Customers search with images. Your reporting can follow.

A customer does not always begin with the right words. They might begin with a photograph, a product detail or something they have seen elsewhere. That makes visual clarity part of the search journey.

What Google has introduced

On 24 September 2026, Google announced multimodal search reporting in Search Console. The view covers searches using tools such as Lens, Circle to Search and image uploads. A multimodal search-type filter provides a way to examine this activity, with rollout beginning globally on the announcement date.

Find the pages worth investigating

Start with products or services where appearance helps someone choose. Review which relevant pages receive visibility, then inspect the page a customer lands on. Can they recognise the product? Is the specification clear? Is there a useful next step?

For an automotive retailer, that might mean consistent vehicle imagery and clear model information. For a manufacturer, it could be a well-labelled component photograph supported by technical detail. For ecommerce, it may be the difference between a generic category image and a product page that answers a specific comparison.

A practical visual-content check

• Use images that accurately represent the product, service or setting.
• Write alternative text for the information the image contributes. Keep decorative images decorative.
• Place useful imagery alongside relevant descriptions, specifications and customer questions.
• Check image weight, mobile cropping and loading behaviour so visual discovery leads to a usable page.

Avoid treating a new report as a reason to replace every image. Prioritise pages with a clear opportunity and a clear commercial role. Record the improvement so future reporting has useful context.

Follow the customer beyond discovery

Visibility is one part of the picture. Review what happens after the visit, including useful enquiries, product engagement and sales where available. The goal is a page that helps somebody decide, wherever their search began.