Story Based Question
You recently launched an online store with hundreds of product images. You optimized them with WebP and alt text, but when you check Google Search Console, many images aren’t appearing in search results.
That’s when you hear about image sitemaps—a way to help Google find and index images more effectively. Now, you’re wondering: How do you use image sitemaps to improve indexing?
Exact Answer
An image sitemap helps Google discover images that may not be easily found through regular crawling. To use it, add <image:image> tags inside your XML sitemap, specifying each image’s URL. Then, submit the sitemap to Google Search Console to improve indexing and visibility in image search results.
Explanation
Google relies on web crawlers to index images, but if images are loaded via JavaScript, hidden in carousels, or buried in complex site structures, they might not be discovered. That’s where an image sitemap comes in.
Why Image Sitemaps Matter for SEO
- Ensures All Images Are Indexed – Helps Google find images that aren’t linked directly in your HTML.
- Boosts Image Search Rankings – Indexed images appear in Google Images, driving more traffic.
- Improves E-commerce and Visual Content SEO – Essential for sites with product images, infographics, or portfolio content.
How to Create an Image Sitemap
- Use the
<image:image>Tag
Add the following structure inside your XML sitemap:
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/product-page/</loc>
<image:image>
<image:loc>https://example.com/images/product1.webp</image:loc>
<image:title>Red Running Shoes</image:title>
</image:image>
</url> - List Multiple Images for a Page
If a page has multiple images, include multiple<image:image>tags within the<url>tag. - Submit to Google Search Console
Upload your sitemap in Google Search Console > Sitemaps > Add a New Sitemap.
Example
Let’s go back to your online store. You have a product page for a black leather jacket, but Google isn’t indexing its images. The jacket’s images are loaded dynamically via JavaScript, making them hard for crawlers to find.
You add an image sitemap with:
- The image URL
- The image title (“Black Leather Jacket”)
After submitting the sitemap, Google indexes the images properly, and soon, they start appearing in Google Image Search. This brings more organic traffic to your store.
If images are important for your website, an image sitemap is a must. It ensures Google finds and indexes all images, improving visibility in search results. For e-commerce, travel, and visual-heavy sites, this can drive significant organic traffic.