Image Sitemap

Why It Matters

Image sitemaps increase image indexation by 40-60% compared to relying on crawler discovery alone. Critical for e-commerce, photography, and visual content sites where images drive significant traffic from Google Images search.

How It Works

Image sitemaps list image URLs with metadata (title, caption, location, license) in XML format. Submitted to Google Search Console, they help search engines discover images in JavaScript, lightboxes, or dynamically loaded content that crawlers might miss.

Use Cases

• An e-commerce site submits image sitemap for 50,000 products, image search traffic increases 75% as more products appear in Google Images
• A photography portfolio uses image sitemap to ensure all gallery images get indexed, driving 40% of total traffic from image search
• A recipe blog adds image sitemap with captions, recipe photos appear in more image searches with proper attribution

Best Practices

• Include all important images from your site, especially product photos and original graphics
• Add image metadata: captions, titles, geographic location, and license information when relevant
• Update image sitemap automatically when adding new images to keep it current
• Submit image sitemap separately through Google Search Console for better tracking
• Use descriptive image filenames and alt text even with sitemap for maximum indexation
• Monitor image indexation in Search Console to ensure sitemap is being processed