They say that pictures are worth a thousand words. That doesn’t really help bloggers since writing is part of the point. But there is definitely something to be said about adding pictures to your blog as conversation starters or as the basis for your next blog post. Adding a controversial image could spark more conversation that you simply telling the reader what you saw. The more graphic you are, the more traffic you are likely to generate.

The problem is that you often have to pay to be able to add blog photos since many sites that give you a free basic blog, charge you to do so. They give you different templates to choose from and you can be creative to a degree. But if you want your blog to stand out, being able to add your own pictures is just as important. Let’s say you do have the option of adding images. Even if you have paid to customize your own blog with pictures and such, you’d have to load your own pictures or resort to finding free photos for blogs. Everyone loves to look up their favorite pet, skyline, paparazzi moment, you name it. Be careful because a lot of the generic pictures you find on search engines are already copyrighted! Unless you want to pay for it, find another picture.

But don’t fret, there are ways to find free photos for blogs. Believe it or not, NASA and the Library of Congress have more than 16 million pictures that you can post on your blog for free. You do still need to watch the license options on some of these pictures. Do a search online for other places where you can get free blog images. It’s not the most important part of your blog because most people want to read what you have to say (hopefully that’s why they’re following your blog in the first place). But it could make your blog more interesting than you think.