The rise of new search modalities is reshaping how users find and interact with information.
Gone are the days when typing text into a search bar was the only way to seek answers. Today, technologies like Google Lens, image search, voice search, and video-based queries are redefining search behavior and expectations. This shift is not merely an extension of search capabilities—it also represents a transformation in how search engines process and deliver information.
Google Lens & image search in 2025
According to Google, its visual search tool, Google Lens, now handles nearly 20 billion visual searches each month (and 20% of those visual searches are shopping-related), reflecting its rapid adoption among users globally. This surge is particularly prominent among younger demographics, according to Google’s Liz Read, VP, Head of Search in late 2024, who wrote that:
“Lens queries are now one of the fastest growing query types on Search, and younger users (ages 18-24) are engaging most with Lens.”
As The Verge’s David Pierce writes: “Lens is a key part of the future of Google Search, precisely because of its connection to Google’s AI initiatives. Google is obsessed with finding new ways for you to search, both in order to make search easier and also to give you new reasons to Google stuff.”
“A rise in multimodal search means image optimization is going to be prevalent [in 2025].”
— Myriam Jessier, Marketing Consultant, Neurospicy Agency
AI and multimodal search
The integration of generative AI into multimodal search tools further enhances their functionality, enabling more contextual and precise results. For instance, users can now point their camera at an item and ask voice-based follow-up questions, receiving AI-generated insights instantly.
As AI models like Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s ChatGPT continue to advance, the potential for contextual, personalized, and highly accurate multimodal searches will likely continue to grow.
Last year, Google announced “Project Astra,” a voice-operated AI assistant that is being developed as a multimodal answer to ChatGPT.” Shortly before Google’s Project Astra announcement, OpenAI launched GPT-4o with a tagline that stated: “We’re announcing GPT-4o, our new flagship model that can reason across audio, vision, and text in real-time.”
Voice search in 2025
On the voice search side of things, eMarketer reports that voice search is growing slowly but steadily — between 2022 and 2024 there was a 7.4% increase in the number of US smart speaker users who ask questions of their devices. (86.1 million in 2024 vs. 80.2 million in 2022.) However, the majority of voice searches are conducted not via smart speakers, but via the voice assistants in our smartphones (Siri, for example). eMarketer projected that there were about 145 million total users of voice assistants back at the end of 2023 (across smartphones, smart speakers, connected cars, and smart TVs) with room to grow.
“With voice-activated devices becoming more popular, voice search optimization is only getting more important. People are searching with full phrases and questions, so it’s key to have content that sounds natural and conversational.
Use structured data to deliver clear, concise answers that work well with voice queries, and consider adding FAQs to cover common questions people might ask.
Also, since search is becoming more visual (e.g. Google Lens) ensure images on sites are well-optimized and relevant to key topics.”
2025 SEO trends
So, with a changing search landscape to contend with, how can SEO professionals stay ahead of the curve in 2025?
To dive deeper into AI search, AI-augmented search, social search, and multimodal search, download our full eBook on 2025 SEO Trends.
