Google image SEO best practices
Google image SEO best practices,
as documented
How Google finds and indexes images, which formats it supports and how to influence the preview image, in Google's own words. Verified from Google's pages on 2026-10-07.
Google says the general recommendations for getting images to appear in text result images, Google Discover and Google Images are the same. This page lists what Google documents about discovering and indexing images and choosing the preferred image, with the wording taken from its page.
What Google documents
| Topic | What Google says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Same recommendations | “While each feature and product looks different, the general recommendations for getting images to appear in them is the same.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Use HTML image elements | “Using standard HTML image elements helps crawlers find and process images.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Where Google finds images | “Google can find images in src attribute of <img> element (even when it's a child of other elements, such as the <picture> element).” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| CSS images | “Google doesn't index CSS images.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Image sitemap | “You can provide the URL of images we might not have otherwise discovered by submitting an image sitemap .” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Images on a CDN | “Unlike regular sitemaps, you can include URLs from other domains in the <image:loc> elements of the image sitemaps.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Responsive images | “We recommend that you always specify a fallback URL using the src attribute.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Picture element | “make sure that you provide an img element as a fallback with a src attribute when using the picture element” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Supported formats | “Google Search supports images referenced in the src attribute of img in the following file formats: BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG, and AVIF.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| File extensions | “It's also a good idea to have the extension of your filename match with the file type.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Quality | “High-quality photos appeal to users more than blurry, unclear images.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Speed | “images are often the largest contributor to overall page size, which can make pages slow and expensive to load.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Landing page matters | “the content and metadata of the pages where an image is embedded can have a great influence on how and where the image may appear in Google's search results.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Preview image selection | “Google's selection of an image preview is completely automated and takes into account a number of different sources to select which image on a given page is shown on Google”Google: you can influence the choice with the schema.org primaryImageOfPage property, an image property attached to the main entity, or the og:image meta tag. | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Choosing the preferred image | “Choose an image that's relevant and representative of the page.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Images to avoid in markup | “Avoid using a generic image (for example, your site logo) or an image with text in the schema.org markup or og:image meta tag.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
| Aspect ratio and resolution | “Avoid using an image with an extreme aspect ratio (such as images that are too narrow or overly wide). Use a high resolution, if possible.” | Google docs Verified 2026-10-07 |
Examples
Google's good and bad example of embedding an image, and its example of naming a preferred image with the og:image meta tag.
<!-- Good: a standard img element with alt text -->
<img src="puppy.jpg" alt="A golden retriever puppy" />
<!-- Bad: a CSS background image, which Google does not index -->
<div style="background-image:url(puppy.jpg)">A golden retriever puppy</div>
<!-- A preferred image, named with the og:image meta tag -->
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/images/cat.png">Rules to remember
- Google says it finds images in the src attribute of img elements and does not index CSS images.
- Google lists BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG and AVIF as supported formats.
- Google says to choose a representative image for og:image or schema.org markup, in high resolution if possible, and to avoid a generic image such as a logo or an image with text.
Questions
Does Google index CSS background images?
No. Google says it doesn't index CSS images, and that it can find images in the src attribute of an img element, including when the img is a child of other elements such as picture.
Which image formats does Google Search support?
Google lists BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG and AVIF for images referenced in the src attribute of an img element. It also suggests that the file extension match the file type.
Do I need an image sitemap?
Google says an image sitemap lets you provide URLs of images it might not have otherwise discovered, and that, unlike regular sitemaps, it can include URLs from other domains, which helps if you host images on a CDN. It does not say one is required.
How do I influence which image Google shows for a page?
Google says its selection is completely automated, but you can influence it with the schema.org primaryImageOfPage property, an image property attached to the page's main entity, or the og:image meta tag.
What makes a good preferred image?
Google says to choose an image that is relevant and representative of the page, to avoid generic images such as a site logo and images with text, to avoid extreme aspect ratios, and to use a high resolution if possible.
Should I use the picture element or srcset?
Google says some browsers and crawlers don't understand these attributes, so you should always specify a fallback URL with the src attribute, and that a picture element needs an img fallback with a src.
Does the page around an image matter?
Yes. Google says the content and metadata of the page where an image is embedded can have a great influence on how and where the image may appear in Google's search results.
How current is this page?
Every row was read from Google's page on 2026-10-07, which showed "Last updated 2026-03-02 UTC". Google can change its documentation, so treat the linked page as the final word.
Sources
- Google image SEO best practices (Google Search Central), read on 2026-10-07
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