Many people remember being taught how to use Google to aid in research for their school projects and, eventually, their careers. The class centered on how to write a good prompt, how to adjust your search if you didn’t get the results you needed, and what common mistakes to avoid—from referencing Wikipedia (we all used it anyway) to spotting a plagiarized source.
For many of us, this kind of search is the foundation of how we navigate the digital world. Using specific keywords and phrases relevant to our needs is much more intuitive than digging through folders. While there isn’t time to get into the specifics of how Google revolutionized the internet by enabling this kind of search, the key point is that it took a lot of work.
In the same way, enabling this type of search in your digital asset management (DAM) program takes a significant amount of effort, but allows many of your end-users to search the way they've been taught to. It also unlocks a much more efficient and effective way to quickly access specific assets, even if they're buried within a huge library.
The efficient management of their digital assets is crucial for every organization. Stacks partners with brands of all shapes, sizes, and industries to support their DAM programs and ensure that they maximize the value of their content. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of metadata keywords in the context of DAM and how they can streamline your workflow.
What is Metadata?
From a technical perspective, metadata is the central component of a healthy DAM program. Essentially, it’s information about your digital assets that's attached to them either automatically when the asset is created (embedded metadata) or afterward based on a specific and customized metadata taxonomy (custom metadata). You can learn more about the differences between these types of metadata in this article.
In this discussion, we’ll focus on custom metadata, specifically metadata keywords. Keywords are a common metadata field in many metadata standards such as IPTC. These are industry-standard templates used to quickly apply custom metadata to assets which can easily be mapped to specific fields in your DAM platform. If you’d like to learn more about metadata in general, check out the article linked below.
What Are Metadata Keywords in DAM?
Metadata keywords, in the context of digital asset management, are descriptive tags assigned to digital assets, such as images, videos, documents, and other media files. These keywords provide critical information about the content, context, and usage of each asset, facilitating a Google-like search experience.
While other metadata fields capture specific information such as creator name, the campaign the asset belongs to, the location, or the people shown in the asset, keywords are a bit more dynamic. They can capture a wider range of information from several categories in your metadata taxonomy, ensuring that the most important terms your end-users might use to search for assets yield results.
The Role of Metadata Keywords in Digital Asset Management
Metadata keywords play a vital role in categorizing and indexing digital assets. By assigning relevant keywords to each asset, you create a structured framework that enhances searchability and accessibility. This means that your end-users can quickly locate the assets they need, improving productivity and reducing time spent on manual searches.
One way of thinking about metadata keywords compared to other metadata fields or types is as a “wildcard” field. Don’t take the “wild” part of “wildcard” too literally, as keywords should still come from an established and organized taxonomy (learn more in this article) to ensure that users know which ones will be productive. The point is that while some fields may have only a few choices based on your metadata taxonomy, the keywords field can include many different options.
For example, let’s suppose that when users upload new assets to your DAM platform, they're required to input basic metadata to ensure that all assets are searchable (this is a great practice, by the way). Some of the fields they must fill out are the Description, Headline, Creator, Location Shown, and Keywords. You can find an example of this metadata below.
It’s important to note that all the fields except keywords have a pre-defined list of options to choose from that fall within a specific category in your metadata taxonomy. Keywords, while still part of a pre-defined list, can cover a wide range of categories of information that provide helpful context beyond the baseline information in the other fields. We recommend applying 3-5 keywords to each asset to ensure that they stay accessible and easy to find.
Best Practices for Using Metadata Keywords in DAM
To maximize the benefits of metadata keywords in your DAM system, it’s essential to implement best practices that ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency. These best practices are:
1. Being Consistent
Maintain a consistent approach to keyword tagging across all digital assets. Establish a standardized keyword list and ensure all team members adhere to it. Consistency in tagging helps avoid confusion and ensures that all users can easily find assets. Be sure to adopt a uniform way of speaking about terms and phrases that could have multiple keywords. For example, if you’re an apparel brand, determine whether athletic shoes are called “sneakers” or “tennis shoes” and commit to it.
2. Being Descriptive and Specific
Use descriptive and specific keywords that accurately reflect the content and purpose of each asset. Avoid generic terms that can lead to ambiguous search results. Instead, focus on keywords that provide clear, detailed information about the asset. This will enable hyper-specific and highly effective search results, just like Google! Allow users to continue filtering searches and get more granular by adding several layers of keywords.
3. Regularly Reviewing and Updating Keywords
Digital assets and how they are used can evolve over time. Regularly review and update your metadata keywords to reflect any changes in content, context, or organizational needs. This ongoing maintenance ensures that your DAM program remains effective and relevant. Our recommendation is to revisit your metadata taxonomy at least bi-annually, as well as when important brand events occur such as a rebrand, merger, acquisition, or new product launch.
The Future of Metadata Keywords in DAM
As technology continues to advance, the role of metadata keywords in DAM is also evolving. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are beginning to play a significant role in automating the tagging process, enhancing accuracy and efficiency. Embracing these technologies can further streamline your DAM strategy, allowing for more sophisticated asset management and retrieval capabilities.
Currently, applying custom metadata using AI requires significant model training and rigorous human oversight. Don’t rely solely on AI tags as your keywords unless you’re willing to do it correctly. If you’d like to learn more about this, contact Stacks today! Our team of DAM experts will be happy to provide insights into our recommendations and approach to DAM.
Conclusion: Elevate Your DAM Strategy with Metadata Keywords
Incorporating metadata keywords into your digital asset management strategy is a powerful way to enhance organization, searchability, and efficiency. By following best practices and staying updated with technological advancements, you can ensure that your DAM program meets both the current and future needs of your organization.
Ready to optimize your digital asset management strategy? Contact Stacks today and let our experts guide you to success!
