Struggling with low visibility despite publishing great content? You’re ignoring image SEO. Discover the best image submission sites in 2025 to gain backlinks, boost rankings, and drive visual traffic without spending a dime.
What Is Image Submission in SEO?
Image submission is an off-page SEO technique where you upload or share images on external platforms to build backlinks and gain referral traffic. These platforms act as content hubs for visual assets, helping search engines recognize, crawl, and index your images properly.
Key SEO Objectives
- Build high-quality backlinks
- Improve image visibility in Google Image Search
- Enhance referral traffic from image-based content discovery
- Strengthen brand recall via visuals
At its core, image submission connects your visual content to a wider audience through relevant, authoritative platforms.
Why Image Submission Matters in 2025?
Search engines like Google are increasingly prioritizing visual content. Alt-text optimized images contribute to on-page SEO, while submission on high DA/PA platforms builds topical authority and domain trust.
Benefits include:
- Increased crawling & indexing of your images
- Better keyword rankings (especially for long-tail image-related queries)
- High DA backlinks that impact domain metrics
- Stronger visual branding, especially for ecommerce, SaaS, and portfolio-heavy sites
If you’re managing a business like OptiHole’s SEO services, image SEO can give you a silent edge over competitors not optimizing for visual search.
Free Image Submission Sites (No Cost, High Value)
A major pain point for small businesses and bloggers is the cost of SEO tools and strategies. Fortunately, many image submission platforms are free to use and still offer dofollow links.
Top Free Image Submission Platforms (2025)
| Platform Name | DA | PA | Submission | Dofollow | Account Required |
| Imgur | 92 | 82 | ✅ | ✅ | No |
| Postimages.org | 88 | 65 | ✅ | ✅ | No |
| Flickr | 92 | 95 | ✅ | ✅ | Yes |
| 500px | 86 | 66 | ✅ | ✅ | Yes |
| DeviantArt | 83 | 78 | ✅ | ✅ | Yes |
These platforms allow unlimited image uploads, relevant tagging, and contextual link placement making them a perfect cost-effective SEO tactic for startups.
Technical SEO Guidelines for Image Submission
Even on the best platforms, poorly optimized images won’t help. Follow these rules:
1. Use Proper Image Formats
Supported formats,
- JPEG for photos (best compression/quality balance)
- PNG for images needing transparency
- GIF for simple animations
🚫 Avoid BMP or TIFF due to large file size.
2. Optimize Alt Text with Keywords
Search engines rely on alt tags to understand image content. Include your focus keyword (e.g., free image submission sites) naturally in the description.
Example:
<img src=”infographic.png” alt=”Best free image submission sites for SEO in 2025″>
3. Resize and Compress Images
Large image files slow down page speed. Use tools like:
- TinyPNG
- Squoosh
- OptiHole’s Image Optimization Services (Coming Soon)
Page speed is a ranking factor optimized images load faster, reduce bounce rate, and increase engagement.
Best Practices for Submitting on High DA/PA Platforms
When uploading your images to high DA and PA sites, your process should follow a structured template to maximize SEO benefits.
Follow These Steps:
- Create an account (if required)
- Prepare your image
- Use a clean, high-quality design
- Watermark with your brand/logo
- Add metadata
- Title with keywords
- Description with links
- Tags for relevance
- Include website URL
Link back to relevant service or blog page (e.g., OptiHole’s Content Marketing)
Tip: Don’t just upload the image and contextualize it. Explain why it matters to your niche or industry.
Examples of Strategic Image Use for SEO
To better understand how image submission aids SEO, here are specific scenarios where it works best:
1. Infographic Sharing for B2B Services
You design an infographic titled “Top SEO Tools for 2025”. Upload it to,
- Visual.ly
- LinkedIn Posts
Then, link the image to your landing page:
OptiHole’s Free SEO Tools
2. Case Study Visuals for B2C Brands
You show before/after results of traffic growth for a client. Post to:
- Dribbble
- Behance
- Imgur
OptiHole’s Case Studies Section
High DA and PA Image Submission Sites (2025 Updated List)
Submitting images on high DA and PA websites helps you earn trustworthy backlinks, improves visual content exposure, and strengthens off-page SEO. Below is a curated list of the most authoritative image submission sites for 2025.
Top High DA/PA Image Submission Sites List
| S.No | Website | DA | PA | Dofollow | Year |
| 01 | Flickr | 92 | 95 | ✅ | 2003 |
| 02 | Imgur | 92 | 82 | ✅ | 2009 |
| 03 | Behance | 92 | 80 | ✅ | 2005 |
| 04 | Dribbble | 92 | 75 | ✅ | 2008 |
| 05 | 94 | 95 | ✅ | 2009 | |
| 06 | Postimages | 88 | 65 | ✅ | 2010 |
| 07 | 500px | 86 | 66 | ✅ | 2004 |
| 08 | DeviantArt | 83 | 78 | ✅ | 2000 |
| 09 | Visual.ly | 78 | 69 | ✅ | 2011 |
| 10 | ImgBB | 87 | 67 | ✅ | 2014 |
Pro Tip: Embed backlinks in your image description or title to pages like OptiHole’s SEO Packages for maximum link equity and conversion potential.
How to Submit Images for SEO (Step-by-Step)
Whether the site requires registration or not, follow these detailed steps:
For Sites with Account Registration
Sign Up/Login: Use email or social login (Gmail, Facebook, etc.)
Navigate to Upload Area: Usually labeled as “Upload”, “Add Image”, or “Submit”.
Upload the Image: Choose the correct format (JPEG/PNG/GIF), under 2MB ideally.
Add Details
- Title: Use exact keyword (e.g., “Free Image Submission Sites 2025”)
- Description: Explain image relevance + add link to OptiHole
- Tags: Use 4–6 relevant keywords
Submit and Get Live URL: Copy the URL for tracking or backlinks.
For Sites Without Registration
- Visit Upload Page
- Select Image File
- Add Image Title & Link
- Click Upload/Submit
- Save the Auto-generated Link
Need help managing bulk submissions? Use a custom-built tracking system or connect with OptiHole’s SEO consultant to automate it for you.
Image SEO Strategy That Works in 2025
1. Focus on Topical Relevance
Each image you submit must support a content theme. For example,
- Use Google algorithm infographic on SEO boards.
- Share website UX diagrams on web design boards.
This increases semantic alignment with your brand authority.
2. Leverage Image Variants
Submit multiple versions of an image (thumbnail, square, long-form infographic) with slight design differences. You get:
- More platform compatibility
- Diverse backlink anchors
- Higher content repurposing ROI
3. Connect to Core Pages
Don’t link every image to the homepage. Instead, direct traffic to relevant inner pages like:
- Web Design Services
- Free SEO Tools
- YouTube SEO Services
Internal linking improves crawl efficiency and strengthens the SEO silo.
Future Trends in Image Submission & Visual SEO
1. Rise of AI-Generated Image Recognition
Search engines like Google and Bing now use AI-powered visual indexing. That means:
- Alt text must be descriptive, keyword-rich, and contextual.
- Tools like Google Lens can surface your images in search.
2. Blockchain-Based Image Platforms
Decentralized platforms using blockchain tech will allow verifiable image ownership and secure submissions, reducing content theft and increasing trust.
3. Micro-Visual Formats
Micro-content (short videos, GIFs, animated stats) is becoming mainstream. Platforms that allow hybrid visual formats will be critical submission targets in the coming years.
Who Should Use Image Submission?
| Role | Benefit from Image Submission |
| SEO Professionals | Backlinks, traffic, indexing |
| Bloggers | Visual discoverability |
| Designers | Portfolio exposure |
| Ecommerce Owners | Product visibility on visual platforms |
| Digital Agencies | Client off-page strategy |
If you run a brand like OptiHole, which spans multiple services from web design to SEO, image submission becomes a multi-purpose channel for both visibility and conversion.
Interlinking Strategy for Image-Based Content
Here’s how to interlink your image submissions semantically with OptiHole.com,
When submitting an infographic about SEO tools → Link to: Free SEO Tools
When submitting website UI screenshots → Link to: Web Design Services
When posting a ranking result image from YouTube campaigns → Link to: YouTube SEO
When submitting case study snapshots → Link to: Case Studies
These semantic relationships improve entity mapping, topical depth and crawl budget distribution across the site.
Conclusion
Image submission is more than backlink building—it’s a powerful semantic SEO method that strengthens brand authority, boosts rankings, and improves content reach. Integrate it strategically with OptiHole’s service pages for maximum SEO impact and long-term visibility.
FAQs
Q1. What are image submission sites?
Platforms where users can upload images to gain backlinks, increase visibility, and drive traffic. Common in off-page SEO.
Q2. Are image submission sites free?
Yes, many high-DA platforms like Imgur and Postimages offer free submission with backlink options.
Q3. How does image submission help SEO?
It builds high-authority backlinks, improves crawlability, and increases exposure in Google Image Search results.
Q4. What should I include when submitting images?
Use keyword-rich titles, alt text, descriptions, and links to relevant pages like service or blog URLs.
Q5. Which is the best image submission site in 2025?
Flickr, Pinterest, Imgur, and Behance remain top choices due to their high DA and active user base.