SEO UPDATE • SEPTEMBER 2026

Google Search Console Just Changed: New AI & Visual Search Data You Should Check

Google has introduced new multimodal search reporting in Search Console. Here is what website owners, bloggers and SEO professionals need to know.

Important: Google announced a new multimodal search type in Search Console on September 24, 2026. The reporting is designed to help site owners understand how their content performs when people search using images and other visual search experiences.

Search is no longer limited to someone typing a few words into a search box. People can now search using photographs, screenshots, smartphone cameras and visual references. Google is increasingly combining text, images and AI to understand what users are looking for.

That creates an important SEO question:

"Can your website be discovered through visual search?"

Google’s latest Search Console update gives publishers another way to investigate that question.

What Changed in Google Search Console?

Google has added a multimodal search type filter to Search Console performance reporting. The company says this data can include searches involving:

📷

Google Lens

Searches using visual recognition and camera-based discovery.

⭕

Circle to Search

Users can select something visible on their device and search for it.

🖼️

Image Uploads

Users can upload an image to search for related information.

🔎

Search This Image

Visual discovery can begin directly from an image.

Google says the new reporting is rolling out globally and will appear in Search Console when a site receives traffic from these types of queries. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Why This Matters for SEO

For years, many website owners have focused heavily on keywords. You research a keyword, write an article, optimize the title and headings, add internal links and wait for Google Search traffic.

That strategy is still relevant, but search behavior is becoming broader.

Traditional Search

User → types a query → Google → searches webpages → clicks a result

---

Multimodal Search

User → image/camera/text → Google understands visual context → relevant results

This means your images can potentially become another discovery path for your website.

Image SEO Is Becoming More Important

If your website relies only on text, you may be overlooking an important part of modern search.

Images can help explain products, tutorials, destinations, technology, recipes, charts, diagrams and many other subjects. More importantly, images can provide additional context that search systems can understand.

Think beyond "image = decoration."

A useful image can become part of how users discover your content.

Basic Image SEO Checklist

• Use descriptive image filenames.
• Write useful alt text.
• Use images that actually support the article.
• Compress large images for faster loading.
• Use appropriate image dimensions.
• Add captions when they provide useful context.
• Avoid publishing large numbers of meaningless stock images.
• Make sure important visual information is also understandable from the surrounding page content.

How to Check Your New Search Data

If your website is eligible for the new reporting, you can investigate it through the Performance reports in Google Search Console.

01

Open Search Console

Select the website property you want to analyze.

02

Open Performance

Go to the Search results performance report.

03

Look for Multimodal Search

Use the new multimodal search type filter when it is available for your property.

04

Study Your Pages

Identify which pages receive impressions and clicks from visual search experiences.

Google notes that the metrics appear if your site is receiving traffic from these search experiences, so the report may not immediately appear for every site. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

7 Things Bloggers Should Do Now

1. Audit your images

Look at your most important posts and identify pages with weak or irrelevant images.

2. Improve alt text

Describe what the image actually shows instead of stuffing keywords into the alt attribute.

3. Create original visuals

Screenshots, diagrams, charts and original graphics can add useful context to an article.

4. Rename image files

Use descriptive filenames rather than generic names such as IMG001.jpg.

5. Improve image quality

Use clear, appropriately sized images that make the page more useful.

6. Add visual answers

When appropriate, explain complex information with charts, diagrams or screenshots.

7. Check Search Console

Watch your performance data and look for new sources of search visibility.

What Does This Have to Do With AI Search?

A lot.

Modern search is increasingly multimodal. Search systems can work with text, images and other forms of information rather than relying on a traditional keyword-only model.

Google has also been expanding AI-powered experiences in Search. In May 2026, Google described updates intended to help people discover relevant websites, original content and deeper information through AI-powered Search experiences. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

SEO is becoming more than keywords.

Text + images + usefulness + structure + credibility + user intent

Don't Make These Image SEO Mistakes

❌ Keyword stuffing in alt text
Avoid turning alt text into a list of keywords.

❌ Huge uncompressed images
Large files can create unnecessary performance problems.

❌ Random decorative images
An image should support the page rather than simply fill space.

❌ Copied visuals without value
Whenever possible, create or use visuals that genuinely improve the content.

❌ Ignoring Search Console
Your analytics data can reveal which content is actually being discovered.

The Bigger SEO Trend

The most interesting part of this update is not simply the new filter.

The bigger story is that search measurement is adapting to new ways of discovering information.

A user might discover a website through a normal text query today, an image search tomorrow and a visual search experience later. Website owners therefore need to think about visibility across multiple search journeys.

Text Search Image Search Visual Search AI Search Discover

Frequently Asked Questions

What is multimodal search?

Multimodal search allows users to search using more than traditional typed text. Visual inputs such as images and camera-based searches can be part of the search experience.

Is Google adding multimodal data to Search Console?

Yes. Google announced a new multimodal search type filter for Search Console performance reporting in September 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Does image SEO matter in 2026?

Images can provide another way for users to discover information. Optimizing images for clarity, relevance, accessibility and performance is therefore useful for many websites.

Will every website see the new report?

Google says the multimodal metrics will appear when a site receives traffic from these types of queries, so availability and data can differ between websites. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Final Takeaway

Google Search is expanding beyond traditional typed queries, and Search Console is beginning to expose more of that behavior to website owners.

If you publish a blog, don't think only about ranking a page for a keyword. Think about how your content can be discovered through text, images, visual search and AI-powered experiences.

The next SEO opportunity may be hiding inside your images.

Official Sources

Google Search Central: Announcing web multimodal Search performance reporting in Search Console.

Google Search Central: Latest documentation updates for September 2026.

Google Blog: Updates to generative AI Search experiences.

SEO Google Search Console Google Search Image SEO AI Search Google Lens