Google Lens SEO: How to Get Found in Visual Search

Visual search is no longer a novelty. It is becoming a natural part of how people discover products, services, and information online. With tools like Google Lens built directly into smartphones, users can now search the web simply by pointing their camera at something that catches their attention.

For businesses and marketers, this shift changes how visibility works in search. If your images are not optimised for visual discovery, you risk being invisible at the very moment a potential customer is ready to act. In this guide, I will break down how Google Lens works, why it matters for SEO, and how to build a visual search workflow that helps your brand get found.

What Is Google Lens and Why It Matters

Google Lens allows users to search using images instead of text. A photo of a pair of trainers, a piece of furniture, a logo, or even a restaurant menu can trigger results that include product listings, websites, and related information.

This is a genuine shift in search behaviour. At industry events, Google has shared data that suggests Gen Z is adopting visual and multimodal search features at pace, including the insight reported by Search Engine Journal’s coverage of Lens and Circle usage patterns within their search journeys.

Visual search also shortens the discovery path. Instead of searching, comparing, and refining keywords, users can jump straight from inspiration to results. That makes visibility in Google Lens especially valuable for brands across retail, travel, hospitality, automotive, property, and professional services.

Understanding the Visual Search Workflow

To optimise for Google Lens, it helps to understand how visual search actually works.

A typical visual search workflow looks like this:

• A user sees something interesting in the real world or online

• They take a photo or screenshot using Google Lens

• Google analyses the image using image recognition

• Results are matched with visually and contextually relevant content

Unlike traditional image search, which relies heavily on typed keywords, visual search begins with the image itself. Google looks at shapes, colours, objects, text, and surrounding context to understand what the image represents. This is where strong optimisation makes a difference, because the clearer and more informative your images are, the easier it is for Google to connect them with relevant searches.

Visual Search vs Traditional Image Search

Traditional image search usually starts with a text query and returns images based on metadata, page content, and relevance. Visual search reverses this process.

With Google Lens, the image becomes the query. That means your optimisation efforts must focus on helping search engines correctly interpret what is shown in the image, not just how it is labelled.

This is also why reverse image search methods have become more important for marketers. Testing how your images appear when uploaded into visual tools can reveal whether your content is discoverable, or whether competitors are appearing instead. If you want to expand your approach beyond Google, you can also explore image search techniques that support visual content research and competitive checks.

How Google Lens Influences Product and Service Discovery

Visual search is especially powerful for discovery-driven searches. Users often do not know the right words to describe what they want, but they know it when they see it. That is exactly why visual search is growing as part of modern search behaviour, as discussed in Search Engine Land’s analysis of multimodal search and changing intent.

This behaviour is transforming how people find:

• Fashion items and accessories

• Furniture and home decor

• Vehicles and car parts

• Landmarks, venues, and local services

• Food, packaging, and branded products

For ecommerce brands, the opportunity is obvious. For service businesses, it can be just as valuable. A photo of signage, a venue interior, a uniform, a vehicle wrap, or even a branded document can lead users to your site, your brand mentions, and your listings, influencing trust before they ever type a search query.

Google Lens SEO Best Practices

Optimising for Google Lens does not require reinventing SEO, but it does require a stronger focus on image quality, context, and clarity.

Use high-quality, clear images

Google Lens performs best when images are sharp, well-lit, and focused on a clear subject. Avoid cluttered backgrounds where possible and ensure the main object is easily identifiable. Original imagery is especially valuable, because it helps search engines associate your brand with specific products, places, or services.

Optimise image file names and alt text

File names and alt text remain essential. They provide context that supports image recognition and accessibility.

• Use descriptive file names, for example “oak-dining-table-scandi-style.jpg” rather than “IMG_0032.jpg”.

• Write alt text that accurately describes what is in the image, in natural language.

• Avoid stuffing keywords, because relevance beats repetition.

Add context around images

Text surrounding an image helps Google understand its relevance. Product descriptions, captions, headings, and nearby paragraphs all contribute to how visual engines interpret an image. If an image shows a service, product, or location, make sure that information appears clearly in the surrounding content.

Use structured data where relevant

Schema markup adds another layer of clarity. Product schema, local business schema, and other relevant structured data help Google connect images with entities, categories, and intent. This can improve how your images appear in visual and image-based search experiences.

Optimise for mobile performance

Most Lens searches happen on mobile devices. Images should load quickly and display correctly on smaller screens. Compress images without sacrificing quality, use modern formats where appropriate, such as WebP, and make sure your pages are easy to navigate on mobile.

Why Visual Search SEO Is a Long-Term Opportunity

Visual search adoption is still growing, which makes this an ideal time to invest. Brands that optimise early are more likely to benefit as user behaviour shifts further toward camera-based discovery and mixed-input searching.

Visual search does not replace traditional SEO, but it complements it. Together, they create a more complete discovery strategy that meets users wherever and however they choose to search.

FAQs

What is Google Lens SEO?

Google Lens SEO is the practice of optimising images and their context so they can be found through visual search, helping customers discover your products or services using photos instead of typed queries.

How do I optimise images for visual search?

Use sharp, high-quality images, descriptive file names, clear alt text, relevant surrounding content, and structured data where it applies. Mobile performance also matters because most visual searches happen on phones.

Is visual search important for non-ecommerce businesses?

Yes. Visual search can support brand discovery across industries like hospitality, property, automotive, and professional services, especially when users search from real-world photos such as signage, venues, and branded materials.