The Google Search Console Multimodal Search update provides new reporting for image and other visual input searches for site owners. Google says the new reporting includes traffic from Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome’s “Search this image” feature. Data is available via a new search type filter, multimodal search, in Search Console performance reports.
Introduction
Search is not just typing a few words into Google anymore.
You can now search using photos, screenshots, your phone camera, or visual elements on a web page. That change opens up a new avenue for website discovery, especially when their pages have useful images, products, diagrams, screenshots, or other visual information.
Google now provides reporting on this type of search in Search Console. For website owners and SEO professionals, this means more data is available to understand how people discover their content.
Multimodal Search Explained
Multimodal search allows users to query with different types of information.
A person can do more than just type in text; they can upload an image, use Google Lens to identify something, or use Circle to Search on an Android device.
For example, a person could take a picture of an object and then search to find out more about the object. Someone else can query an image for visually similar results.
That makes images and other visual elements more and more important parts of search visibility.
What Has Google Added to Search Console?
Google introduced a new multimodal search type filter in Search Console’s Performance reports.
The reporting covers several visual search experiences, including:
| Search Experience | What It Means |
| Google Lens | Users search using images or a camera |
| Circle to Search | Users search visual content on Android |
| Image uploads | Users upload an image to Google Search |
| Search this image | Users search an image from Chrome |
| Search Console reporting | Website owners can analyze related performance |
Google says the rollout began globally on September 24, 2026.
Why is this important for SEO?
Conventional SEO tends to be keyword, page, link, technical performance and copy-centric.
Visual search adds a further dimension.
An image can also tell Google what a page is about, and that can get visitors to a website. This can be especially helpful for ecommerce websites, design companies, travel websites, food businesses, product pages and publishers.
It’s also another way for SEO teams to understand where web traffic is coming from.
For an agency like Ozzun, this update is useful as SEO strategies need to increasingly consider how content appears across different search experiences rather than just focusing on traditional text results.
Optimizing for Multimodal Search: How do you?
Your SEO strategy doesn’t have to be completely overhauled.
Instead, make the visual content better and more useful.
Use the Right Images
Images should be relevant to the subject of the page, not just to fill up space.
Create Helpful Image Context
The surrounding text should make it clear what the picture depicts.
Descriptive File Names
Don’t upload an image with a random filename; use a descriptive name that accurately reflects the image.
Add Alt Text As Appropriate
Alt text helps describe the image to users who are unable to see it and adds more context about the image.
Keep images clean and clear
Low-quality or irrelevant images aren’t as helpful to users. Use images that genuinely add information or improve understanding.
What Should Website Owners Do Today?
Log into Google Search Console and check out your Performance reports.
If your site receives traffic from multimodal searches, the new filter can help you understand that traffic.
You can then compare that data to your current search performance and see where visual content may be helping you get found.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google Search Console Multimodal Search?
It’s a new Search Console report to help website owners understand performance from visual and image-based search experiences.
Does Google Lens traffic show in Search Console?
The new reporting includes searches that use Google Lens and other multimodal search experiences, Google says.
Will image SEO still matter in 2026?
Yes. Images can help users to find and understand content and multi-modal search makes visual content even more relevant.
Is it time for Every Website to Change its SEO Strategy?
Not always. The first step is for website owners to check if visual search is relevant to their audience and if their existing images provide useful information.
Conclusions
Another sign that search is becoming more visual is the Multimodal Search update for Google Search Console.
Website owners can get more insight into how people find their content via Lens, image uploads, Circle to Search and other visual search experiences.
The practical answer is simple: Keep creating useful pages, improve the quality and context of your images and use Search Console data to understand how people are actually finding your website.