How to use Adobe Stock keywords to skyrocket your design sales
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Adobe Stock’s keyword system is like trying to solve a puzzle blindfolded. I’ve been there—throwing tags like “vintage” or “texture” at my uploads, only to watch them drown in the abyss. But after two years of trial, error, and a borderline-unhealthy spreadsheet obsession, I finally cracked the code. Spoiler: It’s less about algorithms and more about crawling into your buyer’s sleep-deprived brain.
The Mistake 98% of Creators Make (Including Past Me)
Remember that tropical leaf pattern I uploaded in 2023? I keyworded it to death with “green foliage,” “botanical,” and “jungle.” Cue the world’s loudest silence. Then I stumbled on a nearly identical design ranking for “bathroom wallpaper for plant moms” and “TikTok-worthy shower backdrop.” Oh.
Turns out, Adobe Stock buyers aren’t searching for what something is—they’re searching for what it does. Need proof? Check out Adobe’s own case study on how lifestyle keywords boosted sales. Game Changer.
My 3 Ugly-But-Work Keyword Rules
- Short ≠ Smart “Beach art” gets you nowhere. “Beach house AirBnB wall art for cleaning influencers”? Now we’re talking.
- Become a Keyword Thief Every Monday, I stalk top-performing designs in my niche. Not to copy, but to reverse-engineer. Why is “cottagecore candle label template” killing it? Because cottagecore brides are obsessed with DIY weddings.
- Marry Your Title & Tags YIf your title says “Retro Diner Menu,” your keywords better include “1950s diner party printables” or “vintage restaurant branding kit.” They’re peanut butter and jelly—useless apart, magic together.
My Embarrassingly Simple Keyword Ritual
Here’s the unsexy truth: I haven’t brainstormed keywords from scratch since 2022. Instead:
- Step 1: Raid Adobe Stock’s “Popular” section like it’s a Black Friday sale.
- Step 2: Copy-paste ALL the tags from the top 25 designs into a Google Sheet.
- Step 3: Chose those witch appear most often
Is this lazy? Absolutely. Did my coastal pattern sales jump 60% after I switched from “ocean waves” to “beach rental welcome packet background”? You bet.
When to Use Tools (And When to Trust Your Gut)
Yes, I built a Adobe Stock keyword analyzer after pulling my hair out one too many times. But here's the real tea - tools should inform your strategy, not replace your creativity.
First is always learn more about keywords from Adobe Stock itself
Full disclosure: If you want to try my tag tool, use code teXRlrdS for 70% off. No pressure - this works just as well with a notebook and stubborn determination.
Remember that it's always use experience from the people who already have successes on that filed. Out tool is perfect for extracting and grabbing keywords from top searched items like photos, videos and graphics.
The Painful Reality No One Admits
Adobe Stock keywords rot faster than bananas. That sunflower pattern that sold in April? By June, it needed “bridesmaid proposal template” instead of “spring flowers.” I now do quarterly keyword “detoxes”:
Your New Mantra: Be the Buyer’s 2 AM Hero
Picture this: It’s midnight. A frazzled Etsy seller needs a background for her new “Mushroom Mom” sticker line. She’s not typing “forest illustration.” She’s desperately Googling “cute fairycore clipart for printers.” Be that clipart.