Google Search Console Now Tracks Visual Search: What It Means for SEO

Search is becoming less keyboard-dependent. A shopper can point a phone at a product, upload a screenshot, circle something on a screen, or use Google Lens to find information about what they are seeing. Google is now making part of that behavior easier for website owners to measure.

On September 24, 2026, Google introduced web multimodal search reporting in Google Search Console. The new reporting appears in the Performance report for Search results as well as the Generative AI performance report. 

It covers searches using Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome’s “Search this image” feature. Google says the rollout is global, with metrics appearing for sites that receive traffic from these searches.

For SEO teams, this is more than another Search Console filter. It provides a separate view of a search behavior that was previously difficult to isolate. Businesses can now see whether their pages are being discovered through visual and multimodal experiences alongside traditional text searches.

What is Google’s new Multimodal Search Report?

Google uses “multimodal” for web searches where an image is part of the search process. This can happen through Lens, Circle to Search, an uploaded image, or Chrome’s image search option.

The new Web: multimodal category sits alongside text-based web search in Search Console. It is also different from the existing Google Images search type because the new report focuses on web results generated from searches that included an image.

Consider a simple example. Someone photographs a chair they like in a café. Instead of typing “wooden lounge chair,” they can use Lens to identify it or find similar results. A furniture company with a useful product page could then become part of that search journey.

The same behavior can apply to fashion, travel, electronics, cars, food, and other visually driven industries. For e-commerce businesses in particular, a product image can become an entry point to the website rather than simply a design element on a page.

How to use the new Multimodal Data

1. Open the Performance report

Open Google Search Console and head to the Performance report. Under the Search type filter, Google now separates Web into Text-based and Multimodal.

Selecting Web: multimodal lets site owners isolate clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position associated with this search type. The data can also be reviewed by pages, countries, devices, and dates.

2. Compare it with traditional search

The real value comes from comparison.

A website may have pages that perform normally in text-based search but receive stronger visibility through image-led discovery. Another site may see almost no multimodal activity.

Neither outcome is automatically positive or negative. It simply shows how relevant visual discovery is to that website and its audience.

3. Check the Generative AI report

Google has also added multimodal reporting to the Generative AI performance report, connecting image-led searches with the wider development of AI-powered Search.

This is worth following because users can increasingly move between text, images, and AI-generated results within the same search journey.

4. Know the reporting limitation

There is an important catch: multimodal searches do not provide the same query-level information available for traditional searches.

That means businesses may not see the exact wording behind every image-led search. Instead, the report is more useful for understanding which pages are earning impressions and clicks from multimodal discovery.

The focus therefore shifts from “Which keyword triggered this?” to “Which pages are attracting visual search visibility?”

Why this matters for SEO

Visual search is not replacing traditional SEO. It is adding another way for people to discover information.

Google continues to emphasize established SEO fundamentals for AI features and evolving Search experiences. Pages still need to be accessible, indexable, and useful, while good site structure, relevant content, and sound technical implementation remain important.

The change is that there are now more ways for users to begin a search.

1. Search intent can start with an image

A typed query often gives marketers an obvious keyword. A visual search can be much broader.

A user looking at a pair of shoes may want the brand, model, price, or alternatives. Someone photographing a building may be trying to identify it. A screenshot could lead to a search for a software feature, guide, or product.

The image is only the starting point. The underlying intent can still be commercial, informational, or navigational.

2. E-commerce has a natural connection

Product discovery is already highly visual. Customers may not know the exact product name but can recognize an item when they see it.

Google states that Product structured data can help product information appear in richer search experiences, including Google Images and Google Lens. Depending on the experience, details such as price, availability, and review information can be surfaced with products.

This makes the relationship between product imagery, structured data, and e-commerce SEO more important.

3. Images are also part of technical SEO

Visual content needs to work for users and search engines.

Large images can slow pages, while poor-quality images can weaken the user experience. Google recommends using high-quality images alongside responsive and performance-conscious implementation.

That puts image optimization directly alongside broader technical and on-page SEO.

How Businesses can optimize for Visual Search

There is no special “Google Lens SEO” trick that guarantees visibility. A better approach is to improve the signals that help Google understand both the image and the page around it.

1. Focus on important visual assets

Start with product photographs, service images, diagrams, original graphics, location photos, and other visuals that genuinely support your business.

Decorative images do not need the same level of attention. Prioritize visuals that could help someone identify, compare, or understand what you offer.

2. Use descriptive filenames and alt text

Alt text is even more important. Google says it uses alt text alongside computer vision and page content to understand an image. It should describe the image naturally rather than becoming a list of repeated keywords.

3. Give images useful page context

An image should not exist in isolation.

Google notes that the content and metadata of the page where an image appears can influence how the image is understood in Search. Nearby text, captions, titles, and relevant page content help establish that context.

For example, a product photograph should sit on a page that clearly explains the product instead of relying on the image alone.

4. Improve image performance

Image SEO is not about making files as small as possible. Businesses need to balance quality with page speed.

Using suitable formats, responsive images, and sensible dimensions can reduce unnecessary page weight while keeping important visuals sharp and useful. Google specifically recommends balancing image quality with performance.

5. Use structured product information

For e-commerce websites, product structured data can provide Google with clearer information about individual products. Google says this can support richer appearances across Search, Google Images, and Google Lens.

The information in the markup should match what customers can actually see on the page, including details such as product name, price, and availability.

6. Measure what is actually working

Search Console should become part of the optimization process.

Review which URLs receive multimodal impressions and clicks, compare their performance over time, and look for patterns across product categories, services, or content types.

This helps businesses decide where visual optimization is actually producing value instead of applying the same strategy to every page.

What the update means for E-commerce websites

E-commerce businesses have an obvious reason to pay attention because customers often begin shopping with something they see.

Google says Lens is used for nearly 20 billion visual searches each month, with shopping-related activity making up 20% of Lens searches.

That does not mean every product page will suddenly receive a surge of traffic. It does mean merchants should prepare for journeys where the customer may not begin with a traditional keyword at all.

A strong e-commerce page can support that journey with:

• Clear product imagery that represents the item accurately.
• Useful product information that explains what the shopper is seeing.
• Structured data that helps search engines understand product details.
• Fast performance so the page remains easy to use after a visual search.
• Relevant internal links that help visitors continue researching or comparing products.

For Shopify stores and other e-commerce platforms, these elements work best as part of one wider SEO strategy rather than as separate tasks.Businesses can also consider Shopify development services when technical implementation, performance and structured product information need to be handled together.

What SEO teams should monitor next

The new filter becomes more useful when it is treated as an ongoing reporting signal rather than a one-time curiosity.

1. Which pages attract visual discovery?

Look for URLs that consistently generate multimodal impressions. They may share characteristics such as strong original imagery, clearer product information, or content that naturally suits visual search.

2. Are impressions turning into clicks?

Visibility does not always translate into visits. If a page receives substantial multimodal impressions but weak CTR, review the page’s relevance, presentation, and the information available to users after they arrive.

3. Is visual search relevant to the audience?

Not every website needs the same visual strategy. A fashion store may have obvious opportunities, while a text-heavy B2B site may have less demand.

The goal is not to force a visual strategy where it does not fit. It is to use Search Console data to see where visual discovery matters.

4. How is it connecting with AI Search?

Google is reporting multimodal data in its Generative AI performance report as well. That makes it useful to watch how image-led discovery develops alongside AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Search measurement is gradually becoming broader than a list of text keywords. Visual inputs, AI features, and traditional web results increasingly overlap.

What Businesses should do now

Google’s multimodal reporting gives website owners a new piece of information, but the practical response is familiar: make important pages easier to understand, make useful images easier to discover, and measure the results.

Start by checking Search Console for the new multimodal filter. Then audit the pages receiving this visibility and review their image filenames, alt text, page context, structured data, and technical performance.

The businesses that benefit will not necessarily be the ones with the most images. They will be the ones that make visual content useful, accessible, and connected to strong pages.

As search moves between text, images, and AI-powered experiences, visual content is becoming a more measurable part of SEO. Google’s latest Search Console update gives businesses a practical way to understand that shift and make better decisions about where visual optimization belongs in their strategy.