AI and visual search: How brands can win in SEO

Visual search is reshaping how people discover products online. As AI advances and platforms like Google and Instagram integrate visual results, brands must evolve their SEO strategies beyond keywords to stay competitive.

Remember the days when you spotted something you liked but couldn’t search for it using Google Lens? You’d type clumsy descriptions into Google, hoping the right words would lead you to it.

Thankfully, those days are over. The technology behind apps like Google Lens – visual search – is transforming how people discover products online. And with the rise of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), brands relying solely on text-based SEO risk falling behind.

So what’s driving visual search growth? Why does it matter for your business? And how can you better position yourself in rankings? Read on to find out.

Visual search: What it is and why it matters

Visual search allows people to find products and information using images instead of text.

While the concept isn’t new, recent improvements have made it far more accurate, powerful, and accessible than ever before.

When someone sees a product they love – a unique piece of clothing, for example, or a pair of shoes – they can simply snap a photo (or take a screenshot) and let technology do the detective work.

The artificial intelligence behind visual search has evolved dramatically, becoming much better at analyzing images and finding similar products or information.

It’s perfect for those moments when you can picture exactly what you want, but can’t find the words to explain it.

Over the past few years, Google, Pinterest, Apple and others have upgraded their visual search capabilities to make them more powerful.

For consumers, this creates a smoother, more intuitive shopping experience. Instead of experimenting with multiple keyword combinations, they can simply show the product they want and get instant, relevant results.

These developments go beyond convenience. Visual search is changing how people shop and discover products, making the process more image-led than ever before.

Research shows that 62% of millennials prefer visual search over other ways of seeking information.

More and more users are starting product searches with images instead of keywords, expecting quick, accurate results. For businesses, that means rethinking how they present themselves online.

Google now indexes Instagram: What this means for visual search

Here’s where it gets interesting for brands: Instagram content from public accounts can now appear in Google search results – a game-changer for visibility.

For example, a handmade ceramics brand might see its Instagram posts surface in Google searches for “unique coffee mugs,” reaching audiences beyond its usual followers.

That opens the door to a whole new group of prospective customers who’ve never heard of the brand before.

This is important because Instagram is inherently visual. Those carefully curated product shots and behind-the-scenes videos that perform well on the platform now have the potential to drive traffic from Google searches too.

It’s like getting two marketing channels for the price of one — but only if brands optimize their content so it’s truly discoverable.

How e-commerce democratization is accelerating visual search growth

Platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and social marketplace apps such as Vinted have made it easier than ever for anyone to sell online.

The result? An increasingly crowded and competitive e-commerce landscape.

This accessibility has turned consumers into savvy deal hunters. With countless sellers offering similar products, shoppers are more determined than ever to find the best value.

Visual search fits perfectly into this behavior, making comparison shopping faster and easier.

A customer can spot a lamp they like, run it through visual search, and instantly see similar options from multiple sellers – complete with prices and reviews.

For brands, this democratization offers both opportunities and challenges:

Opportunities

• Great product photography and smart visual search optimization can help small brands compete with major retailers in search results.
• Visual search breaks down language barriers, making it easier for products to be discovered by international customers.
• High-quality images can work across multiple platforms and search systems, often delivering better ROI than traditional advertising when starting out.

Challenges

• More competition means brands must focus on value, customer service, and standing out.
• Higher expectations for visual quality often require better gear or professional photography.
• Staying competitive means keeping up with changing visual search algorithms.
• Brands need to produce fresh visual content regularly to stay relevant.
• Search isn’t “set and forget” – it needs ongoing attention even after early success.
• The playing field may be more level, but getting in front of the right people is still the main challenge.
• Visual search can put small boutiques on the same stage as big brands – but only with smart targeting and measurement.

AI search and its impact on image search

AI is the engine behind modern visual search – and it’s advanced dramatically.

Today’s AI tools can identify not just objects and colors but also styles, moods, and even specific brands from partial views or unusual angles.

It can interpret context within images, detect brand logos in real-world settings, and identify products under varied lighting conditions.

This AI shift is blending traditional text-based results with richer visuals, making visual searches more accurate than ever.

For businesses, this means quality imagery is no longer just about aesthetics – it’s a must for discoverability.

The best results come from pairing strong visual content with accurate, descriptive metadata. Think of it as giving search engines multiple clues to understand and rank your content effectively.

What the growth of visual search means for brands and SEO managers

The ongoing evolution of visual search is pushing brands to think beyond keywords and blog posts.

While traditional SEO has focused on text, modern strategies must also factor in how images perform in increasingly sophisticated visual search results.

This shift means making some practical changes to how visual content is handled.

Products should be photographed clearly from multiple angles, for example, with lighting that shows accurate color and details.

But it’s more than just taking nice photos — images need descriptive file names instead of generic codes, and alt text should naturally explain what’s in the image so AI can interpret it correctly.

The growing link between social media and traditional search results means consistent visual branding is now critical.

That Instagram aesthetic isn’t just for Instagram anymore — those images could appear in Google search results, so they need to represent the brand well across all contexts.

Some key strategies for riding the visual search wave include:

• High-quality, well-lit product photography: Clear images that show products accurately and stand out in visual search results.
• Consistent visual branding: Maintaining the same look and feel across all platforms as search becomes more interconnected.
• Descriptive file names and alt text: Help AI understand image content and improve discoverability.
• Mobile optimization: Ensure images load quickly and display sharply on all devices.

Visual search: How far can it go?

Visual search isn’t a passing trend. As AI continues to advance, expect it to become more accurate and a bigger part of everyday online experiences.

We’ll likely see more platforms and search engines boosting their visual search capabilities, further blending text search with image-led discovery.

The brands that come out on top will be the ones that adapt early – investing in high-quality, strategically optimized visuals that work for both people and algorithms.

It’s not just about hiring a great photographer; it’s about understanding how visual search is evolving and creating content that serves human audiences and AI equally well.

We’re moving from a world where businesses could get by with great written content and okay images, to one where visual excellence is essential for being found.

The future belongs to brands that can tell their story visually and make it easy for both humans and AI to find and understand their content.