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Do you know that 75% of US internet users look online for visual content before purchasing? Without optimizing and configuring images for Google Image Searches, businesses lose out on an additional source of traffic that could generate sales while expanding brand reach and increasing revenues. Here's why...
What Has Changed With The Updated Google Image Search?
Google Image Search has long been one of the Internet's hallmark services, first made famous when users used it to locate Jennifer Lopez's Versace green dress from 2001. Subsequently, Google began expanding and improving their services until eventually creating its massive library that now holds around one trillion photos! Recently, a partnership agreement between Getty Images and Google gave its Image Search feature another boost - users and visual content creators could benefit.
Danny Sullivan, Google's Twitter Account Manager, explained: "Google Images changes are part of its ongoing mission to connect users to useful E-commerce websites services . Today, we are adjusting to facilitate that connection - the View Image button has been discontinued. At the same time, the "Visit Button will remain so that users can still view images within the context of web pages", states Mr Sullivan.
At first glance, Sullivan's comment seemed innocuous due to the media focus being directed mainly toward Google's decision to alter their user interface by switching away from 'View Image' and replacing it with "Visit", as this change had little impact.
At first glance, it may seem like just another minor shift, but upon closer examination, there's more going on here than meets the eye. Google recently changed how users search Google Image Searches by eliminating "View Image". This move helps your product or business stay at the top of search results to increase traffic - according to a Power Reviews survey, 72% of people turn to images when making buying decisions!
Google Images now serves as the starting point for anyone visiting a website via image search, so if someone visits via this medium, it will likely begin there instead of directly accessing it from within Google itself. In turn, this means if they wish to download any image, they must first click through to your website before having an opportunity to purchase from there; previously, people never had an opportunity to view your brand even when visible in an image from its home website; making Google Image Search the new way E-commerce websites can attract customers to purchase their goods/services/projects using image search as part of this new channel from which E-commerce websites may gain customers.
Imagine searching Google image search to locate an ideal pair of shoes for summer hiking - compact yet strong ones would likely appear as your first page results! In our example above, your image search would likely yield this result:
Once again, these photos are unbranded without advertising cluttering the result page. Choose which pair best meets your requirements by clicking any image for an expanded view with options to Save, View Saved and Share them!
Google image search drives website traffic if a visitor clicks through to it, giving websites a chance to capitalize on users' desire for purchases by attaching images that serve as calls-to-action, such as:
Google search results often feature images at the top, which indicates a high degree of potential sales made through this path. Yet it remains surprising that it does not come out at number one!
Image search rankings demonstrate how smaller brands can achieve similar success. E-commerce marketers looking for ways to boost sales should focus on SEO. Google Image Search allows advertisers to be found through image searches; organic traffic can be driven directly through SEO-optimized images, boosting revenue for your company.
Google recently implemented changes to their search engine results by working with Getty Images, replacing the View Image Button with the Visit Site button after Getty filed formal complaints alleging image piracy through the View Image Button.
Google Image users will now be taken directly to image sources (via Visit Site) rather than remaining within its results pages. If one of your product images ranks highly for relevant keywords, Google Image will send users directly to its page instead.
Increase ecommerce websites traffic using this innovative strategy; many website owners don't fully capitalize on it.
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Basic SEO for Images
As with traditional search results, optimizing images so Google can match them with relevant search terms is vitally important to their ranking in search results. Without optimization, images and websites can have trouble ranking in search engine results; Google considers both the authority of the website/page and specificity when ranking images displayed; those on product pages, for instance, should rank higher due to being more relevant about search terms.
You should:
- Name your images correctly: Be descriptive when creating the filename and ensure it relates to the image and where it will be seen on a web page. For instance, if an image depicts a waving American flag, its file name should contain waving-American-flag.jpg rather than IMG-01234.jpg so Google can more quickly recognize them for inclusion in search results.
- Add descriptive Alt Text: An image's alt text should contain descriptive phrases to boost its ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs), display in case an image does not load, and help the visually impaired understand what their intended image should be despite the screen reader software notifying them what's on-screen - providing more details will make things simpler for these individuals.
- Add captions: Adding captions can enhance the user experience for visitors casually browsing content, particularly those using image slideshows or casually scanning articles. Captions help visitors quickly grasp how an image relates to its text; furthermore, captions allow for keyword variations related to images - The KissMetrics 2012 study confirmed their importance; captions under images tend to be read 300% more often than body copy!
- Structured Data: Structured data or schema markup should always be added when possible, especially to e-commerce websites. Google can pull specific elements and content directly into search results using this code; search engines can see important searcher info such as names of products, descriptions, images, prices and availability using product schemas on product pages. This topic will be explored further later on in detail.
- File and image size: The size and dimensions of images immediately affect how quickly browsers can download your webpage, making a positive user experience essential and increasing its ranking potential in search engines.
- Ensure your images are responsive: Mobile device usage continues to surge yearly. To meet growing expectations for user experiences on these mobile devices, images and websites must be responsive; that means resizing automatically according to screen sizes. Google also ranks responsive websites development higher as they provide users with better user experiences.
- Create a sitemap for images: An Image Sitemap (or ISiteMap for short) is an extension to your traditional XML Website map that makes it easier for search engines like Google to index images from your website - especially important now that more websites utilize Java Script scripting languages like JSP or PHP.
- Examine the surrounding content _ The content should be closely related to the image. Google can use this content to place your image in specific, relevant results.
Schema Implementation For Images And Products
Companies can attract online shoppers searching for specific items by employing structured data, markup and rich imagery. Searchers with high intent convert more often and should see prices, availability and reviews displayed within search results. HERE contains further details regarding product schema markup; structured data has yet to affect search rankings immediately but could affect which type of search queries your pages rank for by clearly identifying product pages' content.
Formatting Images Correctly For A Fast Loading Time
As previously discussed, large images can cause load times and connection timeouts on slow or overloaded connections to increase drastically, leading to delay and possibly connection timeout. Furthermore, images make up over half of most website data, so ensuring they're as small as possible is crucial; opting for images with specific dimensions instead of depending on browser resizing as a solution could save precious seconds when browsing websites with large images.
Make Sure You Use Professional Images To Represent Your Products Correctly.
Use professional images that stand out in an ocean of photographs; these will grab viewers' attention. Avoid stock photography. These generic shots don't reflect your brand; anyone - including competitors - can use them. Furthermore, once someone clicks an image, they find it uninteresting or irrelevant the first time and may never return; using stock images makes you invisible!
Here are a few guidelines for using product images on your site:
- Take multiple shots - For example, studio shots, photos with a background of white, detail or macro shots, images of nature, and pictures of your product in use by someone who fits the target audience's persona.
- Do not use images of manufacturers- People may mistakenly believe that images linking to a manufacturer's site are images taken from the manufacturer. These images will also be used frequently by companies that sell the manufacturer's product, and so won't stand out.
- Use the SEO techniques to help you rank images. Great photography will also get noticed- The image SEO we have previously described will allow your images to appear in search results. Their uniqueness will encourage users to click them and return to your site.
To Improve User Experience, Promote User-Generated Content On Social Media.
Customer posts on social media can generate new content about your product or service and even appear in Google Image results. Photos taken of customers can help build brand recognition and credibility while expanding brand reach to those following those customers on social media. Use hashtags to encourage Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook customers to write about their experiences or purchases; Google loves fresh material - add photo feeds as this provides another means of producing user engagement!
Staying informed on current trends is vital as part of your digital business growth strategy. Online, things move and change at lightning speed, so website owners must adapt quickly to emerging technology opportunities while developing strategies to stay ahead of competitors who will quickly catch up otherwise.
Please reach out if you would like more information about Google Image Search or expanding your online presence. Our team would be more than pleased to discuss strategy with you and determine how they can assist in growing your business.
Leveraging Google Lens to Improve your eCommerce business
Google Lens is not solely targeted towards tech enthusiasts; Google has been working to transition away from text and voice searches toward advanced image searches since 2017. One of Google's most significant innovations, launched in 2017, was Lens.
Google Lens, an AI tool with multifaceted applications, has long been part of Google's AI initiative and continues to prove useful for everyday life. Over time, it has grown more sophisticated to offer many benefits to its users.
This article will demonstrate how Google Lens can enhance your eCommerce platform's metrics with just a few adjustments.
How does Google Lens function?
As previously discussed, this technology debuted as an application in 2017 before quickly becoming standard on most Android smartphones running OS versions 6.0 or later.
Google Lens employs artificial intelligence (AI) to access its vast online database and deliver accurate results to mobile users who capture images with their phones' cameras and want more information online about objects using their cameras. Google Lens analyzes images to quickly uncover all available and helpful details regarding an object being searched online.
Google Lens works like any browser: it continually learns and evolves to help mobile users access information quickly without spending too much time searching. This enables mobile users to locate what they need without spending their precious time doing additional research.
Google Lens makes finding information quickly and efficiently when used to point at specific businesses and restaurants, with details including their address, ratings, hours of operation and even hand gesture recognition - such as thumbs-up emoji - appearing. Plus, it will tell you exactly which beverage it is!
Read More: Which is the Best Platform to build an eCommerce Website?
Google Lens for eCommerce
Google quickly recognized this influx of online shoppers following the pandemic of 2020 and began developing AI-powered applications that capitalize on this trend.
Most eCommerce businesses struggle to develop customer insight, replicating the in-person product and service discovery experience. This means online shops will continue to utilize traditional SEO techniques in 2022 to expand their clientele base and generate leads.
New Standards In Online Shopping
Google Lens has become an indispensable resource for online businesses and customers, offering more flexibility to explore beyond traditional shopping lists to complete virtual purchases quickly and unpredictably.
Google Lens allows users to search patterns, colors, shapes or products they encounter daily and locate similar options they could purchase online.
Android users will soon be able to activate Lens and get suggestions for shopping for similar items they photograph, like curtains. Point the camera towards it to get detailed pricing and review information relating to similar curtains in stores near them.
These features can drive more visitors to eCommerce platforms and ultimately increase sales.
Online shop owners understand eCommerce to be a game of numbers; using their insight, they can use eCommerce for both their benefit and that of their users.
Utilizing Google Analytics, optimization of Google Lens, and traditional SEO techniques could build an eCommerce platform with significant potential.
Consider Google As A Market.
Google stands out among marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon with its unparalleled database, cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), and complex algorithms that track customer behavior patterns and anticipate their search and purchase intentions.
Imagine Google Lens as an advanced SEO strategy where your product's visual features act as keywords; its reverse image search capability allows viewers to locate you or your products quickly and efficiently.
Promoting And Google Lens-Optimizing Your Online Store
How can this technology benefit you? Here are a few ways Google Lens can help boost your metrics.
How To Use QR Codes Smartly
The Google Lens QR Code Reader can read these codes to get valuable information about products, shops and more.
Use QR codes to optimize your marketing campaigns, emails and newsletters.
- Encourage your customers to visit your social media channels and follow you;
- Send them to the registration or landing page of your website;
- You can also use them to get special promo codes and coupons.
Do not forget to add a call-to-action so that the user will know the meaning of the code. Check each option and make sure the campaign is converting.
Descriptions And Images Of High-Quality
Keep this in mind when using traditional SEO techniques; your site's images and descriptions must all be top-quality.
Include sufficient images that showcase every angle and characteristic of your product to illustrate every facet and aspect. Google Lens can use your website to offer additional guidance or recommendations to visitors searching for information about a particular item on Google Shopping or YouTube Shopping.
Google gives priority to helpful information. Including detailed product details - such as colors, sizes, fabric construction details, and wash facilities - in your descriptions will increase SEO rankings while building customer trust. This will increase both conversion and SEO ratings!
Improve The Alt Text And Meta Tags.
Google Lens may be a visual search tool, but Google's search engine still relies on AI for understanding. Therefore, use all possible techniques to ensure Google understands what your product or service offers - keyword implementation remains effective here.
Use keywords and phrases strategically throughout your alt tags, page titles, and meta descriptions - but be mindful not to overstuff tags with too many keywords; doing so could compromise your rankings and cause more harm than good!
Don't overlook the importance of providing informative content rich with keyword relevancy to make your website stand out. Instead of stuffing every keyword possible into just a few sentences, focus on writing proper, descriptive keywords - an informative piece can still help optimize for visually-heavy apps such as Google Lens.
Deliver A Fantastic User Experience
You will need to consider the same factors as traditional SEO strategies. It is still necessary to maintain a website:
- This is a great navigator;
- All devices work smoothly;
- Fast loading.
Google introduced most of these search priorities. They will also be necessary when optimizing for Google Lens. It's essential to have a great mobile experience, especially since it is an AI-based application.
The Future of E-Commerce
Google Lens has set an exemplary standard for eCommerce sites and transformed how they approach search engine optimization and the Internet.
Google Lens is an invaluable resource that encourages website owners to put mobile users first when designing and optimizing their sites.
Google Lens still utilizes many traditional SEO tactics, so eCommerce owners can make any necessary modifications to increase traffic using this visually-driven shopping method.
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Conclusion:
Optimizing images is important when selling products online since optimizing images requires more pictures than other sites. Businesses selling goods should carefully consider image sizes and file names when optimizing images; begin by including descriptive names for images with optimized versions as "alt" attributes to attract web crawlers while improving accessibility.
Implement a sitemap to facilitate web crawlers accessing your site more easily; reduce image sizes without losing quality to improve loading times; use optimized thumbnails to increase sales; A/B testing can determine which version of a product image works best - ultimately increasing eCommerce sales while keeping existing customers. Image optimization techniques help increase the ranking and revenue of eCommerce websites
