SEO for Multimodal Search: Preparing for Image, Text, and Voice Blends

The way people search is evolving rapidly. Text queries are still common, but users are increasingly turning to images, voice, and even combinations of input to find what they need. This shift has brought us into the era of multimodal search.

From Google Lens to voice assistants and blended search experiences in Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), multimodal SEO is becoming essential for brands looking to maintain a strong presence online. To remain visible, websites must adapt to how users interact across formats, and not just how they type.

With the way in which people search rapidly changing, it is vital that brands are developing SEO and content strategies that will help them stay ahead of the curve. With this in mind, this post will explore multimodal search and offer advice on how you can get started. Interest? Keep reading for all you need to know.

What Is Multimodal Search?

Multimodal search refers to the combination of different inputs, such as images, voice commands, and text, to perform a search. For instance, instead of typing “red trainers”, users might snap a photo of red trainers or find a pair that they like the look of online and ask a search engine like Google “Where can I buy these shoes near me?”

AI models are now trained to process and understand these blended queries. Search engines use computer vision, natural language processing, and speech recognition to make sense of intent and deliver appropriate results to search users.

As you might expect, this has huge implications for SEO, especially when it comes to image optimisation, voice-friendly content writing, and structured data. Brands need to have a strong understanding of multimodal search and how they can optimise for visual search in 2025 so that they can stay ahead of the curve and continue to engage their target customer online.

Optimising for Visual Search

Platforms like Google Lens allow users to search using images online. This means your product or content images could be the gateway to discovery for users, but only if optimised correctly.

To optimize your images for visual search, be sure to use descriptive file names, compress images without sacrificing quality, and apply alt tags that describe the image contextually. Schema markup for products, articles, and reviews also helps tie your visual content to relevant queries.

Optimizing for visual search is not just about being found. It’s about providing enough context for your visuals to appear in the right place for search users and generate meaningful clicks that will ultimately lead to conversions.

Writing Content for Voice and Conversational Search

It is also important to consider the rise of voice and conversational search and the impact that this is having on the SEO field in recent times. Voice search is becoming a lot more prominent with the rise of smartphones and virtual assistants, with around 1 in 5 people worldwide using voice search.

Voice search is a lot easier and more convenient than text searches, particularly when using a mobile device. It is expected that voice search will only become more popular in the years to come, which means the way in which people search is changing, so SEO strategies need to be adapted for long-term success with a focus on conversational search.

Voice search queries are longer and more conversational than standard text queries. For example, instead of “best SEO agency”, users might ask, “What’s the best SEO agency in the UK for content writing?” When using voice search.

To prepare for this, it is important to integrate natural language into your written content. You can do this by writing a list of FAQs with detailed answers and structuring these answers clearly. You can also optimise your content for featured snippets by answering common queries at the top of your content.

Voice and AI searches often pull from authoritative, concise answers. If your page structure is messy or lacks clarity, it will struggle to perform. Therefore, you want to make sure that you lay out your content clearly and make sure that it offers clarity.

Structured Data and Semantic SEO

Structured data also plays a vital role in multimodal SEO. It provides search engines with additional signals about your content, products, and business, which can affect your visibility online.

Be sure to use schema.org mark-up wherever possible, including for articles, products, organisations, and FAQs. Combined with a solid semantic SEO strategy, this helps your content appear in rich results, voice answers, and image-led queries. This will help you develop a strong presence online despite the significant evolution of SEO in recent years.

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Preparing for the Future of Search

Multimodal search will only become more prevalent in the years to come, which is why now is the time for action to prevent falling behind the times. Google is already rolling out search journeys that mix text prompts with image results or SGE responses with contextual overlays.

To keep up, ensure your SEO strategy includes:

● Image SEO and media optimisation

● Conversational, voice-friendly content writing

● Schema markup across key content types

● A focus on search intent, not just keywords

Final Thoughts

Multimodal search represents a fundamental shift in how people access information. SEO professionals must move beyond simple text optimisation and embrace an approach that serves users across all formats.

Want help staying ahead of evolving search behaviour? At Digitally Unique, we specialise in SEO and content strategies built for tomorrow, not just today. We know that it can be confusing and daunting when so much is changing online, which is why it is smart to enlist the services of experts who can deliver and execute effective SEO and content strategies that will help you use this evolution as a ladder and leapfrog the competition. Get in touch today, and we will be happy to discuss an SEO strategy that will work for your brand and help you start competing at a higher level online.