Google Says AI Image Use Won’t Affect Rankings — May Even Boost Image Search Traffic
No SEO penalty for AI images, says Google’s Gary Illyes. AI visuals may even boost image search traffic if properly optimized.
Google: Using AI Images on Legit Content Will Not Cause Ranking Drops
Google has confirmed that AI-generated images will not negatively affect search rankings. According to Gary Illyes, an analyst at Google, websites using AI-created visuals alongside legitimate written content will not face SEO penalties.
The clarification came during a YouTube Q&A with Kenichi Suzuki, where Illyes addressed growing concerns among publishers and marketers about whether artificial images might trigger Google’s ranking filters.
No Direct SEO Impact from AI Images
When asked if pages filled with AI-generated images could be penalized despite having high-quality text, Illyes was clear:
“No, no. So AI-generated image doesn’t impact the SEO. Not direct… you are not going to see any negative impact from that. If anything, you might get some traffic out of image search or video search or whatever, but otherwise it should just be fine.”
Illyes did caution that adding many images could consume server resources, potentially affecting site performance if not optimized — but this is a technical issue, not a penalty from Google’s ranking systems.
Potential Benefits in Image Search
By adding AI-generated visuals, websites could even gain additional traffic through Google Image Search, provided that proper alt text, file names, and structured data are used to help Google understand what the image represents.
Authenticity Still Matters for Users
Although Google does not penalize AI imagery, authenticity remains a user trust issue. For example:
♦ Product images must accurately represent real items.
♦ Recipe photos should match the expected results of following instructions.
Google has consistently emphasized that content should be created for users first, rather than only to please algorithms. While Illyes did not address authenticity directly, publishers are urged to consider whether AI images meet user expectations.
Key Takeaway
♦ AI images = No direct ranking penalty.
♦ Technical optimization still required to avoid performance slowdowns.
♦ User experience remains critical for credibility and conversions.
