How to Get Images to Show Up in Search Results: A Comprehensive Guide
Images play a vital role in online content, enhancing user engagement, providing visual context, and improving SEO when properly optimised. However, getting images to appear in search results requires more than just uploading them to a webpage. Search engines rely on various factors to determine how and when to display images in search results. This guide explores the critical aspects of image optimisation and Search Engine Optimisation / SEO to ensure that your visuals gain visibility.
Key Takeaways
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Image optimisation enhances visibility, performance and user experience, covering compression, resizing, format choice and structured data for better search exposure.
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Indexation and discoverability are key; ensure images are crawlable, well-named, described with alt text and supported by surrounding content so search engines can understand and index them.
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Use the right file format and compression – JPEG for photos, PNG for transparency, WebP for balance, and tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh to reduce file size without quality loss.
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Add descriptive filenames, alt text, titles, captions and structured data to help search engines and users understand the image content and context.
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Optimise technical aspects – include image sitemaps, avoid blocking via robots.txt or no‑index tags, lazy-load responsibly, and ensure fast load times to satisfy Core Web Vitals.
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Leverage advanced features – geo-tag images for local SEO, use schema markup, optimise for Google Lens and rich snippets, and implement Open Graph/Twitter Cards to boost social and visual search performance.
What is Image Optimisation?
Image optimisation is the process of enhancing images to improve their visibility in search engines, reduce file sizes for faster loading speeds, and maintain visual quality. This involves a combination of compression, resizing, format selection, and metadata enhancements to ensure that images contribute to a website’s overall SEO performance.
What Does Image Indexation Mean?
Image indexation refers to the process of search engines like Google discovering, analysing, and adding images from a website into their image search results. Basically, when an image is indexed, it means search engines have recognised it, stored information about it, and can show it to users when they search for related keywords.
For an image to be indexed, search engine bots (also called crawlers) first need to find it. They do this by scanning web pages and following links to images. Once they find an image, they look at factors like file names, alt text (a short description of the image), surrounding text, and even the content of the image itself to figure out what it’s about.
If an image is properly optimised, it has a much better chance of showing up in Google Images or other search results, which can help bring more traffic to a website. But if an image is blocked by settings like “no index” tags or robots.txt, search engines won’t add it to their index, meaning it won’t appear in search results.
So, image indexation is basically how search engines decide whether an image should be included in their search engine results pages / SERPs – and making sure images are properly indexed is a key part of SEO for any website.
What Does Image Discoverability Mean?
Image discoverability refers to how easily search engines and users can find images on a website. It’s about making sure images aren’t just sitting on a website page unnoticed but are actually recognised and understood by search engines like Google. When an image is discoverable, it means search engine crawlers can locate it, interpret what it represents, and potentially display it in search results.
Discoverability depends on several factors, including the way an image is named, how it’s described in the website’s code, and whether search engines are allowed to access it. For example, an image with a clear filename and relevant alt text is easier for search engines to understand compared to one with a generic name like “IMG001.jpg.” The content surrounding the image also plays a role, as search engines look at the text on a page to get context about what the image might be showing.
If an image isn’t discoverable—due to being blocked by website settings, poorly described, or hidden behind scripts—search engines won’t be able to find it, which means it won’t appear in image search results. Improving image discoverability is important for websites that rely on visuals to attract visitors, whether for SEO purposes, eCommerce, or general online visibility.
How To Optimise Images
Optimising images involves several key steps, all of which contribute to better performance in search rankings.
Here are some tips for image optimisation:
- Choosing the Right File Format: Different formats serve different purposes. JPEG is ideal for high-quality photographs with smaller file sizes, while PNG supports transparency but tends to have larger file sizes. WebP, a newer format, offers a balance of quality and compression.
- Resizing Images Appropriately: Large images slow down website load times, negatively affecting SEO. Resizing images to the appropriate dimensions for their intended use ensures faster loading websites speeds while maintaining clarity.
- Compressing Without Losing Quality: Using tools like TinyPNG, Squoosh, or Photoshop’s compression features can reduce file size while retaining visual quality.
- Adding Descriptive File Names: Instead of default names like “IMG_1234.jpg,” renaming files to something relevant, such as “sydney-harbour-bridge-sunset.jpg,” helps search engines understand the image content.
- Utilising Alt Text and Image Titles: Alternative text (alt text) provides a textual description of an image for search engines and visually impaired users. Titles give additional context but are secondary in importance to alt text.
- Implementing Structured Data Markup: Schema markup for images helps search engines categorise and understand images better, improving their chances of appearing in search results.
The Difference Between Image Optimisation and Compression
Compression is a subset of image optimisation. While optimisation encompasses all techniques used to improve image SEO and performance, compression specifically refers to reducing the file size of an image.
Compression can be lossless (retaining image quality while removing redundant data) or lossy (sacrificing some quality to achieve a smaller file size).
How Do I Know If My Image Is Optimised?
You can assess image optimisation by evaluating several factors:
- Page Load Speed: If images slow down your website, they may not be sufficiently optimised.
- File Size: Optimised images should be under 200KB for most web uses while maintaining acceptable quality.
- SEO Performance: If your images are appearing in Google Image search results, they are likely well-optimised.
- Google Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights: These tools analyse page performance and highlight image-related issues.
What is Optimising for Image Quality?
Optimising for image quality means striking the right balance between compression and clarity. Excessive compression can cause pixelation, making images look blurry or distorted.
The goal is to reduce file size while preserving detail, contrast, and color accuracy. WebP and AVIF formats are designed to maintain higher quality with smaller file sizes compared to JPEG and PNG.
What is the Best SEO Image Format?
The best format depends on the purpose of the image. JPEG is best for standard images, WebP is recommended for balancing quality and file size, PNG is ideal for transparency, and SVG is used for logos and vector graphics.
WebP is becoming the preferred choice for SEO due to its superior compression capabilities.
What is “Image Recognition” and How to Optimise for It
Image recognition is the process by which search engines use AI and machine learning to identify objects, faces, text, and scenes within images.
To optimise for image recognition:
- Use high-quality, relevant images
- Add descriptive alt text and filenames
- Utilise structured data (Schema.org)
Ensure clear, distinguishable elements within the image
Are Pictures Good for SEO?
Yes, when optimised correctly, images improve user engagement, reduce bounce rates, and enhance page aesthetics—all of which contribute to better SEO performance. Search engines prioritise well-optimised content, including visuals.
How to Do SEO on Images
SEO for images involves technical and contextual optimisation, including file names, alt text, structured data, and proper placement within content. Ensuring images support and complement text-based content is crucial for SEO ranking.
How Do I Get My Images to Show Up and Rank in Search Engine Searches?
To ensure images appear in search results:
- Use High-Quality and Relevant Images: Google prioritises unique, high-resolution images that add value to content.
- Optimise Alt Text and Descriptions: Search engines rely on text-based descriptions to understand images.
- Host Images on a Crawlable Website: Ensure that your robots.txt file does not block search engines from indexing images.
- Implement Image Sitemaps: Sitemaps help search engines find and categorise images efficiently.
- Ensure Fast Load Times: Optimise images to prevent slow-loading pages, which can reduce rankings.
How and Why to Resize an Image for SEO?
Resizing images improves page load speed, enhancing user experience and SEO. Large images consume more bandwidth, slowing down loading times. By resizing images to match their display dimensions (e.g., a 4000px-wide image displayed at 800px should be resized accordingly), you can reduce unnecessary data without sacrificing quality.
Are Background Images Bad for SEO?
Background images often do not contribute directly to SEO since search engines prioritise inline images with alt text. Using CSS background images for crucial visuals can hinder SEO, as search engines may not recognise them as content.
How Do I Label an Image for SEO?
Images should have descriptive file names (e.g., “blue-sports-car.jpg” instead of “IMG_9876.jpg”), concise alt text, and properly formatted captions if necessary.
Do Image Titles Matter for SEO?
Image titles have minimal direct SEO impact but can enhance user experience by providing additional context when users hover over an image.
Do Image Alt Texts Matter for SEO? How to Write Alt Text for SEO?
Alt text is essential for accessibility and SEO. It should be descriptive yet concise, providing a clear explanation of the image’s content.
Alt Text Examples:
- Bad Image Alt Text Example: “Picture123”
- Good Image Alt Text Example: “Golden retriever playing in a park with a tennis ball”
Do Image Captions Matter for SEO?
Captions improve user engagement but have a minor effect on SEO compared to alt text and file names. They should be used where appropriate to provide context.
Do Image Descriptions Matter for SEO?
Yes, descriptions help Google understand an image’s content. While not as crucial as alt text, well-written descriptions can enhance image discoverability.
Do Image Slugs Matter for SEO?
Image slugs (the portion of the URL containing the image file name) should be relevant and include keywords to improve search rankings.
Examples of image file names / slugs:
- Bad image slug example: website.com/images/photo123.jpg
- Good image slug example: website.com/images/melbourne-skyline-sunset.jpg
How Do I Get Google to Recognise an Image?
Google recognises images through indexing. Ensure images are crawlable, have proper metadata, and are used within relevant, high-quality content. Implementing structured data and submitting an image sitemap also helps.
How to Reverse Image Search?
Reverse image search allows users to find similar or duplicate images online. Google Images, TinEye, and other tools let users upload an image or paste a URL to find matching images across the web.
How Does Google Image Search Work?
Google Image Search operates differently from standard web search. Instead of analysing text alone, Google uses machine learning and image recognition to understand the content of an image.
It considers metadata, surrounding text, alt text, file names, and structured data to determine relevance. Additionally, Google’s algorithm evaluates user engagement, such as click-through rates, to refine rankings over time.
What Is Google’s Lens and How Does It Affect Image SEO?
Google Lens is an AI-powered image recognition tool that allows users to search for information using pictures instead of text. With the rise of visual search, optimising images for Google Lens means ensuring they contain clear objects, distinct colours, and relevant metadata. High-resolution images with informative alt text and structured data have a higher chance of being correctly identified and matched with user queries.
How Does Image SEO Differ for Local Searches?
For Australian businesses targeting local audiences, optimising images for local SEO is critical.
Google prioritises locally relevant content, meaning images should:
- For supporting and optimising for local “Near Me” searchers, have geo-tagging metadata if applicable (e.g., photos taken at a specific business location).
- Be used alongside local keywords (e.g., “best cafés in Sydney”).
- Be included in Google My Business GMB (Google Business Profile) listings to appear in local search results.
How Does Image Licensing Impact SEO?
Google provides image licensing information in search results, allowing creators to indicate usage rights. Proper licensing (such as Creative Commons or commercial rights) can improve visibility for users searching for reusable content. If you want your images to be used and credited correctly, adding licensing metadata via IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council) standards can be beneficial.
What Role Do Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) Play in Image SEO?
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) helps speed up image loading by distributing files across multiple servers worldwide, reducing latency for users in different regions. For Australian websites, using a CDN with Australian servers (such as Cloudflare, Amazon CloudFront, or Fastly) ensures fast load times, improving user experience and SEO performance.
How Does Core Web Vitals Impact Image SEO?
Google’s Core Web Vitals assesses website performance, including:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading speed. Large, unoptimised images can slow down page loads, harming rankings.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Evaluates page stability. Images without set dimensions can cause layout shifts, negatively affecting user experience.
- First Input Delay (FID) & Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Measures website responsiveness. Slow-loading images can delay page interactivity.
Optimising images for faster load times (via compression, correct formats, and lazy loading) directly contributes to better Google Core Web Vitals scores, improving rankings.
How to Optimise Images for Social Media and Rich Snippets?
Images often appear in search results through social media previews and rich snippets.
To maximise visibility:
- Use Open Graph (OG) tags: These ensure correct image display when content is shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
- Add Twitter Cards: Specifies how images appear when shared on X (formerly Twitter).
- Optimise for Featured Snippets: Google sometimes pulls images from webpages for featured snippet results. High-quality, well-labelled images increase the likelihood of being chosen.
How Do “Google Discover” and “Google Images” Differ?
Google Discover is a personalised content feed that surfaces trending articles and visuals based on user interests. Unlike Google Images, which relies on keyword searches, Google Discover favours engaging, high-quality images within compelling content.
For better Discover rankings:
- Use large, high-resolution images (at least 1200px wide).
- Ensure images are visually appealing and relevant to trending topics.
- Implement structured data (especially max-image-preview:large meta tags).
How to Handle Image Indexing Issues?
If your images are not appearing in Google Search, check for:
- Blocked Robots.txt Rules: Ensure Disallow: /images/ isn’t preventing crawling.
- Noindex Tags: Confirm that images aren’t marked with.
- Slow Page Load Speeds: Large image files may delay indexing.
- Lack of Image Sitemaps: Submitting an image sitemap via Google Search Console can improve indexation.
What Are the Best Tools for Image SEO?
Several tools help diagnose and improve image SEO:
- Google PageSpeed Insights – Assesses loading speed and suggests image optimisations.
- Google Search Console – Checks for indexing issues and performance of image search results.
- TinyPNG & Squoosh – Compresses images without quality loss.
- Cloudinary & ImageKit – Manages, optimises, and delivers images efficiently.
- Google Vision AI – Analyses how Google interprets images through machine learning.
Addressing these additional areas, your images will have a much stronger chance of ranking in search results while maintaining a fast, user-friendly website experience.
Google Just Supercharged AI Search with Image Upload Capabilities
Google has just recently taken a major step forward in its AI-powered online search experience by rolling out multimodal functionality in its AI Mode. This new feature allows users to upload images and ask related questions, blending the visual intelligence of Google Lens with the conversational power of Google’s Gemini AI (formerly known as Google Bard AI). The result? A smarter, more interactive way to search that goes far beyond simple keywords.
Now, instead of just typing a query, users can snap a photo—say, of a book cover, product, or landmark—and let Google’s AI do the heavy lifting. The system can identify the object, suggest related content, answer detailed questions, and even provide rich, clickable links to learn more. For example, taking a picture of a book might return its title, author bio, similar reading suggestions, and places to purchase it—all in one seamless interface.
Behind the scenes, this is made possible through a technique Google refers to as “fan-out” querying. Essentially, the AI breaks down a single image into multiple sub-queries to build a more complete, context-aware response, giving users nuanced answers that reflect the complexity of their visual input.
Initially tested with Google One AI Premium users via the experimental Google Labs program, this upgraded AI Mode is now being progressively rolled out to a broader audience across the United States. Millions of users on Android and iOS can now access this feature through the standard Google app—no special setup required.
This enhancement marks a significant shift in how people engage with search. By merging text and image inputs, Google is creating a more natural, conversational search experience that rivals other AI-based search platforms like ChatGPT’s SearchGPT and Microsoft Copilot. It also reinforces Google’s long-term strategy: to evolve traditional search into a smarter, more personalised assistant powered by cutting-edge artificial intelligence.
With AI Mode’s new image recognition capabilities, Google is signaling its commitment to shaping the next generation of search—where questions don’t always start with a keyboard, and answers are more intuitive than ever.
Your Visuals Deserve More Visibility. Let Us Get Them Seen
Search engines are getting smarter, and image SEO is no longer just a “nice-to-have”; its essential for visibility, performance, and user experience. Throughout this guide, we explored how image optimisation, indexation, and discoverability work together to boost your presence in Google Image Search and beyond. From choosing the right formats and compression methods to leveraging structured data and optimising for Google Lens, every step you take with your images can influence your search rankings.
At Online Marketing Gurus – the top digital marketing agency in Australia, our SEO services providers specialise in making sure your visuals are not just beautiful; but also strategically aligned with your broader SEO goals. Whether you’re an ecommerce brand, a local business, or a content publisher, we can help you implement the best-in-class SEO strategies that drive real results.
Let’s take the guesswork out of your strategy and get your content seen where it matters most. Contact us today and get a FREE SEO audit valued at $4,000; and find out exactly how your images (and your site) can start performing better in search.
About the Author
Andrew Raso
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