New: Google Improves Similar Image Search Filter

Google has made improvements to the similar images filter they added back in 2009. Google explained the improvements include: Fresher similar image results More comprehensive results for similar filters Support for site command on similar filters Here is a screen shot of one of the results: To access this yourself, go to Google Images, search […]

Chat with SearchBot

Google has made improvements to the similar images filter they added back in 2009.

Google explained the improvements include:

  • Fresher similar image results
  • More comprehensive results for similar filters
  • Support for site command on similar filters

Here is a screen shot of one of the results:

Google Similar Images Up 1301660817

To access this yourself, go to Google Images, search for something and hover over the image. There should be a link that reads “similar,” click on it to get similar images.

Erik and Jeff from the Google team said in a post:

Today we’re announcing an update to Similar Images, the image search feature that allows you to find images that are visually similar to a particular result. We first launched Similar Images back in 2009, and today we’re launching a change which will make it a lot more fresh and comprehensive. Want to find similar images for a result you found for a recent news event? Now this is possible. Try it for yourself by hovering over any result and clicking the “Similar” link.

Along with increasing the quality of the Similar Images index, we’re also making it possible to find similar images when using the site: operator. To try this out, first use the site:operator to restrict your results to a particular site. For instance, if you want to browse images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you could type in site:metmuseum.org, as seen below:

https://www.google.com/images?q=site:metmuseum.org

If you see a result you really like, you can hover over it and click the “Similar” link to see similar images that are also from that site (in this case, metmuseum.org). I really liked a guitar I saw, so I tried clicking “Similar” for that, and here’s what I got:

https://www.google.com/search?q=site:metmuseum.org&tbs=simg:CAESEgmbKK4nJ8pyZiGCp1jyKj6SXg&tbm=isch

We hope you enjoy and please let us know if you have any feedback!

Cheers,
Erik and Jeff

Related Stories:


About the author

Barry Schwartz
Staff
Barry Schwartz is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.

Get the must-read newsletter for search marketers.