How to Track Multimodal Search Traffic in Google Search Console (2026)
Last updated: September 26, 2026
Google has added a useful layer of visibility to Search Console: site owners can now separate text-based web search from multimodal web search—search journeys where an image is used as part of the query.
The change was announced on September 24, 2026, and is rolling out globally. Google says the reporting can include searches made with Google Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search, and Chrome’s “Search this image” feature.
For SEO teams, the interesting part is not just the new filter. It is the ability to see which pages are surfaced when users search visually, then use that data to improve images, landing-page context and the content around those images.
This guide explains what the new Multimodal option means, how to check the data in Google Search Console, what to optimize, and how it connects with Google’s generative AI reporting.
What Is Multimodal Search in Google Search Console?
In Search Console, Multimodal appears under Web in the Search type filter. It represents a web search where an image was used as part of the search. After you apply the filter, Search Console can display it in the active filter chip as Web (multimodal).
| Search option | Where it appears | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Text-based | Web → Text-based | Traditional web searches that begin with text. |
| Multimodal | Web → Multimodal | Web results where an image was used as part of the search. |
| Image | Image | Performance from Google’s image search experience. |
That distinction matters. A page can appear in a web result after a user starts with a photo, screenshot, product image, object, place, chart or another visual input. Multimodal reporting gives that journey a clearer measurement path inside Search Console.
Which Searches Can Appear in the Multimodal Report?
Google’s announcement lists several examples:
- Google Lens: a user searches using a photo or camera input.
- Circle to Search on Android: a user circles or highlights something on screen and searches it.
- Image uploads to Google Search: a user uploads an image instead of relying only on text.
- Chrome “Search this image”: a user searches from an image while browsing in Chrome.
These examples show why visual SEO is no longer limited to ranking in the Google Images tab. A visual query can lead to a regular web result, and Search Console can now separate that search behavior.
How to Check Multimodal Search Traffic in Google Search Console
1. Open the Search Performance Report
Open your verified Search Console property and go to Performance → Search results.
The standard Performance report can show clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position. You can also group or filter the data by dimensions such as pages, countries, devices and dates.
2. Open the Search Type Filter
At the top of the report, open Search type. Under Web, choose Multimodal. The same menu also includes Text-based under Web, plus separate Image, Video and News options.
If Multimodal is not visible under Web yet, do not assume something is broken. Google described the integration as a global rollout, and your property also needs relevant search activity before the report becomes useful.
3. Apply the Multimodal Filter and Review Performance
Select Multimodal and click Apply. The report will then isolate web-search performance where an image was part of the search process.
In the real Search Console example below, the selected three-month view shows 33 impressions, 0 clicks, 0% CTR and an average position of 1.9. Early numbers can be small because this reporting is new, so use them as a baseline rather than drawing conclusions from only a few days of data.
4. Check Which Pages Receive Multimodal Impressions
Open the Pages tab to see which landing pages are appearing for multimodal searches. This is one of the most useful views because it tells you which URLs deserve a closer image and content review.
Then review Countries, Devices and Dates to understand where the activity is coming from and whether it is growing.
5. Use a Sensible Date Range
Because this reporting was announced on September 24, 2026, early data may be sparse. Avoid drawing big conclusions from one or two days of impressions.
A better approach is to collect enough post-launch data first. Once you have a meaningful sample, compare periods and look for pages that repeatedly earn multimodal impressions or clicks.
6. Export the Data
Google provides an Export option in Search Console. Exporting is useful when you want to create a simple spreadsheet with:
- Landing page
- Multimodal clicks
- Multimodal impressions
- CTR
- Average position
- Page type
- Main image type
- Optimization action
This turns the new Search Console filter into an actual SEO workflow instead of another report you check once and forget.
How Multimodal Reporting Connects With AI Mode and AI Overviews
Google’s separate Generative AI features performance report covers impressions from AI Overviews and AI Mode. The report also allows the search type to be filtered by text-based or multimodal web search.
In the example below, the Generative AI features report is filtered to Web (multimodal). The selected three-month period shows 4 total impressions, giving a real example of how multimodal activity can also appear inside Google’s generative AI reporting.
That gives you two related questions to investigate:
- Is my site appearing in image-assisted web searches?
- Is my site receiving impressions in Google’s generative AI search experiences from multimodal searches?
If you are already working on AI-search visibility, read our guide on tracking visibility across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and AI Overviews.
For the optimization side, see how to optimize content for Google AI Overviews.
What Should You Optimize for Multimodal Search?
The new report does not create a new ranking factor. Google announced it as a reporting change. The practical SEO work still comes back to making images discoverable, useful, fast and strongly connected to the page topic.
1. Use Real HTML Image Elements for Important Images
Google’s image SEO guidance recommends using standard HTML image elements for images you want search engines to discover. Important visual content should not exist only as a CSS background image.
For Blogger, that usually means inserting the image normally inside the post and checking the HTML view to confirm there is an <img> element with a valid source and useful alt text.
2. Write Descriptive Filenames and Alt Text
A filename such as google-search-console-multimodal-filter.jpg gives more context than IMG_2487.jpg.
Alt text should describe the image for accessibility and meaning, not act as a place to stuff keywords.
Better alt text: Google Search Console Search type filter with Multimodal selected under Web.
3. Place Images Near Relevant Explanatory Text
Google uses surrounding page content to understand images. If you add a Search Console screenshot, explain what the reader should notice directly before or after the image.
Do not drop screenshots into an article with no context. A short caption plus one or two explanatory sentences makes the visual more useful to readers and easier to interpret.
4. Use Sharp, Readable Screenshots
For tutorials, screenshots should be large enough to read on desktop and mobile without forcing the visitor to zoom repeatedly. Crop out irrelevant browser chrome, personal data, email addresses, account IDs or client information.
Use arrows or boxes only when they genuinely help explain a step. Too many annotations can make a screenshot harder to understand.
5. Keep Image Files Reasonably Lightweight
High-resolution images can help users, but oversized files can slow a page. Compress screenshots, use modern image formats when practical and make sure the page remains usable on mobile connections.
6. Keep the Page Useful Without the Image
A screenshot should strengthen the explanation, not replace it. Search engines and users should still be able to understand the core instruction from the text.
This matters especially for technical tutorials, where interface labels can change over time. If the screenshot becomes outdated, the written process should still make sense.
A Practical Multimodal SEO Audit Workflow
Once your property has enough data, use this simple workflow every few weeks.
- Filter Search Console to Multimodal under Web.
- Open the Pages tab and identify pages receiving the most impressions and clicks.
- Export the report so you can track changes over time.
- Review the main visuals on the pages that appear most often.
- Check filenames, alt text, captions, surrounding copy, image quality and mobile loading.
- Compare with Text-based performance to see whether the same pages succeed in both search behaviors.
- Refresh outdated screenshots when a tool or interface changes.
This is also a useful content-refreshing process. Instead of updating an old article only by changing the year in the title, you are improving the visual evidence, interface screenshots and instructions that readers actually use.
Example: How a Digital Marketing Tutorial Could Benefit
Imagine a tutorial about using Google Search Console that includes an original screenshot of the Performance report.
A user sees a similar Search Console interface in a video, presentation, social post or another browser tab. They use Circle to Search or an image-based Google search to identify the feature. If Google connects that visual query with your page, the visit may appear in multimodal web-search reporting.
This is a hypothetical workflow, not a claim that adding screenshots automatically earns multimodal traffic. The point is that original, well-explained visuals now have a clearer measurement path inside Search Console.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Confusing Multimodal Search With Google Images
They are not the same report. Multimodal sits under Web in the Search type filter and represents web results where an image was part of the search. Image is a separate Search type.
Adding Decorative Images Only for SEO
A generic stock image rarely helps explain a technical tutorial. For DigitalSkillBox-style content, a real screenshot, annotated interface, comparison graphic or original diagram usually provides more practical value.
Using Keyword-Stuffed Alt Text
Alt text is not a hidden SEO paragraph. Keep it descriptive and specific to the actual image.
Publishing Screenshots With No Explanation
Visuals need context. Explain what the screenshot shows, why it matters and what the reader should do next.
Assuming a New Report Guarantees More Traffic
Reporting helps you see what is happening; it does not guarantee rankings, impressions or clicks. Use the data to decide what to improve.
How This Fits Into AI Search Optimization
Search behavior is becoming more mixed: text, images, follow-up questions, AI-generated summaries and traditional links can all be part of one research journey.
That does not mean every page needs a special “AI SEO” trick. Google’s current guidance continues to emphasize core SEO fundamentals, helpful content, crawlable pages, useful text, high-quality images where relevant and structured data that matches what users can actually see.
If you want a broader framework, see our guide to AI search optimization in 2026.
You can also review the difference between Google AI Mode and AI Overviews before interpreting the Generative AI features report.
For a broader look at earning references in AI answers, read how to get cited by ChatGPT and AI search engines.
FAQ
What Is Multimodal in Google Search Console?
Multimodal is an option under Web in the Search type filter. It represents web results where an image was used as part of the Google search.
Does Search Console Now Track Google Lens Traffic?
Google says multimodal reporting can include searches involving Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads to Google Search and Chrome’s “Search this image” feature.
Why Can’t I See the Multimodal Option Yet?
The feature began rolling out globally on September 24, 2026. Your property may also need to receive enough relevant activity before the report becomes useful.
Is Multimodal Search the Same as Google Images Traffic?
No. Multimodal is an option under Web, while Image is a separate Search type in Search Console.
Should I Create New Images Just to Rank in Multimodal Search?
Create or improve images when they make the page more useful. For tutorials, original screenshots, diagrams, charts and clearly explained visuals are usually more valuable than decorative images added only for SEO.
Final Thoughts
Search Console’s Multimodal filter is worth watching because it gives publishers a clearer view of image-assisted search behavior. The first step is not to redesign your entire content strategy. Start by finding which pages already receive multimodal visibility, then improve the visuals and page context on those URLs.
For a site like DigitalSkillBox, this creates a strong reason to use more original screenshots and practical visual examples in SEO, AI-tool, analytics and blogging tutorials. You can now check whether those pages are appearing in image-assisted web searches instead of treating visual SEO as guesswork.
Official Resources
- Google Search Central: Web Multimodal Search Performance Reporting
- Google Search Console Help: Performance Report
- Google Search Console Help: Generative AI Performance Report
- Google Search Central: Image SEO Best Practices
DigitalSkillBox publishes practical guides on SEO, digital marketing, AI tools, blogging and AI search, with a focus on clear workflows, real interfaces and reliable source material.
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