Wooolf! I mean re-rank.

[Martin P Wilson]

 

 

I must be being punished for something.  I went from page 12 to page 25 despite having doubled my sales from last year.  It has had a corresponding effect on my image placement in searches none of my images show up on page one of larger searches any more.  I have a lousy CTR but that is nothing new.  Guess I need some big dollar sales to get back up the BHZ ladder

Are we creating an alternative to the Sin Bin Club?

 

I don't know if it's the new sin bin but it seems to be getting pretty crowded here on page 25. I can't believe I've done SO badly in my photography and keywording so as  to end up in the basement.

 

 

I know what you mean. A lot of thought, a lot of effort, a "surge" of sales that quickly petered out and now I prop up the field. But we know it is possible to still make a worthwhile income - once more into the breach dear friends...

[Bryan]

Late to the party as usual. I dump all of my stuff into one pseudo, with a tiny junk pseudo for deletions.  CTR not very clever, but sales increasing.  Top 3rd of P3, so not complaining too bitterly. (120 per page and relevant only search).

[Lisa]

Dropped back to page 3. 

[ReeRay]

^^ page 3! Crikey, I'd get nose bleed at those dizzy heights. LOL

[MariaJ]

Mine haven't changed, still on p 19.  I think they've always been there, before and after starting to get sales.

[TABan]

I don't play the game. I just occasionally do searches on what I shoot and my position doesn't change that much over time. If someone does a search on my home town, they'll see my images on the front page and see that I have more than anyone else. It doesn't necessarily mean I have what they're looking for, but I'll bet they click through to see.

[Gruffydd]

Having read this thread yesterday I decided to have a go at this, and gave an image in each of my pseudonyms the bhz keyword. This morning I've waited for the data to refresh, but cannot find any of my images when I search on bhz.

 

Even more strangely, when I do an advanced search on my contributor name and bhz as a search term it comes up with 'no images were found'.

 

Stranger still, when I search in Manage Images for keyword bhz I get 'No images found' even though, when I open up one of the images, it has bhz as the first essential keyword.

 

Is anyone else having similar problems?

[John Richmond]

Having read this thread yesterday I decided to have a go at this, and gave an image in each of my pseudonyms the bhz keyword. This morning I've waited for the data to refresh, but cannot find any of my images when I search on bhz.

 

Even more strangely, when I do an advanced search on my contributor name and bhz as a search term it comes up with 'no images were found'.

 

Stranger still, when I search in Manage Images for keyword bhz I get 'No images found' even though, when I open up one of the images, it has bhz as the first essential keyword.

 

Is anyone else having similar problems?

Same problem - I assume it takes time for the database to catch up.

[Gruffydd]

You must be right, John. Thanks. I assumed that once the last updated date changed to today, all changes made yesterday would come into play.

[Martin P Wilson]

Since the rerank and the collapse of my ranking I am down to 20-40 of typical daily views - yesterday was comparable to a typical saturday.

 

Time for plan B. A major rethink is required.

[mfsavage]

I will never undestand what, if anything, the BHZ ranking system means.  October was my 4th best $ gross ever while this month is my 2nd highest ever and just $80 short of my best ever (with a few days to go).  My CTR has been at or above the Alamy average for the last 6 months bar one month.  And my BHZ rank dropped 100 places from P5 to P6.  But on a separate keyword check I do my rank stayed within one position. 

 

Maurice

[digi2ap]

 

Having read this thread yesterday I decided to have a go at this, and gave an image in each of my pseudonyms the bhz keyword. This morning I've waited for the data to refresh, but cannot find any of my images when I search on bhz.

 

Even more strangely, when I do an advanced search on my contributor name and bhz as a search term it comes up with 'no images were found'.

 

Stranger still, when I search in Manage Images for keyword bhz I get 'No images found' even though, when I open up one of the images, it has bhz as the first essential keyword.

 

Is anyone else having similar problems?

Same problem - I assume it takes time for the database to catch up.

 

Yes, I think so, as after searching for bhz the same number of images comes up now as it did yesterday.  So maybe tomorrow.

[Martin P Wilson]

I suspect the database wasn't updated overnight. Some images I managed yesterday tea time are still waiting in ready.

[MariaJ]

I suspect the database wasn't updated overnight. Some images I managed yesterday tea time are still waiting in ready.

Yes, same for me.  I did some keywording a couple nights ago and the images are not showing yet.

[Joseph Clemson]

Sorry guys, I'm not in the page 25 club any more - I've been negatively uprated to page 26 since last night.    I can't help thinking I'm being got-at. You may think I'm paranoid, but you'd be paranoid too if everyone was out to get you.   

[andremichel]

I am very surprised to be back on BHZ page 1 again, especially after my zooms stopped completely for a couple of months in October. 

 

My sales aren't particularly strong recently either.

[Gruffydd]

My results are in:

 

• I have an image from one pseudonym on page 4. That pseudonym has a CTR of 0.69 for the last year or so.

 

• Another pseudonym features on page 20 (CTR 1.28), as does another with CTR 0.00. (These two images are right next to each other.)

 

The crucial fact, I guess, is that all of my sales for this last year have come from the pseudonym appearing on page 4

 

All confirming what we know already: CTR isn't necessarily related to sales. And it's sales that count (on more than one level).

 

Question: Should I move all of my images into this page 4 pseudonym?

 

(Page positions based on 120 per page, RM only, relevant)

[MariaJ]

Sorry guys, I'm not in the page 25 club any more - I've been negatively uprated to page 26 since last night.    I can't help thinking I'm being got-at. You may think I'm paranoid, but you'd be paranoid too if everyone was out to get you.   

 

I dropped to the next page from yesterday as well. Probably because a bunch of other folks joined in the BHZ game.

[Craig Yates]

My results are in:

 

• I have an image from one pseudonym on page 4. That pseudonym has a CTR of 0.69 for the last year or so.

 

• Another pseudonym features on page 20 (CTR 1.28), as does another with CTR 0.00. (These two images are right next to each other.)

 

The crucial fact, I guess, is that all of my sales for this last year have come from the pseudonym appearing on page 4

 

All confirming what we know already: CTR isn't necessarily related to sales. And it's sales that count (on more than one level).

 

Question: Should I move all of my images into this page 4 pseudonym?

 

(Page positions based on 120 per page, RM only, relevant)

 

I have one that's gone up to page 2, and have asked my self the same question should i move all my images into the top performer. My current thinking is not to move my images into this pseudonym.

By doing that i could drag it back down the rankings. I will let the system carry on working.

 

Regards

Craig

[Pearl]

I really can't work out what criteria have been used for this re-rank.  I have several pseudos, some sell well others not so and I allocate images accordingly.

My top selling pseudo (for many years) has stayed in the same place near the top of page 2.

My second best selling pseudo and one with highest CTR has dropped from middle of page 2 to page 6.

My third best selling pseudo has jumped from page 5 to page 1

but most bizarre, my worst selling pseudo, where I dump images waiting for deletion or images which have been around for a long time and never sold, has jumped from page 26 to page 11.

Similar illogical moves have occurred with my other 3 pseudos.

So my third rated images are now in front of what I consider to be my best images.  Do I move them all around?  I probably wouldn't bother if I was certain of another re-rank in 100 days but if it doesn't happen for another year then it might be worth the trouble.

 

Pearl

[wiskerke]

My results are in:

 

• I have an image from one pseudonym on page 4. That pseudonym has a CTR of 0.69 for the last year or so.

 

• Another pseudonym features on page 20 (CTR 1.28), as does another with CTR 0.00. (These two images are right next to each other.)

 

The crucial fact, I guess, is that all of my sales for this last year have come from the pseudonym appearing on page 4

 

All confirming what we know already: CTR isn't necessarily related to sales. And it's sales that count (on more than one level).

 

Question: Should I move all of my images into this page 4 pseudonym?

 

(Page positions based on 120 per page, RM only, relevant)

 

Or just delete that page 20 pseudo with everything in it?

In any case I would take an honest hard look at the images in both and try to decide what it is that makes the good one successful and the other one unsuccessful.

 

CTR 1.28 is twice as high as my #1 pseudo. So you're doing something right there.

I started selling after some serious editing. Your collection isn't too big, so you can still see what is good about the good ones.

Why not for a practice test put 15 of your best images in a lightbox. Look at them for a day. Now from every subject or occasion that you have on line, pick the best one and put those in a lightbox. Now do the same for all your sales and zooms and see what the numbers are and what differences there are. (A best image is not always a camera club best image.)

Ask someone else (not a photographer) for comment.

Or post here (lots of photographers).

 

wim

[Martin P Wilson]

 

I really can't work out what criteria have been used for this re-rank.

So my third rated images are now in front of what I consider to be my best images. Do I move them all around? I probably wouldn't bother if I was certain of another re-rank in 100 days but if it doesn't happen for another year then it might be worth the trouble.

 

Pearl

This is the pertinent question. To react? Stay still? Be told not to slam the door? Will it change once more tomorrow? In 100 days? Never? With my second best selling pseudonym in Alamyrank meltdown (page 2 to page 22) and way below pseudonyms which sell zilch, doing nothing is not a good idea... but I dont want to get knee-jerky neither. Net effect ... paralysed.

 

In some ways these things can be very motivating.

It has motivated me to get even more serious with my work; and to look at the world beyond Alamy. I will be looking to see what channels I can use in addition to Alamy, where I would be best to put my effort.

 

I suspect part of my problem is a rejig of my pseudonyms I did before I relaunched my photography business at end of August. None of us really knows how the ranking works or how changing pseudonyms affects the ranking data - for instance I suspect the image performance history is lost so sales, zooms and whatever else is not carried across with the image to a new pseduonym. We are just guessing. However I will do some revision of my keywording in my old catch-all pseudonym and probably move some images around.

 

I was due to review my relaunch and business plan after Christmas, I have brought it forward to now. I will respond, I have to, but in a considered way and I suspect a lot of the effort will be outside in the big wide, scary, world. I need to get well out of my comfort zone and take control.

[wiskerke]

 

I really can't work out what criteria have been used for this re-rank.

So my third rated images are now in front of what I consider to be my best images.  Do I move them all around?  I probably wouldn't bother if I was certain of another re-rank in 100 days but if it doesn't happen for another year then it might be worth the trouble.

 

Pearl

 

This is the pertinent question. To react? Stay still? Be told not to slam the door? Will it change once more tomorrow? In 100 days? Never? With my second best selling pseudonym in Alamyrank meltdown (page 2 to page 22) and way below pseudonyms which sell zilch, doing nothing is not a good idea... but I dont want to get knee-jerky neither. Net effect ... paralysed.

 

In some ways these things can be very motivating.

 

 

There have been mistakes in the past. One more reason to use BHZ. Why not ask MS if the result looks really weird.

 

wim

[Jill Morgan]

Well, I landed on page 21 - row 3. Since only being on Alamy for a year, pretty much where I expected. Click through rate has always been good. Currently .92 but always between .7 and .9. But sales didn't start coming until the past few months, so I will do a wait and see. Have thought of moving my Africa pics to a new pseudo. Been viewed many times, but never a zoom on any of them. I know they are weak except for a couple, so they should probably shift.

 

Jill

[Pearl]

 

 

I really can't work out what criteria have been used for this re-rank.

So my third rated images are now in front of what I consider to be my best images.  Do I move them all around?  I probably wouldn't bother if I was certain of another re-rank in 100 days but if it doesn't happen for another year then it might be worth the trouble.

 

Pearl

 

This is the pertinent question. To react? Stay still? Be told not to slam the door? Will it change once more tomorrow? In 100 days? Never? With my second best selling pseudonym in Alamyrank meltdown (page 2 to page 22) and way below pseudonyms which sell zilch, doing nothing is not a good idea... but I dont want to get knee-jerky neither. Net effect ... paralysed.

 

In some ways these things can be very motivating.

 

 

There have been mistakes in the past. One more reason to use BHZ. Why not ask MS if the result looks really weird.

 

wim

 

Yes you are right Wim.  Things went very wrong a few years ago and my pseudos ended up all over the place.  Lots of people were saying the same then.  I did have a lot of correspondence with Alan Capel who admitted that something was wrong.  Alamy did listen and after a few weeks they did another re-rank when my pseudos went back to a more logical position.

 

Pearl