Does Google view Stock Images as a negative ranking signal?

• Do you think Stock Images being used on a site are considered a negative ranking signal by Google?

Answer:

Considering that we have stock images on sites that are doing quite well in search, No – as long as the image isn't used all over the place and is somewhat unique.

However, if the image is being widely used all over the web, then your image search rankings will certainly suffer. Regardless, organic (regular) search, not so much — provided that the content of the web page is unique and high quality.

Bear in mind that customers value authenticity above all else. And, since it's likely that most people view stock images as inauthentic, that can negatively affect the trustworthiness of a site. In general, consumers want to see real people using real products. Anything that looks contrived is likely to produce a negative overall feeling about whatever message you are conveying.

Our suggestion is to use real, unique images whenever possible to achieve the best possible search rankings AND the highest possible sales conversions.