Google removed my images because Pinterest?

[maccas]

Hi, I have been out of this game for so long, probably about 5 years since I last logged in so I am way behind the ins and out. Basically I have been taking it easy for the last decade but ad revenue has got to the point where I better get back into it. Anyway I have notice yet another dip in one of my revenue streams, google images. Now all my images that were in the top 5 for images have suddenly disappeared completely, those images have all been replaced by my image but from this pinterest site. Is Google deleting duplicate images and keeping the image from the obvious scrapper? Or is there something else at play here? My site is about 10 years old and those images have been in the top 5 for about as long until about a month ago.

[keyplyr]

In all respect maccas, the fact that you've ignored your web presence for 5 years likely has a lot to do with your drop in ranking.

Pinterest has high ranking and a huge amount of backlinks. If you don't keep up and maintain your site's relevance, you'll likely loose what you once had to those who do.

[maccas]

There we go, filled out their copyright form, pin got deleted but for some reason they don't delete the image from their server, send a email telling them about the image on the server, deleted the next day. Next day I am back to where I was.

I get your point but the site still gets natural links and it is static, not really much more I can add to it as it is mostly maps and they are just as relevant today as they were when I made them i.e high resolution outline of a particular countries coastline, nothing is going to change.

On a side note, this is the first time I have been back on this site in years and I must say this is the only forum I have used where pretty much the same moderators are still the same after a decade or longer. Brett must be keeping you all happy, I presume this site is still his?

[not2easy]

Yes, Brett is back at the helm. If you'd like, you can do some catching up here: [webmasterworld.com...]

[QuaterPan]

Interesting.

When the same image is used across several sites, I wonder how Google is choosing which site to feature. Obviously maccas's site should provide much more/better context around these images, than Pinterest ! and still Google was choosing Pinterest. I wonder why. Is that beacuse Pinterest is a bigger "brand/site" ? That Google assumes it's "better" ?

[maccas]

It is frustrating that is for sure, it is a pretty simple fix from Googles end and they must know about it. It has happened to me in the past as well with full blown scrapper sites where I have had to send DMCA notices to get them removed. Even sites that have hot linked images have come up instead of me as well and that is just poor from Google. When it comes to duplicate images and ranking age should trump all.

"yes, Brett is back at the helm", that shows how long I have been away, didn't even know he sold it.