People have been using their cameras to search for things on Google for years. Someone might take a picture of a pair of shoes, circle a product in a video, upload an image, or use Google Lens to find something similar.

The challenge for SEO professionals was understanding how much website traffic came from these image-based searches.

That is changing with the new Google Search Console Multimodal Search reporting.

Google has introduced a new way to see how your website performs when users search using images, photos, and screenshots. For SEO teams, this means visual search is becoming easier to measure instead of being something we simply assume is happening.

In this guide, we will explain what Google Search Console Multimodal Search is, what information you can find in the report, how to access it, what its limitations are, and what you can do to improve your image SEO strategy.

What Is Google Search Console Multimodal Search?

In simple terms, Google Search Console Multimodal Search is a new reporting option within the Performance report in Google Search Console.

It helps separate normal text-based searches from searches that use an image, photo, or screenshot.

Google now provides two Web search views:

Web: Text-based
Web: Multimodal

Text-based searches are the searches users perform by typing or speaking a query. Multimodal searches are triggered when an image, photo, or screenshot is part of the search.

So, if someone finds your website after searching Google with a picture, that traffic can now appear separately in Google Search Console Multimodal Search reporting.

This gives SEOs a much better way to understand visual search traffic.

What Has Google Announced About Multimodal Search in Google Search Console?

Google introduced Multimodal Search in Google Search Console as a new way to understand website performance from image-based searches.

Here are the main points:

The Web search type is now divided into text-based and Multimodal.
The multimodal report includes clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position.
Data can be reviewed by Pages, Countries, Devices, and Dates.
The Queries tab is not available for multimodal searches.
Google says this is new reporting data that was not previously shown in the report.

This last point is particularly important.

If you notice a change in your Search Console numbers, you should not automatically assume that your existing text-based traffic has decreased. The new Google Search Console multimodal search reporting is designed to expose search activity that was previously difficult to see separately.

Some SEO professionals have also noticed data going back to around September 10, 2026 for certain properties. However, the exact data availability may vary between properties, so it is worth checking your own Search Console account.

What Counts as Multimodal Search Data in GSC?

There are several ways a user can start a multimodal search.

Search Method	How Users Search	Common Use
Google Lens	Uses a camera or existing photo	Finding products, plants, places, and objects
Circle to Search	Circles something on an Android screen	Finding products or objects seen online
Image Upload	Uploads an image directly to Google Search	Finding similar images or products
Chrome Search This Image	Right clicks an image in Chrome	Finding sources, products, or similar images

These different search methods are grouped under the Multimodal category.

At this stage, you cannot see separate numbers for Google Lens, Circle to Search, image uploads, and Chrome image searches. They are grouped in the Multimodal search data in GSC.

It is also important not to assume that every image-related experience across Google’s products is automatically included. Features such as AI Mode or Search Live may have different reporting systems.

For more information about AI Mode reporting, you can also refer to How to Track Google AI Mode Traffic in Google Search Console?.

How to Find Google Search Console Multimodal Search Data

Finding Google Search Console Multimodal Search data is fairly simple.

Follow these steps:

Open Google Search Console.
Select your website property.
Go to Performance.
Open Search results.
Click the Search type filter.
Select Web: Multimodal.
Click Apply.
Review your clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position.
Check the Pages, Countries, Devices, and Dates tabs.

This is where Google Search Console image search performance becomes useful.

Instead of simply knowing that your website receives organic traffic, you can start identifying pages that appear to benefit from visual search.

How to Compare Text-Based and Multimodal Performance

One of the most useful ways to work with Google Search Console Multimodal Search is to compare it with your regular text-based search data.

Keep the same date range and page filters, then switch between:

Web: Text-based

and

Web: Multimodal

You can export both sets of data and compare them in Excel or Google Sheets.

This can help you identify:

Pages that mainly attract traditional search traffic
Pages that receive significant multimodal traffic
Pages with high multimodal impressions
Pages that receive clicks despite having limited text-based traffic
Differences between mobile and desktop performance

This comparison can make your Google Search Console SEO data much more useful for content and image optimization decisions.

Connecting Multimodal Search Data With Google Analytics

Google Search Console tells you how users discovered your website. Google Analytics can help you understand what happened after they arrived.

For example, suppose one of your product pages receives 500 clicks through Google Search Console Multimodal Search.

Google Search Console can show you those clicks and impressions.

Google Analytics can then help you understand whether those visitors:

Viewed other products
Added something to their cart
Submitted a form
Made a purchase
Left the website quickly

Combining both platforms gives you a better picture of the value of visual search.

If you have not connected the platforms yet, you can refer to How to Add Search Console in Google Analytics?.

What Does Google Search Console Multimodal Search Reporting Not Show?

The new Google Search Console multimodal search reporting is useful, but it is not a complete picture of visual search.

There are some important limitations.

No Query Data

This is probably the biggest limitation.

With a traditional Google search, you might see a query such as:

blue silk saree

But when someone uploads a picture and searches for something similar, there may not be a traditional text keyword to report.

As a result, the Queries tab is not available for this type of traffic.

You can see which page received the click, but you cannot necessarily see exactly what visual object the person searched for.

No Separate Data for Each Visual Search Method

Google currently groups different visual search entry points together.

That means you cannot necessarily say:

“Google Lens generated 60 clicks and Circle to Search generated 40 clicks.”

Instead, these activities are grouped into the broader multimodal category.

API Limitations

Another consideration is reporting through the Search Analytics API.

At launch, the API documentation did not list multimodal as a separate search type value. This means that exporting the information directly from Search Console may currently be more practical for many SEO teams.

If you are building automated dashboards, keep checking Google’s documentation as this feature develops.

Be Careful With Year-Over-Year Comparisons

Since this is new reporting, comparing total Web traffic with previous years can become confusing.

Instead, separate your analysis into:

Text based search performance

and

Multimodal search performance

This gives you a cleaner comparison and avoids assuming that a change in the overall Web numbers represents a decline in traditional organic search.

Why Google Search Console Multimodal Search Matters for SEO

For a long time, Visual search SEO was difficult to measure.

SEO professionals could optimize images, improve alt text, add structured data, and create better product photography, but there was limited visibility into how much traffic these efforts generated from visual searches.

The new Google Search Console Multimodal Search reporting creates a useful feedback loop.

You Can See Which Pages Attract Visual Search Traffic

You can identify product pages, blog posts, category pages, or location pages that receive multimodal impressions and clicks.

You Can Measure Image SEO More Effectively

Instead of only optimizing images because they are considered an SEO best practice, you can now monitor whether specific pages are actually receiving multimodal visibility.

You Can Identify Mobile Opportunities

Visual searches are often closely connected with mobile usage.

If your report shows strong mobile Multimodal search performance, make sure your mobile pages load quickly and display images properly.

You Can Understand Country Level Trends

The Countries report can help you identify locations where visual search activity is stronger.

This can be particularly useful for ecommerce businesses, hotels, tourism websites, fashion brands, restaurants, and local businesses.

How to Read Your Multimodal Search Performance

Once you have collected enough data, start looking for patterns rather than focusing on one day’s numbers.

High Impressions but Low CTR

A page may be appearing frequently in multimodal results but receiving very few clicks.

Possible reasons could include:

Weak or unclear images
Poor product presentation
An image that does not closely match the user’s intent
Unclear page titles
Poor mobile experience

Review the image and the page together rather than changing only the alt text.

Pages That Perform Better in Multimodal Search

You may discover that certain pages receive very little traffic from normal text searches but perform well through visual search.

This can happen with:

Fashion products
Furniture
Jewellery
Recipes
Hotels
Travel destinations
Home decor
Product pages

These pages deserve additional attention from an Image-based search SEO perspective.

Mobile Versus Desktop

Look at your device breakdown.

If the majority of your Google Search Console Multimodal Search traffic comes from mobile, review:

Mobile page speed
Image loading
Responsive design
Image dimensions
Product page usability
Mobile navigation

A user who discovers a product through an image search may already have strong interest. A slow or difficult mobile page can lose that opportunity.

A Simple Monthly Review Routine

You do not need to spend hours analyzing the report every day.

A simple monthly process can work well:

Export your multimodal data for the previous 28 days.
Sort pages by clicks.
Sort pages by impressions.
Identify pages with rising impressions.
Identify pages with high impressions but low CTR.
Review the images on those pages.
Check mobile performance.
Review structured data.
Make improvements where necessary.
Compare the results again after several weeks.

This gives you a practical way to turn Google Search Console multimodal search reporting into an ongoing SEO process.

Image SEO Tips to Improve Multimodal Search Performance

The new Google Search Console Multimodal Search report tells you what is happening. The next step is improving the content that users and Google see.

Good Image SEO remains an important foundation.

Use Original, High Quality Images

If your website uses the exact same stock photo as hundreds of other websites, there may be little reason for Google to associate that image strongly with your brand.

Whenever possible, use:

Original product photography
Real team photographs
Original location photographs
Custom graphics
Unique illustrations
High-quality product images

For ecommerce websites, original product photography can be particularly valuable.

Make the Main Subject Clear

Visual search systems need to understand what an image represents.

Avoid unnecessarily complicated images where the main product or subject is difficult to identify.

For products, consider:

Clean backgrounds
Good lighting
Multiple angles
Clear product photography
Consistent image quality

This supports both Image search optimization and user experience.

Use Descriptive File Names and Alt Text

Instead of:

IMG_4521.jpg

use something descriptive such as:

handmade-blue-pottery-vase-udaipur.jpg

Alt text should also describe the image naturally.

Do not fill alt text with keywords simply because you want to rank.

For example:

Good:

Handmade blue pottery vase displayed on a wooden table.

Poor:

Blue pottery vase Udaipur blue pottery Udaipur best blue pottery vase.

The goal of Image-based search SEO should be helping Google and users understand the image, not stuffing keywords into every field.

Add Relevant Structured Data

Structured data can provide Google with additional information about your page and its content.

Depending on your website, relevant schema types can include:

Product
Recipe
Article
LocalBusiness

For ecommerce websites, Product structured data can provide information such as price and availability.

This can complement your wider Google Lens SEO strategy.

Place Images Near Relevant Content

An image should not exist in isolation.

For example, if you have a product photograph, place it near:

A descriptive product name
Product information
Relevant specifications
Price
Availability
Useful supporting content

The surrounding content gives Google additional context about what the image represents.

Keep Images Fast and Crawlable

Large images can slow down your website.

Consider:

WebP or AVIF formats
Appropriate image dimensions
Responsive images
Proper width and height attributes
Lazy loading where appropriate
Crawlable image URLs
Image sitemaps where useful

Good technical implementation supports both Image SEO and overall website performance.

For businesses that need help with technical SEO and image optimization, SEO Services can help with website audits, content optimization, technical fixes, and search strategy.

Google Lens SEO for Ecommerce and Local Businesses

Google Lens SEO can be particularly relevant for businesses that sell physical products or depend on local discovery.

Ecommerce Stores

Imagine a shopper sees a jacket they like in a store.

They take a picture or use Lens to find similar products.

If your website has:

Clear product images
Accurate product information
Relevant structured data
Strong product pages
Competitive pricing

your website may have an opportunity to appear for that visual search.

This is where Google Search Console image search performance becomes useful. You can monitor which product and category pages receive multimodal visibility and clicks.

Local Businesses

Visual search can also matter to local businesses.

Restaurants, hotels, salons, showrooms, attractions, and other businesses are photographed every day.

For example, someone may take a picture of:

A hotel exterior
A restaurant dish
A showroom
A tourist attraction
A product in a store

Google can use visual information along with other signals to understand what the user is looking for.

For local businesses, keep your Business Profile photographs fresh and add relevant, original images to your website.

For businesses in Udaipur, combining Visual search SEO with local SEO can create additional opportunities. Explore SEO Services in Udaipur for a broader local search strategy.

Your Website Is Still the Foundation

No visual search strategy can compensate for a poor website experience.

If your website is slow, difficult to navigate, or poorly optimized for mobile users, the traffic generated through visual search may not convert into meaningful results.

Image-heavy websites should pay particular attention to:

Hosting performance
Responsive design
Image compression
Clean code
Mobile usability
Core Web Vitals
Crawlability

For businesses that need technical improvements, Website Development Services in Udaipur can help build a website where image optimization and technical SEO are considered from the start.

How Multimodal SEO Fits Into Your Wider Marketing Strategy

Multimodal SEO should not be treated as a completely separate marketing activity.

The same images used for your website can also support:

Google Shopping
Performance Max
Social media
Content marketing
Local SEO
Product listings
Paid advertising

This makes visual content more valuable across your entire digital strategy.

Paid Campaigns

Google Shopping and Performance Max campaigns depend heavily on strong product imagery.

If your Google Search Console Multimodal Search data shows that certain products receive strong visual interest, those products may deserve closer attention when planning advertising and creative strategies.

A well planned Performance Marketing Service can combine organic insights with paid campaign data.

Social Media

Visual search can also connect your website with social media.

For example, someone might see a product in an Instagram Reel and later use Circle to Search to identify it.

This makes consistent, high-quality visual content across your website and social channels even more valuable.

A strong Social Media Marketing Services strategy can help create visual content that attracts attention and encourages discovery.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When working with Google Search Console Multimodal Search, avoid these common mistakes:

Ignoring pages that receive little traditional search traffic
Assuming every image search will provide a keyword
Comparing new multimodal data directly with older data without understanding the reporting change
Relying entirely on automated API reporting
Using generic stock images everywhere
Ignoring mobile performance
Adding keywords unnaturally to image alt text
Treating image optimization as a replacement for overall SEO

The goal is not to optimize every image simply because a new report exists.

The goal is to understand where visual search can genuinely help your website and then improve the pages that have the strongest potential.

Conclusion

Google Search Console Multimodal Search gives SEO professionals something they have been missing for a long time: better visibility into searches that begin with an image, screenshot, or photo.

The reporting still has limitations. You do not get traditional query data, and different visual search methods are grouped. But the information about clicks, impressions, CTR, pages, countries, devices, and dates can still provide useful insights.

For SEO teams, the introduction of Google Search Console Multimodal Search is another reason to take image optimization seriously.

Start by checking your Google Search Console multimodal search reporting, identify the pages receiving visual search impressions, review your images, improve your structured data, and make sure your mobile experience is strong.

As Google multimodal search continues to become part of how people discover products, places, and information, understanding this data can help businesses make better decisions about their content and Image search optimization strategy.

The key is simple: do not optimize images just because Google has introduced a new report. Use the data to understand what is already working, find gaps, and improve the pages that have a real opportunity to attract visual search users.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Google Search Console multimodal search?

It’s a new filter in the Search Console Performance report that shows clicks, impressions, CTR and position from searches started with an image, photo or screenshot. It covers Google Lens, Circle to Search, image uploads to Google Search and Chrome’s “Search this image” feature, and it sits alongside a separate text-based view.

When did Google launch multimodal search reporting in Search Console?

Google began rolling out the feature globally on September 24, 2026. Some sites show data from earlier in September, but Google has not announced an official historical start date. Open your Performance report and check the earliest date available for your own property.

Why can’t I see queries in the multimodal report?

Multimodal searches usually begin with an image instead of typed words, so there is no text query to report. Google disabled the Queries tab for this traffic. You can still analyze performance by page, country, device and date, which is enough to spot which content attracts visual searchers.

Will my text based traffic drop because of this change?

No. Google has said the multimodal data is new and was not previously counted in the report. Your text-based numbers should stay the same. Be careful with year-over-year comparisons of total Web traffic, though, since the new data could make growth look bigger than it is.

Is multimodal data available in the Search Console API?

At launch, the Search Analytics API documentation did not list multimodal as a search type. Until Google updates it, the most reliable option is to export the data manually from the Performance report and import it into your spreadsheet or dashboard tool.

How is this different from the Image search type in Search Console?

The Image search type covers results in Google Images, the traditional image tab. The multimodal view covers Web results that were triggered by an image query, such as a Lens or Circle to Search lookup that sends users to a regular web page.

How can I improve my multimodal search performance?

To improve your Google Search Console multimodal search numbers, use original, well-lit images, write descriptive file names and alt text, add structured data like Product or LocalBusiness schema, and place images near relevant text. Make sure pages load quickly on mobile, since most visual searches happen on phones.

Which businesses benefit most from Google Lens SEO?

Ecommerce stores, fashion and home decor brands, restaurants, hotels, travel businesses and local shops benefit the most. Anything people photograph, want to identify or want to buy is a strong candidate for visual search traffic.

Google Search Console Adds Multimodal Search Reporting: What It Means for SEO