Google Image Search

Google Image Search and Google Lens generate traffic through images: Lens recognizes subjects and displays information. For image SEO, alt text, file name, title, caption, appropriate text context, and good accessibility for the Googlebot are important.

Anyone who has searched for a specific term using the Google search engine will have become acquainted with Google Image Search, as corresponding images are listed for numerous search queries. However, with the AI feature Google Lens, the process is also possible in reverse: similar photos and additional information can be found for uploaded or photographed image material. The app translates, recognizes places and things, and can also find suitable products if desired.

For whom is the image search important?

As a rule, an entire website is optimized to improve its ranking on search engines. This includes content, which should not be viewed merely as text but rather as a composition of images, audio, and video files. Editorial articles are often enhanced with such media, which should also be optimized. This is because a good ranking can be a key traffic source for websites and especially online shops that attract customers through product images. Additionally, image SEO can establish a thematic context and increase relevance in Google Image Search when the visuals are equipped with important tags and appropriate structured data. This includes alternative descriptions and the correct, written representation of what is depicted in the image. This not only helps to rank higher in Google Image Search but also sends positive signals for the barrier-free access to your online shop, particularly benefiting visually impaired visitors. Always keep in mind: Over 90% of image searches on Google are conducted via keyboard input and written words.

Recently, thanks to Rich Snippets, a proper description of images is not only important for the pure Google Image Search or Lens, but also for the organic result lists (especially in the so-called One-Box, where information is already provided in the SERPs). Photos are displayed here as long as they are among the first four to six positions in Google Image Search. This type of search and the associated content optimization is therefore fundamentally interesting for all websites and online shops.

Basics for Google Image Search – How to Optimize Your Images

In order for the images to be found in the top positions and not disappear from the organic search list, some basics for SEO optimization must be observed. Important for image SEO are accessibility for the Google bot and the description in the alt text, as the web crawler needs the information to determine relevance. At the same time, the alt text enables speech programs to "read" the images, which is a considerable advantage for visually impaired internet users. Additionally, the following aspects are important for search engine optimization: caption, file name, and image title. They should relate to the H1 title and contain the main keyword. It is also advantageous if the surrounding text also contains the corresponding keywords or several important key terms (for example, as part of a semantic context).

Google Lens – the mobile AI image recognition

AI is an increasingly important topic in the SEO field, including in Google Image Search. Lens is a mobile image recognition feature based on artificial intelligence, which can recognize and categorize texts as well as depicted objects or animals. What exactly does this mean? An example: While hiking, you discover a beautiful but unknown flower. It can be photographed. The photo is uploaded via Google Lens, then the appropriate search results appear. New in this context is the combination search, which allows search queries with both images and text. Example: If someone has bought a table in a specific style, they can photograph it and supplement the image capture with the text "chairs" to search for matching furniture. The same works on the go: If someone is hungry, they can upload a picture of a certain dish and use the query "nearby" to search for restaurants that offer the dish. In this way, modern Google Image Search is becoming increasingly important for local SEO. Finally, Lens also includes the classic style product search. If you discover a handbag on the go that you would like to buy, you can simply photograph it, get corresponding shopping results displayed, and buy directly. In any case, you will at least know who the manufacturer is and what the product is called if Lens comes up with an adequate result.