names, use keyword descriptions and names for your photos. If you insert the photo into the lens yourself with html code, don’t forget to add alternate text. Use the alternate text to describe your photo for the search engines. It’s one more place to add keywords relevant to your lens topic.

I love to take my own photos whenever possible. Since one of my favorite topics is gardening, and I have a huge garden, it’s not difficult.

There are many times when I just don’t have the image I’m looking for to add to my Squidoo lenses or blogs. Here are some of my favorite image resources.

We’ll start with a few of my favorite free image sites. Check each site’s terms and conditions. Some require a mention, others require a link back, others don’t require anything.

Stock.exchng

Free Range

morgueFile

Wikimedia Commons

Picture Sandbox

Free Foto

Every Stock Photo

Open Photo

PD Photo

Image After

Share a Pic

Tiny Pic

Flickr (Do an advanced search and look for Creative Commons photos only)

Public Domain Pictures

Sometimes you’re looking for just the right image, and you don’t mind paying a little to get just what you want. Here are my favorite low cost royalty free image sites. Again, take a look at the terms and conditions before you post any photos.

Dreamstime

istockphoto

stockxpert

What are your favorite places to find stock photos for your lenses?