Searching for images on Google is a very simple and easy process. Most of us perform a basic search when looking for an image on Google. The search engine uses its advanced algorithm to understand your search intent and shows you the results. You get to see rows and rows of images that link back to the respective websites where the images are from.
However, you can perform more refined image searches by utilizing Google’s advanced image search feature. So, let’s learn how you can use this feature to find specific images.
What is Google Advanced Image Search?
Google’s advanced image search helps users to narrow their search results. Users can use different filters and search criteria such as size, color, file type, and date, among others to find the images they are looking for.
With Google advance image search, users can find the images that meet their exact requirements or preferences. This tool is particularly useful for researchers, content creators, designers, or anyone seeking high-quality or specific images. This process provides more control and tailored results compared to a standard image search.
How to Use Filters in Google Advanced Image Search?
Before you learn how to search a image in Google using the advanced feature, it’s important to understand how you can use the filters to improve your search results.
Start by searching for anything in Google Images. Type in whatever you want to search for by entering your query. After this, click on the Tools button, available below the search bar. When you click on this button, you will be able to see a dropdown menu appear with the following options:
- Image Size
The first option allows you to search image by size. Here, you can choose from large, medium, small, or an icon. You also have the option to choose the default option which is any size. This helps you to quickly locate an image based on the specific size you are looking for.
When you have selected this size, Google will only show you images that are available with those dimensions. Although Google has not specified the pixels of each image size, the average size of a large image is 1280 x 720, a medium image is 600 x 400, and icons are 256 x 256.
- Image Color
The color filter provides you with the option to select any specific color to narrow down your image search. Once you have selected this option, Google will show you images with the specified color theme.
You can choose among four color options:
- Any color (default)
- Black and white
- Transparent (images with no background)
- A color palette (choose your preferred color)
For example, you are writing a blog about safari trips, and want images with green forests. This filter lets you choose the green color from its palette, helping you get more specific results.
- Image Type
This filter allows you to select the format of the image you are looking for. You can select from three different options apart from the default selection. The available format options include:
- Clip Art (contains infographics and pictures that people generally add to their digital documents)
- Line drawing (contains images with outlines that don’t have internal coloring)
- GIFs (contains bite-sized moving images)
With this option, you can easily locate the image based on the illustration or animation.
- Image Time
If you are looking for images within a certain timeframe, then this option can be very useful. You can find more recent photos that can be more relevant to the topic you are looking for. By using the Time filter, you can select from four options:
- Past 24 hours
- Past week
- Past month
- Past year
- Image Usage Rights
It’s critical to check the usage rights of a picture before utilizing it for personal use. This filter helps you to identify if the picture you have selected can be used legally without any copyright infringement. You can typically use such images for personal or commercial requirements.
Under this filer, you can search images by two categories:
- Creative Commons licenses (this license helps you find free-to-use images for commercial purposes)
- Commercial & other licenses (provides a list of paid images with commercial licenses)
It is highly recommended that if you use any image with the Creative Commons license, you should give credit to the creator.
Steps to Using Google Advanced Image Search
Now that you know how to use the filters for Google Image Search Advanced, let’s look at the steps that you need to take to use this search.
Step 1: Open Google Images
In the first step, open your Google browser and type any search query. Once the homepage loads, select “Images.” You can also directly input your search query and select “Images” on the results page.
Step 2: Switch to Google Advanced Image Search
The second step requires you to go to the “Settings” icon at the top right corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will open from where you can select “Advanced Search” from the menu. Then, a new tab will open with the advanced search options.
Step 3: Enter the Corresponding Keyword
Google advanced search images differentiate itself from the basic image search option by providing more detailed and specific search options. Here, you can use the “Find Images With” option which allows you to select different filters targeting the SEO elements of images.
You can enter keywords using the following options:
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- All these words: You can use this filter to find images with similar or related search terms. For example, it can be pink dresses, cute cats, or anything else.
- This exact word or phrase: This filter allows you to find images that contain the exact match for your search query. So, if you search for white cats, the result will show you the exact match for the word.
- Any of these words: Use this field to search among multiple keyword options. For example, you can search for calicos, black cats, Persian cats, and Siamese cats. The search will show any or all of the cat images.
- None of these words: You can use this filter to exclude certain words from your results. Here, if you input British shorthair and sphynx cat, the result will show you the images of cats apart from these two specific breeds.
Step 4: Perfect Your Google Images Advanced Search
In this step, you can refine your advanced image search by using different parameters. These filters can help you save time as you can find images by their attributes:
- Image Size: This filter allows you to find images within specific size ranges. You can use estimated size, dimension, and pixel count to find the image you want.
- Aspect Ratio: An aspect ratio helps in searching for images with a specific shape, for example, broad, rectangular, or aerial photos. Although Google does not let you specify the exact aspect ratio in this filter, it provides you with the following options:
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- Tall (length is greater than width)
- Square (length is equal to the width)
- Wide (width is greater than length)
- Panoramic (ultrawide images usually start with an aspect ratio of 2:1, and can go beyond)
- Colors in the Image: With this option, you can find images comprising a certain shade or hue. It provides you with five options:
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- Any color (shows images across different ranges of colors)
- Full color (images without black and white color come up in the result)
- Black & white (shows black and white or grayscale images)
- Transparent (images with no color in the background)
- This color (shows images with a specific colored theme)
- Type of Image: Use this filter to find specific types of images as filtered by Google’s image detection and search algorithms. It can help you find pictures in portrait or landscape format, among others. This filter also provides you with five options:
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- Face (contains images with face)
- Photo (shows only images and not animations or clip art)
- Clip art (displays simple graphic arts or illustrations)
- Line drawing (consists of only an outline of images)
- Animated (shows moving images generated using a computer)
- Region: This option limits your search to images that have been shared or tagged with a certain country or area of the world. You can simply click on any region tab and scroll to the country of your choice using the Google image location search option.
- Site or Domain: This filter helps you search for images within websites or across a range of top-level domains like “.gov.” This filter allows you to find images within the website or the domain without having to go to the specific page of each site.
- Safe Search: With this filter, you can choose whether to exclude images that show violent or suggestive content using the “Hide explicit results” option. Alternatively, you can choose “Show explicit results” to include them in your findings if they are relevant to your search.
- File Type: Here, you can search for images that are a particular file type. The file types included in this filter are JPG, GIF, PNG, SCG, WEBP, ICO, and RAW.
- Usage Rights: You can use this search filter to check if the image can be used commercially without any fee or you can use the image by crediting the owner. For instance, some photos can be duplicated, shared with the public, or even modified, or used for profit. You must check the copyright license to learn the exact requirements and criteria before you can use them.
Alternative Methods to Use Google Advanced Search Image
Apart from the mentioned steps in this article, there are more ways to search using image Google advanced features.
- Google Reverse Image Search
Using a reverse image search, you can identify where an image was first published, in what other websites the image was featured, how many sizes there of the same image, and identical images.
Similar to text-based search, the Google image search by photo option allows you to view the pages where an image has already been used. By submitting the image, you will immediately get a list of all the websites where the image is available. Google uses its algorithm to find details about your image in a fraction of a second. It also provides you with additional information like file size and type.
To use Google reverse image search, click on the camera icon towards the right-hand side of the search bar. Then upload the image or paste the URL of that image to get the result.
- Google Lens App
The Google Lens app is an AI-powered tool that helps you perform Google photo search by images. You can either click pictures or use an existing picture from your gallery to start the search process.
Go to the Lens app and point it towards the object or upload the image. This image search on Google will provide you with a significant amount of data about the image. You can also use this app to scan and translate textual instructions and papers or create an augmented reality environment.
You can also check up on reviews about anything and everything, and even learn about specific brands, objects, people, or products. By using this app, you can search for items on the web by directly scanning the physical product and it will take you to the product page.
How to Do Competitive Research Using Google Image Advanced Search?
One of the significant advantages of using Google Photo Search online is that you can use this to gain a competitive edge over your rivals. You can implement the following strategies to do so:
- Particular Words or Phrases for Images
When starting a new business, knowing your main competitors is integral as it can help you fine-tune your digital marketing strategies. By using the Google advanced image search feature, you can analyze the visual marketing elements that can prove to be beneficial.
Moreover, you can assess how your competitors use infographics for product displays and use the insights to improve your visual marketing efforts. This step can also inspire ideas for blogging and how you sell your products or services visually.
- Good Product Image Descriptions
Good product descriptions are important as they impact search rankings, test outcomes, image searches, and more. With the advanced image search feature, you can rank your products and identify competitor keywords.
You can include the relevant keywords in your image file name, ALT text, and product descriptions when uploading catalogs for better visibility and search performance.
- Guest Blogging Opportunities
Guest blogging is important for link-building. If you miss out on this, you can miss valuable backlinks. This is where image search helps to find relevant sites where you can guest blog and establish your brand as a thought leader, thereby driving quality traffic to your website.
Finding the perfect guest writing platform can be time-consuming. Here, you can use the reverse image search option to uncover guest posting opportunities.
Conclusion
So, now you know how to search on Google by image advanced feature. The next time you are writing an article or want free or specific images, use this feature to find the exact result. It helps you save a significant amount of time and helps you find the relevant images using the parameters you need for an image. Thus, take advantage of the advanced filters and reverse search images to help you find the images you’re after.