Multimodal content: images and video
From AEO.wiki, the Answer Engine Optimization reference · Last reviewed · By Simon White · Published by Local Blitz · How we research
AI features can show images and video and answer questions that start from a photo. Treat images and video as content: original, described with alt text and captions, placed near relevant text, and crawlable. Google reports multimodal AI impressions separately in Search Console.
What Google documents
- Its AI guide says AI features can bring in images and video, and points to its image and video best practices.[1] Vendor-documented
- The Generative AI performance report splits text-based and multimodal search types.[2] Vendor-documented
- Alt text is “the most important attribute” for image metadata; Google combines it with computer vision and page content.[3] Vendor-documented
Image checklist
| Item | Do |
|---|---|
| Originality | Your own photos, diagrams and screenshots over stock images |
| Alt text | Describe the image specifically: “Water heater anode rod, corroded after 6 years” |
| Filename | Descriptive (corroded-anode-rod.jpg)[3] |
| Placement | Near the text it illustrates, with a caption |
| Markup | <img> elements, not CSS backgrounds; image in Article markup |
| Text in images | Repeat key text in HTML |
Video checklist
- A dedicated, indexable watch page per video, with title, description and thumbnail.[4]
- Transcripts and chapters in HTML.
- YouTube is among the most cited sources in Google AI summaries per Pew,[5] so publish there too.
Frequently asked questions
Do AI engines read images?
Google's AI features can use images and video, and multimodal models can interpret images. Alt text, captions and nearby text still give the clearest signal.
Is YouTube worth it for AEO?
Pew found YouTube among the three most cited sources in Google AI summaries (March 2025 data).
See also
References
Pages accessed September 28, 2026 unless a date is given. See all sources and our editorial policy.
- ^ "Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search". Google Search Central. Added May 15, 2026; last updated July 10, 2026.
- ^ "Generative AI performance report (Search)". Search Console Help. Rolled out to all sites by August 31, 2026.
- ^ "Google image SEO best practices". Google Search Central.
- ^ "Video SEO best practices". Google Search Central.
- ^ "Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results". Pew Research Center. Published July 22, 2025; March 2025 browsing data.
Categories: Content for answer engines