What Is Reverse Image Search & Why It’s Essential to Your E-commerce Business

What Is Reverse Image Search?

All the major search engines, including Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex, have a reverse image search feature. Users can upload a picture from their computer or mobile device and find similar images on the web. They can also find information about the object or person in the picture. 

Most search engines use image recognition technology to find results. If you upload a picture of a squirrel, for example, the engine will show you other squirrels. Yandex, in particular, uses a combination of image recognition and facial recognition technology, allowing you to search for people and find their personal websites. 

Search engines also rely on other data to find similar images on the web. They might look at alt tags, image file names, and more to compare pictures. 

Numerous mobile apps allow users to run reverse image searches from their phones. Google Lens is an app that enables people to use their phone cameras in real-time to search for relevant web results. 

Who Should Use Reverse Image Search? 

E-commerce site owners can benefit from targeting reverse image searchers. 

Let’s envision the following scenario. Someone sees a product they love. Perhaps they see it in a public place, like the airport or at a friend’s house. They may not even be sure what it’s called, so they snap a picture and perform a reverse image search. Your site displays the item, and they proceed to click on it and buy your product. 

Similarly, a customer is at Target or Walmart and likes a product they see on the shelf. What they don’t like is the price; they want something more affordable. Perhaps they just want something from a different brand. The individual reverse image searches the item, and your site shows up, offering a lower-priced or higher-quality product. 

Why Is Reverse Image Search Essential? 

More consumers are utilizing reverse image search, and retailers are starting to understand its critical role in driving sales. 

• According to a study by Intent Lab, 36% of consumers have performed a visual search. 
• In most categories, almost 60% of consumers preferred visual information to textual information. 
• The global visual search market is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9%, thus expecting to reach $14,727 million by 2025, according to research. 

Image search engines go beyond Google. TinEye, for example, is also popular. It was the first reverse image search engine that used image recognition technology instead of image metadata. Various AI-driven image search engines are cropping up as well. 

Here are the top benefits reverse image search can bring to the e-commerce industry: 

• Increased traffic: E-commerce business owners looking to drive more traffic should optimize their images for visual searches. 
• More sales: Many of the visitors you get from visual searches will be prequalified buyers — people who already know what they want. You’ll drive more sales and revenue. 
• More mobile users: Almost three-quarters of all online sales happen on mobile. Reverse image searches typically occur on mobile, as users snap pictures with their phones and upload them to search engines.