Google made some big changes to the search engine recently.  Will the changes affect how your business operates online? One of the big changes is Google Lens, which allows people to search using screenshots and photos. It is part of how online search is evolving. And is a great opportunity to gain more organic traffic from potential customers.  So, how can your business optimize the customer experience using this technology? 

Increase image content. 

Now more than ever, the images on your website are not just accessories: they don’t just make your website look nicer. They are not just ways to keep customers engaged. Now, they are content, just like blogs and About pages and any other text on your website. That is because they are searchable too. So, here’s what to focus on when you increase the number of images on your site:

• Use unique, high quality, high resolution and original photo content related to your business. 
• Provide multiple angles and perspectives of the same photo subject.
  (Example: Taking a picture of each side of a car, instead of just the front or side angle.)

Context around images.

Not only will high quality photos be more important than ever and so will context around these photos. Here are some ways to optimize the context around each photo on your website.

• Include meaningful captions that describe the picture and add context to the rest of your page. 
• Add badges, which categorize images for the search engine. 
• Alt tags, the code that describes the photo in text when the photo cannot be loaded, need to be accurate and descriptive. 
• If you are experienced in HTML, you can also include structured data in the code that describes the image.

Google uses all of these data points in its algorithm to help Lens recognize similar photos. 

The internet is always evolving. We move with it. Contact us to help your small business improve its online presence. 

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