Google is pushing Search in an increasingly visual and multimodal direction. As part of the 25th anniversary of Google Images, the company presented features that allow users to upload several images to the new intelligent search box, ask complex questions about visual scenes and, in certain regions, receive images generated directly in AI Overviews.
The change matters for SEO because a search no longer begins only with text entered in a box. Users can show the product, space, problem, object or combination of elements they want to understand. For businesses, this moves part of the competition for visibility towards original images, real demonstrations, proprietary photography, short video and visual content that explains rather than merely decorates.
What Google announced
Google describes the new experience as a smarter search box capable of receiving text, images, files, video and even context from Chrome tabs where the features are available. In the visual area, users can upload several images and Search attempts to understand the entire scene, not merely an isolated object.
In practice, the question can become much more natural: “what style of furniture is this?”, “which product resembles the object in the photograph?”, “how can I repair the problem visible here?”, “which plants suit this space?” or “which elements can I change to make the result look better?”. These searches are closer to a conversation with a consultant than to a traditional query based on two or three keywords.
What it means for Search to become multimodal
Multimodal means that the system no longer analyses a single type of input. Text, images, video clips, files and page context can be combined in one request. The experience is faster for the user. Interpretation becomes more complex for search engines. Visual signals become more valuable for websites.
A simple example: a business that sells furniture does not compete only through a page entitled “modern dining chair”. It can also compete through original photographs of the chair in real rooms, material details, comparison images, assembly video, before-and-after photographs and content that answers concrete questions about use, dimensions, compatibility or maintenance.
AI Overviews is beginning to include image generation
Google also announced the integration of image generation into AI Overviews, initially in English and in eligible regions. The idea is that users can request not only information, but also a visual result generated in the context of the answer. For now, this is not a universally available feature and should not be treated as a change that has been fully launched worldwide.
Nevertheless, the direction is clear: the search result is becoming less of a list of links and more of a space in which Google interprets, compares, generates and organizes information. This may reduce some traditional clicks, but it may increase the importance of clear, well-structured and visually credible sources.
Why stock images are becoming a weaker SEO signal
Stock images are not disappearing and can remain useful in certain editorial contexts. The problem is that they say very little about the business using them. If the same photograph appears on tens or hundreds of websites, Google and AI systems have little reason to regard it as original evidence about a company's activities, products or services.
By contrast, photographs taken by the business show reality: the team, location, product, packaging, process, completed project, work before and after, application interface, stage of work or the concrete way in which a service is delivered. These images can support user trust and provide search engines with visual information that is difficult to reproduce generically.
Which types of image will matter more
For visual SEO, the most important images are those that add information. A decorative photograph of a laptop on a desk is less valuable than a clear application screenshot, an image of the real product, a service demonstration or a photograph from the company's location.
Depending on the field, useful assets may include product photographs from several angles, images with technical details, team photographs, process images, application screenshots, original charts, visual comparisons, before-and-after materials, demonstration clips and frames extracted from video. The important point is that the image should answer a question a customer may have.
Impact on presentation websites, online stores and applications
For a presentation website, this change means visual sections should be treated as information rather than filler. A service page should include images showing the result, process, interface, people or context in which the service is used.
For online stores, original photography matters even more. Supplier images are useful for consistency, but do not differentiate the store. Proprietary images of the product, real details, size comparisons, short videos and demonstrations of use can support both conversion and visibility in visual searches.
For custom applications, images can explain workflows that are difficult to understand through text alone. Screenshots, mini demonstrations, short animations and dashboard examples can show how a business uses an application with AI integration, how a process is automated or how data is transformed into decisions.
How images should be prepared for SEO
Image optimization is not merely compression. The filename should be descriptive, the alt text should explain the image naturally, the dimensions should be adapted to the page and WebP is generally a good choice for performance. The image should have context around it: a heading, paragraph, caption or relevant section.
For example, an image named online-booking-application-dashboard.webp, with clear alt text and placed in a section about online bookings, is more useful than a generic file such as image123.jpg. Google needs technical and semantic context to understand the image, while the user needs clarity to decide whether the page is helpful.
Video and demonstrations become part of the same strategy
Multimodal search does not stop at static images. Short video, product demonstrations, tutorials, interface presentations and explanatory clips may become important signals. A user may begin a search from a video frame, screenshot or question about a scene. Video content should therefore be planned together with SEO, not separately.
A business does not necessarily need complicated productions. Sometimes a clear 30–60 second clip, filmed correctly and showing a product, application or stage of work, can be more useful than a heavily edited generic video. What matters is that the material answers a real intent: how it works, what it looks like, which problem it solves and what difference can be seen.
What businesses can do now
The first step is an audit of existing images. It is worth checking images without alt text, files with generic names, oversized images, repetitive stock photographs and important pages without proprietary visual evidence. A simple plan should then be prepared: what to photograph, what to demonstrate, which screenshots to produce and which short videos can clarify the offer.
In Web Hat Solutions projects, this direction is directly connected to SEO, AI and LLM optimization and website development. A modern website must be visible not only through text, but also through images that clearly show what the business does and why it is worth choosing.
Common image SEO mistakes
The most common mistake is using images only as decoration. The second is uploading large images without optimization, which affects page speed. The third is forced alt text packed with keywords that does not describe the image naturally. The fourth is a lack of coherence: the image shows one thing while the text discusses something else.
Another mistake is publishing the same image on many pages without a reason. If every commercial page uses the same generic photograph, the visual signal becomes weak. It is better to have fewer images that are original, relevant and well positioned.
Practical checklist for businesses
- Gradually replace stock images on important pages with original photographs relevant to the service or product.
- Use descriptive filenames, natural alt text and captions that explain each image in context.
- Add visual demonstrations: application screenshots, stages of work, before-and-after results, product details or short video.
- Check image performance: correct dimensions, WebP where appropriate, lazy loading and no elements that cause CLS.
What to remember in practice
Search is becoming more visual, contextual and multimodal. This does not mean text no longer matters. It means text, images, video and page structure must work together. Businesses with original images, clear demonstrations and well-optimized visual content will have an advantage in a search experience that is beginning to understand more complex scenes, objects and intentions.
For SEO, the message is direct: images are no longer merely aesthetic elements. They become evidence, answers and relevance signals. Businesses that continue to use only stock imagery risk appearing interchangeable. Those that build their own visual content can be easier to understand, recommend and choose.
