What is Google Lens in the Age of AI? And How Can Businesses Use It to Attract Customers?

Updated 8/13/2025

Google Lens is a search tool that turns your smartphone camera into an AI-powered workhorse. Think of it like this: If you can take a picture of it, you can turn it into an intelligent search query.

Welcome to the future! Imagine interacting with real-world objects all around you, simply by using your phone’s camera. 

You could translate a Chinese menu with ease, get the history of a neighborhood statue, or shop online for a sofa similar to one in a model home (but in your price range).

In fact, you can do all that and more with the touch of a button using Google Lens. Obviously, you want to learn more about this cool, convenient capability, right? We sure did when we first heard about it!

That’s why we’ve put together a primer that explains what Google Lens is, but we didn’t stop there. Since we’re a digital marketing agency, we also highlighted how to optimize for visual search so you can use this technology to increase traffic to your website and so much more. You’ll soon wonder what your business ever did without it.

What Is Google Lens? 

Google Lens uses a smartphone’s camera and image recognition technology to search the web for results based on what it sees. This capability is built into Google phones or can be installed as an app for other phones.

When we first heard the term Google Lens, we flashed back to 2012, when everyone assumed Google Glass would be the next big thing. Was this just going to be more of the same? But our assumption was wrong—kind of. Rather than wearing an accessory to get information on the world surrounding you, Google Lens has incorporated the technology into your already-in-hand smartphone.

The main difference is that this time, the technology is really taking off. People are using Google Lens for over 20 billion monthly searches—and a quarter of those have commercial intent. 

What Is Google Lens Used For?

By using your smartphone’s camera, Google Lens helps you simplify the way you search for information. It gives you a quick way to find information from images you take or find online. 

Google Lens can:

• Shop for any product that catches your eye without having to use the search box.
• Scan and translate text to look up words, add events to your calendar, and create a contact.
• Explore nearby businesses, including historical facts, hours of operation, and ratings.
• Look up restaurant menus, including photos of specific dishes and what people have said about them.
• Identify plants and animals using a photo search to satiate your curiosity.
• Get homework help with videos and step-by-step instructions.

Google Lens changed the way we interact with our environment and get information, making it useful for both personal and professional use.

How Does Google Lens Work?

Google Lens works through advanced image recognition technology with the camera on your smartphone or device. When you take a photo or aim your camera at something, Google uses its advanced real-time image recognition to provide relevant information and search results.

How Do I Get Google Lens?

For Android smartphones, Google Lens might already be integrated with your device’s camera. If you open your camera and the Google Lens icon isn’t there, you can download the Google Lens app. If you’re an iOS user, access Lens through the Google app or download the standalone Google Lens app.

Can I Use Google Lens for My Business?

Yes, and you really should. As much as we love Google Lens for personal use, as marketers, we’re even more excited about what it can do for your business. The bottom line is that Lens can help you:

• Gain more traction in your industry.
• Bring in more contacts for networking.
• Get more converted customers for your brand.

Raise Awareness for Your Site and Brand

If a person focuses their Lens on anything related to your brand or your products, it will open either a shopping page or a search result page for that image. These relevant, location-based results can guide the person’s brand awareness and instantly lead them to your website.

Optimize Ecommerce

When it comes to online shopping, Google Lens makes it easier than ever for shoppers to become buyers. All a person has to do is a quick photo search with the app, and Google Lens will find the same (or a similar) product that can be bought with the touch of a button.

This convenience and time savings optimize the shopping experience and gets customers excited to spend their money with you.

Network Instantly

In addition to helping you gain more customers and sales, Google Lens is also a great networking tool. How’s that? It allows you to save, search, and expand on the contact information found on business cards.

Here’s how to use Google Lens to scan business cards to instantly create new contacts:

1. Use the Google Lens app or the Lens icon on your photos to take a picture of a business card.
2. Google will scan and load information from the card.
3. Google will create a contact for you.

The point is to broaden your contact list and instantly network with anyone who passes you their business card, without having to manually enter each one.

6 Ways to Optimize Google Lens for Your Business

Since you obviously want to take advantage of all the benefits available for your business, here’s six ways to optimize your online presence to rank in Google Lens and visual search results.

1. List Your Products on Google Shopping

It makes sense that Google Lens works best when the products being searched for are listed on Google Shopping. Simply open an account in the Google Merchant Center and add your product data.

2. Add Lots of Product Images

When you add products to Google Shopping, be sure to add plenty of images. Make sure your logo is featured in at least one of your images, such as in a picture of your storefront or featured on one of your products (not a watermark). This helps Google read and recognize your brand.

3. Check the Size and Quality of Images

Great-looking images are important, so you should test image sizes to ensure they are sharp and clear; if an image uses too few pixels for the dimension size, it will appear blurry. However, since large image files load slowly, a compression tool like Compress JPEG can get your images down to a mobile-friendly file size, typically under 200KB. Be sure to check to see if your images crop correctly and maintain clarity when uploaded.  

4. Add Labels, Keywords, and Alt Text to Your Images

Short, descriptive image filenames and labels help Google’s photo search algorithm work well. 

Keywords should be used in the filenames and throughout the alt text. Alt (alternative) text is a short sentence explaining what the image is showing. It gives Google bots information about the visual content you’re providing. Especially now that AI is all the craze, optimizing alt text helps train Google’s AI to tell people relevant details about your products and branding.

5. Embed Photos with EXIF and IPTC Data

Google absolutely loves data, and that’s just as true with Lens and your picture uploads. 

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a unique file structure for storing each digital image. Data includes the date, time, camera model, settings, location, and copyright info. The more precise this data is, the easier it is for Google to connect users with your product or website.

IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council) data is photo metadata that includes information about the visual content, including people, company, credits, property rights, and instructions.

6. Add Structured Data Markup to Your Website

Structured data markup is snippets of code added to your HTML for the purpose of helping Google read the information listed on your site (for example, if your site is an article, recipe, announcement, etc.).

Google Lens, AI Searches, and Multimodal SEO

Google Lens isn’t the only AI-powered search upgrade that’s happening. Visual search is converging with large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and even Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs), which integrate directly into search results. As people use LLM platforms, they’re finding them useful for more conversational types of online searches.

This is evolving into an interesting new convergence of visual search technology, conversational text prompt searches, and even voice searches.

AI uses these multimodal search combinations to offer a more natural and instinctive way to get results. People can upload images or use Google Lens in combination with spoken or typed details of what they are looking for. AI will put these details together into a highly targeted multimodal search.

For example, someone spots the perfect yellow dress in a shop window, captures it with Google Lens, and asks Google for “this but in blue.” Google’s AI will attempt to find the same design in the preferred color, along with where it might be sold. While it’s at it, it might provide some competitively priced options.

Why Using Structured Data Matters for Multimodal Search

Your product images, schema markup, and metadata provide the exact kind of information Google and LLMs are going to use to try to make a perfect match to multimodal searches. Related schema and alt text in images help LLMs make the right connections between visuals and contextual information. Optimizing your online presence with this in mind truly is the evolution of today’s SEO.

How to Attract More Customers to Your Business with Google Lens

The convergence of visual search with voice search and LLM prompts means that businesses need to think of the customer’s journey and how to connect every potential entry point to the desired logical search result. 

It may be a product on the shelf, a menu on your website, or the sign on your local store. You want to think of ways that every visual touchpoint can help Google connect searches to your offerings.

Retail

Feature clear signage, branded packaging, and concise product info in physical store displays so Google Lens effectively captures data that drives effective search results. This way, when a person asks Google where they can find an item or asks for online reviews, your storefront comes up in the results.

Ecommerce

Structured image data for your online products makes it possible for a voice-enabled Lens query to pull up the right results from your ecommerce site. The more thorough you are with your online presence, the greater the chance search results will make the connection between your brand, your online store, and the products people are searching for. 

For example, if someone looks for one of the items you carry and asks who has it with next-day shipping, you want to be sure Google can find your inventory using quality metadata and schema while maintaining accurate data about product availability in Google Merchant Center.

Home Services

If you’re a local plumber, electrician, or landscaper, you probably know about the importance of branding. People need to see consistent logos, uniforms, and other branding elements across your company, including your website and GBP. 

When a local has a plumbing emergency, their first move might be to capture your company logo and ask Google if you offer emergency 24/7 service.

Hospitality

Imagine a customer capturing your menu with Google Lens and asking Google about the best thing to order, whether reviews are positive, and if anyone is talking about gluten-free options. These are low-friction opportunities for engagement, and today’s online marketing means ensuring people find consistent images, text, and positive reviews wherever people search for your brand and products.

Learn More About How Your Business Can Reach Your Target Audience

Knowing what Google Lens is could be a gamechanger, but Big Leap wants you to know that there are many other ways to leverage Google Lens for your business to get both the exposure and the customers you deserve.

To learn more about all the ways your business can reach and nurture your target audience using effective, efficient strategies, contact us today to get a free multi-point site audit, reputation audit, and competitive gap analysis!

Google Lens FAQ

How can my small, local business benefit from Google Lens?

Uploading excellent tagged images of your company’s recognizable properties connects you to people while they’re out in the world. If a person scans a local storefront, for instance, they can find you online to read your restaurant’s menu, find your store hours, look at reviews, and grab your contact information.

If someone is in town from a different country, they can use Lens to translate your business’ details.

What kinds of images work best for Lens SEO?

Your goal for showing up in Google Lens searches is to use clean, clear, sharp images with quality lighting so they are highly recognizable for Google’s matching engine. 

The actual image type and file size that are best for Google Lens depend on several things. Different platforms have their own specifications for the type of images they let you upload and the minimum and maximum dimensions. A general rule is that you don’t want to upload images that are significantly smaller than what is allowed for a platform. 

Using image compression to reduce the file size lets you get the most from your online presence. This means an image with large dimensions can take less time to load.

Does it matter if I have a Google Business Profile for Google Lens?

A Google Business Profile (GBP) helps your business get recognized through Google Lens when users scan local business attributes. Your high-quality, branded images help Lens connect the offline world to your online presence. This boosts your visibility in local search results and drives foot traffic or product interest from real-world interactions. 

Do I have to make a GBP if my business is only online?

Yes. Even if you have an online business, it’s helpful to have a GBP (linked to your Google Merchant Center, if applicable) with consistently tagged images to help people find you online. Your GBP strengthens your potential search results that represent your products and branding, and it sends specific data to Lens when people use it to find what you have to offer.

How is Google Lens different from image search?

Google image search involves a few elements, including:

• Keyword-based searches to match images with the person’s query
• The use of images that are similar to the uploaded one
• Reverse image searches that return results from sources where the same image appears online

Google Lens uses the power of AI to recognize objects, text, places, and more—all for the purpose of returning:

• Information
• Translation
• Related products
• Other actionable results

While image search is primarily about the identification of the image itself, Google Lens is about intelligent data related to an image so the user can take action based on what they learn.

How can I optimize my website for Google Lens?

There are numerous best practices you should use to optimize your website for Lens:

• Use high-quality, mobile-friendly images that are clear, sharp, well-lit, and quick to load.
• Upload quality images of your logo, physical signs, and other brand elements.
• Tag your photos with seasonal offerings or changes.
• Tag photos with keywords in your metadata.
• Tag items that are commonly searched with Lens, like menus, products, and popular brands.