Image and Video Results: Choosing a Content Format

Some searches show a row of pictures or a strip of video thumbnails alongside plain text results. When your query is one of them, a page of paragraphs alone may not meet what the searcher came for. The decision is made per query: check the results page yourself, read your own impressions by search type in Search Console, then add the format the query asks for, and only that one. A baker, a food blogger or a recipe site owner can run this routine with free tools. Every example here concerns one subject, sourdough baking.

What Google's gallery says about image and video results

The Search Gallery in Google Search Central (Opens in a new tab) describes an image result as a result based on an image embedded on a web page, one that is more likely to appear for image-seeking queries. A video result is a result based on a video embedded on a web page, and it is more likely to appear for video-seeking queries.

Elements of each result

An image result shows a thumbnail of the indexed image and attribution for the page that embeds it. A video result shows a video thumbnail, a title link to the landing page, attribution and an upload date, which the page describes as the date the video was published as provided in its metadata. Tapping the video thumbnail leads to the page embedding the video.

What the page does not provide

The gallery does not list which queries trigger image or video results, so the evidence has to come from your own searches and your own report. The page also points to separate best-practice pages for images and for video.

Choosing which queries deserve a test

Testing every query one by one takes time, so build an inventory first. It is a short list of queries your site already earns impressions for or wants to. A sourdough site sorts its queries into three groups: recipe queries, technique queries and troubleshooting queries. Each group carries a format hypothesis, and testing confirms or refutes it.

Table: Query groups and format hypotheses

The hypothesis column is a guess made before testing. If the test disagrees, do not delete the hypothesis; write the observation beside it. After a few months the table becomes a small map of your query world.

Keeping the inventory short

Practical suggestion: start with the ten queries that earn the highest impressions. A form takes minutes per query, and a list of fifty gets abandoned halfway. Begin small and widen the method in later rounds.

Queries about one subject with different format needs

Three queries about one loaf may want three formats. A search for crumb photos wants images, a search for how to fold wants video, and a search for why a loaf collapsed wants text. Instead of squeezing three formats onto one page, give each query its own page, which helps readers and search systems alike.

Running the test on one query

Searching the query in a private window or signed-out browser is the quickest way to see what appears. Results can shift with location and history, so one search proves little. Repeat it at different times and on different devices, and write what you see.

1. Search the query and note whether an image block appears on the first screen.
2. Note whether video thumbnails appear and which sites they come from.
3. Count the ranked results that are plain text pages and note their page types.
4. Open the Images tab and see whether the query brings a rich picture grid.
5. Repeat on a phone and on a computer.
6. Write the findings in a table with the date.

Reading the Performance report by search type

The Performance report (Opens in a new tab) has a search type filter that shows data for web, image, video or news searches. Select image to see the queries that earned impressions through images, then repeat for video. A blank result does not prove the query lacks image or video interest; it may mean your page does not take part in that format yet. Impressions are defined as the number of times your site appeared in search results.

Two kinds of evidence

Your own search is a sample of one, and the report is real user data, though only for queries where your site appeared. For queries where you do not show, your own observation is the only evidence, so keep the table.

Pages for image-seeking queries

A baking query such as how scoring patterns look on a loaf is picture driven. Google's image SEO best practices (Opens in a new tab) give a checklist worth running before any redesign.

Alt text and file names

Google's image best practices call alt text the most important attribute for providing more metadata for an image. Google asks for useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and warns that filling alt attributes with keywords can be treated as spam. File names should be short but descriptive, and generic names such as image1.jpg or pic.gif are best avoided. Example scenario: a photo of a scored boule gets the alt text "sourdough boule with a single diagonal slash after baking", not "sourdough bread best sourdough recipe".

Standard img elements and the src fallback

Standard HTML image elements help crawlers find and process images, and Google does not index CSS images. Because some crawlers do not understand srcset or the picture element, specify a fallback URL with the src attribute. A gallery built with background images would not reach image results.

Placement, representative image and formats

Put images near related text on pages that match their subject, and use the same URL when an image appears on several pages. To choose the representative image, Google lists primaryImageOfPage, mainEntityOfPage and og:image, and prefers a representative, high-resolution image over generic logos or extreme aspect ratios. Supported formats are BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG and AVIF, and the file extension should match the real file type. For depth, read how to optimize images for Google.

Quality and weight

Sharp, high-quality images perform better in thumbnails, but they should be optimized so pages still load quickly. Crumb photos carry detail that compresses badly, so test compression on a few pages before applying it to the whole library.

Photo planning and layout checks

Bread photos need light and detail. The shot plan aims for an image that works on the page and as a small thumbnail in image results. Decide these points before the shoot.

A shot plan

1. Pick the lead image as the representative picture and shoot it at high resolution.
2. Keep the loaf prominent in the frame so crust and scoring read at thumbnail size.
3. Add a second image that shows scale, such as a loaf beside a cutting board.
4. Add one close-up of the crumb.
5. Keep backgrounds plain and light consistent across the page.
6. Save files with meaningful names and write the alt text in the same session.

Writing alt text during the shoot prevents the blank attributes that get forgotten later.

File names and alt text side by side

Table: File name and alt text for one loaf

File names are short and descriptive, and each alt text says what the picture shows. If the same words repeat on three rows, the text may have slipped into stuffing; state what makes each picture different.

Accessibility, captions and step photos in guides

Image and video preparation does not serve search alone; it helps every reader of the page. One production effort yields two benefits, which makes the decision easier to defend.

Alt text serves readers

Alt text tells readers who cannot see the image what that part of the page shows. For a bread photo it names the loaf, the score and the angle, so the same sentence helps a person using a screen reader and a person searching for pictures. A purely decorative divider needs an empty alt attribute, because describing it tires the listener.

Captions and transcripts

Practical suggestion: publish captions and a written transcript with each clip. A reader watching with the sound off follows the captions, and a reader who wants the information without opening the video reads the transcript. The reason is the reader's need.

Step photos in written guides

For techniques such as folding or shaping, one small photo per step can meet the visual need without a video. Shoot step photos in the same light and angle, and write alt text that names the step. This is a low-effort option, and a video stays a later step if the query still calls for it.

Who produces what

Table: Production responsibility

On a small blog one person may hold every role, yet writing the tasks as separate rows shows which step got skipped. A photo with no alt text is easy to forget once the shoot ends; naming an owner in the table prevents that.

Pages for video-seeking queries

A query such as how to shape a boule is easier to answer by showing hands at work. The gallery points to Google's video best practices and links a "Learn how to specify a video thumbnail" page.

Put the video where the question is answered

Practical suggestion: if the video sits at the bottom as an afterthought, the page does not read as the answer to a video query. Embed it near the top, and add a short written summary and a numbered step list next to it. Readers who skip video still get the answer, and the page keeps a clear subject.

Title, thumbnail and date

The video result shows the title link, a thumbnail and the upload date taken from the video's metadata. Keep the metadata date true to the real publication date. For markup detail, see the video sitemap and VideoObject guide.

Short clips for troubleshooting queries

If text answers dominate a troubleshooting query such as a dense crumb, a long lesson video may be unnecessary. A short demonstration works as extra evidence beside the written answer. Practical suggestion: place the clip after the text answer and do not make the answer depend on it, so a reader who does not press play still gets what they came for.

A video plan: script, length and placement

For video-led queries, plan before filming. The plan covers the answer, the order of steps and where the clip sits on the page.

A script skeleton

1. State the question the video answers in the first seconds.
2. Show the steps in the same order as the written steps on the page.
3. Name the tools and ingredients at the start.
4. Show a mistake and its fix.
5. Close with a short recap.

Matching video steps to written steps lets readers move between the two. A short clip on shaping can sit beside a ten-step written list.

The text summary beside the clip

The text next to the video gives the answer to readers who cannot or will not watch. Two or three sentences and a step list are enough. Practical suggestion: repeat the numbers and measures from the video in the text so a reader can find them without rewatching.

Reusing a clip

A shaping clip can serve a recipe page and a technique guide. If it will appear on several pages, decide which page is the main landing page for the video and link to it from the others to reduce confusion.

When text alone is enough

Not each query needs new media. Compare what the query returns with what your page offers.

Table: Observation, decision and addition

A decision rule

Practical suggestion: if the first screen is video heavy and rivals demonstrate the steps, plan a short video or a step sequence. If the first screen is text and the Images tab shows only light interest, one original photo may be enough. Decide per query, not per site.

Weighing production effort

A short video costs time and equipment, while a photo set costs less. Ranking formats by effort keeps production manageable. No return figure is promised; the point is to see which query asks for which kind of work.

Table: Format and effort level

Content that serves several queries

A photo sequence of shaping steps can answer shaping, proofing and scoring queries at once. Reusing one clip is fine. For still images, Google advises using the same image URL when a picture appears on several pages; for the clip, keep its title, thumbnail and date metadata consistent wherever it is embedded.

Ordering work on a small budget

With limited time and money, set the production order from the query observations. Start with text edits and alt text fixes, which need no new equipment. Next, prepare an original photo set for the image query with the highest impressions. Plan video only for queries where the testing table shows prominent video thumbnails. This order also makes each step readable in the report, because one change per month keeps cause and effect from blending.

Case: three queries on one bakery blog

Example scenario: a small bakery blog covers starter care, shaping and scoring. Its owner picks three queries to test: how often to feed a starter, how to shape a boule, and what scoring patterns look like. Observations go into the testing table and the Performance report is read with the image and video filters. Figures are left out; the reading is what matters.

Table: Example scenario, three queries

The cheapest job goes first: the scoring photo set. The shaping video follows once that is live, and the starter question stays a text guide with one short clip.

Watching the effect in Search Console

After changes, read impressions under the image and video search types. The report defaults to the past three months and a date filter changes the period. Seeing first video impressions after adding a clip is a hint that the page is eligible, not a guarantee of any ranking.

How long to wait

Google's pages give no timeline for when image or video impressions begin. Practical suggestion: date your change and read the same filter a few weeks later. If something moves, write down any other change made in the same period.

Revisiting the choice every quarter

Format decisions are not permanent. Results change and a query can shift to another format. A short review every three months keeps the decisions current.

Review steps

Retest the inventory queries and compare them with old rows in the observation table. Read the image and video filters in the Performance report next to the previous period. If a query moved, review the format on its page.

Cleaning up older pages

Older posts may still carry generic file names or empty alt text. Start with the pages that earn the highest impressions. On each page check alt text, file names and the text around the images. Fix pages one at a time and date every fix, so a month later you can tell which change affected which result.

Filing the decision for later

Keep one record per query so the format choice can be defended later. The record is short on purpose: it lists what was seen, what was decided and when the decision is next reviewed.

Decision rule: a record that cannot name its evidence keeps the page as text until a fresh test search supports a change. A single line of evidence is enough; a blank field means the choice was a guess.

Where format work goes wrong

Most failures in this area come from doing too much, too early, or from reading thin evidence as a verdict.

Filming a clip for a query that wants text

A heavy video aimed at a text-led query spends effort where the results page shows no appetite for it. Match the format to what the query returns.

Reading one search as a verdict

What you see changes with person, place and time. Repeat the search on another device and on another day before booking a shoot.

Writing alt text as a keyword list

Google warns that alt attributes stuffed with keywords can be treated as spam. A plain sentence that says what the photo shows serves readers and search alike.

Hiding photos in CSS

Google does not index CSS images, so a photo placed as a background cannot reach image results. Use a standard img element.

Reading eligibility as a promise

The gallery only says image and video results are more likely for matching queries. Prepared pages are eligible, not guaranteed.

Leaving no dated trail

Without a dated note per change, a shift in impressions a month later cannot be traced to any single edit. One line per change is enough.

Before you publish

Checklist: run through these once per page, in this order.

• Is today's observation of the query written down, with the device and the date?
• Were the image and video filters in the Performance report read apart from web?
• Does each alt text say what the picture shows, in a plain sentence?
• Are file names short and descriptive rather than image1.jpg?
• Is every photo a standard img element with a src fallback?
• Does explanatory text sit close to each image?
• Is the clip embedded on the page, with a thumbnail specified?
• Does the upload date in the metadata match the real publication date?
• Is the production effort written next to the decision?

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need new media for every query?

No. When text results dominate, keep the text and add at most one explanatory image. Add photos or video only where the results page and your report show the query asks for them.

Where do I read image and video impressions?

In the Performance report, through the search type filter, which separates web, image, video and news data.

How should I word alt text for a loaf photo?

Describe what the picture shows in one plain sentence, such as a baked boule with a diagonal score. Filling the attribute with keywords can be treated as spam.

Why would photos set as CSS backgrounds miss image results?

Google does not index CSS images. A standard img element with a src fallback gives crawlers something to find.

What date appears on a video result?

The upload date, taken from the publication date in the video's metadata, so keep that metadata true.

When should I read the effect of a change?

Practical suggestion: date the change, then read the same image or video filter a few weeks later and note any other edits from the same period.

Conclusion

Start from the query, not from the format you would like to make. Test it in a clean browser, read image and video impressions by search type, and let the observation table decide whether the page needs photos, a clip or only better text. Descriptive alt text, short file names, standard img elements and nearby explanation cover the image side; an embedded clip with a specified thumbnail and honest metadata dates cover the video side.

Once the format is chosen, the writing has to carry it. If you need original articles to sit beside your photos and clips, take a look at our content writing service.