Optimising images for SEO in 2026 continues to rely on conveying image content to search engines through multiple signals, with Google’s Multimodal Search increasingly prioritising comprehensive understanding beyond just alt text. This is achieved by combining file name, alt text, surrounding text, and now, sophisticated image recognition powered by Google’s Gemini models.
As of December 2025, platforms like Sitebulb, popular with Australian SEO agencies, now include features that analyse image relevance based on AI-driven content detection. Sitebulb’s ‘Visual Audit’ function, for example, compares the detected objects and scenes within an image against the surrounding page content and alt text, flagging discrepancies. Google’s indexing now heavily weights these AI-generated insights. Google Cloud Vision API, available in Australia through Google Cloud Australia, provides similar image analysis capabilities for developers building custom SEO tools. In 2026, we anticipate further integration of these multimodal signals into Google’s ranking algorithms, potentially impacting image search results and overall page ranking. Currently, image file sizes remain a ranking factor, with Core Web Vitals continuing to be monitored by Google; optimising for speed is crucial.
Ultimately, image optimisation in 2026 functions by providing search engines with layered contextual information about an image, allowing them to accurately understand and index its content.
