The Rise of Multimodal Search
AI models like GPT-4V and Gemini process images, video, and text simultaneously. Users are increasingly searching using photos (e.g., Google Lens) to find products or information. Image SEO is no longer just about alt text; it is about visual context.
Structuring Visual Assets
To ensure your images are indexed and understood by multimodal models, implement rigorous technical standards.
- EXIF Data & Metadata: Embed copyright, location, and descriptive data directly into the image file before uploading.
- Contextual Surroundings: AI models analyze the text immediately surrounding an image. Ensure paragraphs adjacent to visual assets provide dense, relevant context.
- High-Resolution WebP/AVIF: Serve next-generation image formats that maintain high visual fidelity for machine vision algorithms while minimizing file size.
ImageObject Schema
Always declare your primary visual assets using ImageObject schema. Link these images to your primary entities (products, authors, businesses) to build a robust multimodal knowledge graph for your brand.