The things we take for granted…
Do you need a high-quality image for your blog post or PPC campaign? You can just hop online and get instant access to a billion images that can meet every query.
But, it wasn’t always like this.
Back in the old days of the internet, it took a peculiar event to prompt Google to create the image search engine we know today. Google noticed a massive demand for photos of Jennifer Lopez’s infamous green dress. The search engine giant quickly understood the consumer demand and it created Google Images on July 12, 2001.
But, as complex and varied as Google images are, it doesn’t always work for every type of business. In fact, on Google, Bing, and Yandex, you can find some pretty visually similar images. Maybe your industry is more niche or maybe you need to do a reverse image search to find the source of a photo. What is the best tool for what you need?
Here’s a look at the best image search engines as well as the best reverse image search tools.
You might also be interested in HOW USEFUL IS GOOGLE’S REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH?
Best Image Search Engines
1. Google Images
It should come as no surprise that the search engine that has a massive share of the search market also has the biggest image collection. While not all Google images can be used for commercial purposes, you can find, you can find almost anything here, from basic photos of birds and animals to specific products.
Google Images also provides a lot of filters. You can search for an image and then narrow down your searches by size, color, the type of image you want, and so on. You can also sort images by their licensing by clicking on Tools and then Usage Rights, and only look for free stock photos.
If you want to find the source of an image, you can use the Google reverse image search function. Simply click on the camera icon on the search bar and find more results related to your query.
2. Yahoo Image Search
Yahoo Image Search is another great source for high-quality content that you can use for your website or advertising campaigns. Here too, you will find a great variety of images that you can sort by size, colour, type.
3. Bing Image Search
One of the things that make Bing images stand apart is the fact that when you open the search engine, you see a feed of trending and popular images. Moreover, in addition to the regular types of filters, you can also use a People filter on Bing Image Search that lets you sort through pictures of people based on how they were photographed – whole body, just faces, etc.
Similar to Google Images, Bing images can also show you related content, but when you click on the picture, you usually get a weird mix of image URLs.
4. Pinterest Visual Search Tool
Pinterest is a visual social media platform, so it only makes sense that it would feature a search image engine too. To reverse a photo with the Pinterest Visual Search Tool, you need to log into your account, click on a pin in your home feed or any other profile, and then click on the icon in the bottom right corner. The tool will show you visually similar images to the one you’ve clicked on.
5. Getty Images
If you are looking for quality stock photos, then Getty Images is the right place. You can search for photos by keywords or by images and then filter them based on size, orientation, people, colour, and so on. Keep in mind that you will have to pay a royalty fee before you can upload an image from Getty to your website.
Over to You
We’ve come a long way since 2001 when Google Images was first launched. Nowadays, you can use any of these image search engines to find a vast array of high-quality images.
