Multisearch

Definition

Multisearch is a Google Search capability introduced in April 2022 (in the US, expanding internationally through 2022–2023) that allows users to search using both an image and text simultaneously. Using Google Lens, a user can take or upload a photo and then add a text modifier to the query. Examples: photograph a dish at a restaurant and search "recipe for this"; photograph a plant and search "how do I care for this"; photograph a piece of clothing and search "where can I find this in blue"; photograph a broken car part and search "replacement part for this." Multisearch is powered by Google\'s MUM (Multitask Unified Model) AI, which can process images and text together to understand multimodal queries. For SEO, multisearch implies that image quality, image search optimisation (descriptive alt text, image structured data, image sitemaps), and content that answers the questions associated with visual queries become more important. Products and physical objects with high-quality, well-described images that answer common visual "how to," "where to buy," and "what is this" queries are best positioned for multisearch visibility.

Why it matters for SEO

Multisearch expands search to visual entry points — queries that begin with an image rather than text. For e-commerce, recipe sites, plant identification, fashion, and physical product categories, multisearch is increasingly relevant as a traffic channel. Image quality and descriptive alt text are the primary optimisation levers: a high-quality image with a specific, descriptive alt text ("red ceramic pour-over coffee dripper on a wooden countertop") is more likely to be surfaced for matching visual queries than a low-quality image with generic alt text ("image1.jpg").

How DeepSEOAnalysis checks this

DeepSEOAnalysis checks image SEO signals on audited pages: alt text presence and descriptive quality (generic or empty alt text is flagged), image sizing (small, low-resolution images are less competitive for visual search), and ImageObject structured data (part of a Recipe, Product, or Article schema — marking images explicitly in schema improves multisearch eligibility). The audit flags pages with empty or non-descriptive image alt text as an image SEO opportunity.