Search is no longer limited to typing keywords into a search box. People can now use images, screenshots, cameras, voice, and text together to find information. This evolution is creating a more visual and interactive search experience—and it is changing how businesses need to think about SEO.
In September 2026, Google introduced new multimodal search reporting in Search Console, allowing site owners to see performance data from searches involving Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome’s “Search this image” feature.
For businesses, publishers, content creators, and digital marketers, this development highlights an important shift: visual content is becoming an increasingly important part of search visibility.
So, what is multimodal search, and how can businesses prepare their SEO strategy for it?
What Is Multimodal Search?
Multimodal search allows users to search using more than one type of input.
Traditional search generally begins with a text query such as:
“best running shoes for beginners.”
A multimodal search could begin with a photograph of a pair of shoes and a question such as:
“Where can I find something similar?”
The search experience can combine visual information with text and, in some experiences, voice or other inputs.
Google has been expanding these capabilities through products such as Google Lens, Circle to Search, and AI-powered Search experiences. Google says its newer search experiences can understand images alongside questions and use visual information to produce more contextually relevant results.
Why Multimodal Search Matters for SEO in 2026
SEO has traditionally focused heavily on text-based content, keywords, links, and technical website optimization.
These remain important, but search behaviour is becoming more diverse.
A customer might:
- Photograph a product
- Upload an image
- Search using Google Lens
- Circle an object on their phone
- Ask a question about an image
- Combine an image with a text query
- Use voice and camera together
Google’s introduction of dedicated multimodal performance reporting means website owners can now gain more insight into how their content appears in these types of searches.
This creates an opportunity for businesses to think beyond traditional keyword optimization and consider how their images, videos, products, and visual information can be discovered.
1. Images Are Becoming More Important
Images are no longer simply decorative elements placed on webpages.
A useful product image, infographic, diagram, photograph, or original visual can potentially become part of a user’s search journey.
For example, imagine a customer sees a particular type of furniture online. Instead of describing it with keywords, they can use an image to search for similar products.
For businesses selling physical products, this makes high-quality and informative product imagery particularly valuable.
Images should clearly represent the product and be supported by relevant surrounding content.
2. Optimize Image File Names
One simple step businesses can take is using descriptive image file names.
Instead of:
IMG_2458.jpg
use something more descriptive, such as:
modern-glass-door-handle.jpg
A descriptive file name can provide useful context about the image.
However, image optimization should not become keyword stuffing. The file name should accurately describe what the image contains.
3. Use Meaningful Alt Text
Alt text remains an important part of accessible and understandable web content.
Instead of writing generic alt text such as:
“image of product”
provide a useful description:
“stainless steel glass door handle installed on a frameless glass door.”
Good alt text should describe the image accurately and naturally.
This is particularly relevant as visual search becomes more sophisticated because clear contextual information helps search systems better understand the content of a webpage.
4. Create Original Visual Content
Businesses should consider creating original images instead of relying entirely on generic stock photographs.
Original visual content can include:
- Product photography
- Infographics
- Tutorials
- Diagrams
- Before-and-after images
- Process photographs
- Charts
- Screenshots
- Educational illustrations
For example, a digital marketing agency could create an infographic explaining the stages of an SEO campaign.
A training institute could create visual guides explaining different digital marketing skills.
Original visuals can also strengthen the overall quality and usefulness of website content.
5. Optimize the Content Around Images
An image should not exist in isolation.
The surrounding webpage should provide useful information about what the image represents.
For example, if a page contains an image of a particular product, the page could include:
- Product name
- Description
- Features
- Specifications
- Applications
- Frequently asked questions
- Related products
This gives users and search systems additional context.
The goal is not to optimize an image separately from the webpage. Instead, think of the image and surrounding content as part of one information experience.
6. Think Beyond Keywords
Multimodal search reinforces an important SEO principle: users do not always search using the exact words businesses expect.
Someone may photograph an object and ask:
“What is this used for?”
Another person may upload a picture and ask:
“Is there a similar product available?”
This means businesses should create content that answers real customer questions rather than simply repeating target keywords.
Build content around:
- Problems
- Questions
- Products
- Services
- Comparisons
- Use cases
- Instructions
- Customer needs
This can make content more useful across different search experiences.
7. Video Can Become Part of the Search Journey
Multimodal search is not limited to static images.
Video is already a major source of information online, and businesses should consider how visual demonstrations can support their content strategy.
For example, a company could create videos showing:
- How a product works
- How to install something
- How to use a service
- Step-by-step tutorials
- Product demonstrations
- Behind-the-scenes processes
Video content can provide information that would be difficult to communicate through text alone.
8. Product Businesses Should Pay Attention
Multimodal search can be particularly relevant for e-commerce and product-based businesses.
Google has continued expanding visual shopping experiences. In 2026, Circle to Search gained the ability to identify multiple objects in an image, allowing users to explore different items within a single visual scene.
For businesses selling products online, this makes accurate product information and strong visual assets increasingly important.
Product pages should contain clear images, useful descriptions, relevant specifications, and accurate information.
9. Local Businesses Can Benefit From Better Visual Content
Local businesses should also consider multimodal search.
A restaurant, hotel, salon, retail store, clinic, or educational institution can use authentic images to communicate what customers can expect.
Useful visual content might include:
- Exterior photographs
- Interior photographs
- Products
- Services
- Facilities
- Team or work environment
- Location-related visuals
Visual content can help potential customers understand a business before they decide to visit or contact it.
10. Use Google Search Console to Understand Performance
Google’s September 2026 update is particularly useful for website owners because Search Console now provides a multimodal search type filter in its performance reports.
Google says the data can include searches through Lens, Circle to Search, image uploads, and Chrome’s “Search this image” functionality. The reporting is rolling out globally, with metrics appearing when a site receives traffic from these searches.
This gives SEO professionals another source of data to consider when evaluating search performance.
Instead of looking only at traditional search traffic, businesses can begin asking:
- Are our visual assets generating visibility?
- Which pages receive multimodal search traffic?
- Which images appear to attract attention?
- Are product pages receiving visual discovery?
- Which types of content perform well?
11. Build a Strong Technical SEO Foundation
Multimodal SEO does not replace traditional SEO.
Your website still needs:
- Fast loading pages
- Mobile-friendly design
- Clear navigation
- Search-friendly page structures
- Descriptive titles
- Useful content
- Proper internal linking
- Accessible images
- Secure website infrastructure
Visual optimization works best when it is part of a broader SEO strategy.
12. Focus on Helpful Content
The most important principle is still usefulness.
Do not add images simply because you want more visual content. Use images when they genuinely help explain something.
For example, a tutorial about installing a product can benefit from step-by-step photographs. A marketing guide can benefit from charts or screenshots. A product page needs accurate photographs that help customers understand what they are considering.
The objective should be to make information easier to understand.
What Should Businesses Do Now?
Businesses preparing for the changing search landscape can start with a simple checklist:
Audit existing images → Improve image file names → Write useful alt text → Add original visuals → Improve product imagery → Create video content → Strengthen surrounding webpage content → Monitor Search Console data.
This approach does not require completely rebuilding an SEO strategy.
Instead, it adds a visual and multimodal layer to existing search optimization efforts.
The Future of SEO Is More Than Text
The evolution of search shows that people are gaining more ways to express what they want to find.
Google has continued expanding visual search, including multimodal AI experiences, Lens, Circle to Search, and camera-based search. Google has also reported that AI Mode supports inputs including text, images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs.
For marketers, this means SEO should increasingly consider the full content experience—not just the words on a page.
Images, videos, product information, structured content, and helpful explanations can all contribute to how users discover and understand a business.
Conclusion
Multimodal Search SEO is becoming an important consideration as search moves beyond traditional text queries. Google’s September 2026 Search Console update gives website owners more visibility into how their content performs across visual search experiences such as Lens, Circle to Search, image uploads, and “Search this image.”
Businesses can prepare by creating high-quality visual content, using descriptive image information, improving product pages, producing useful videos, and connecting visual assets with helpful webpage content.
The goal is not to abandon traditional SEO. Instead, it is to expand the way you think about search visibility.
In 2026, optimizing for search increasingly means optimizing for how people search—not just what they type.