Google introduces new search within video option to YouTube Shorts

James Hussey

In a big win for creators and advertisers, Google has taken its powerful visual search tool, Google Lens, to YouTube Shorts.

The new feature allows users to search objects, locations and text within Shorts on their phones. Just by stopping a video and clicking on the “Lens” icon, viewers can highlight or click on whatever they want to know more about, and results will appear over the video.

This combining of visual elements in Shorts offers many opportunities for businesses. Visual elements in Shorts can now create more engagement, since viewers are able to interact with the content more deeply. For travel and hospitality businesses, this means free exposure when destinations feature in videos. Educational content producers can also benefit, as viewers are able to explore further into subjects introduced in their videos.

There are some limitations, however. Google Lens will not work in Shorts that have YouTube Shopping affiliate tags or paid product promotions. This limitation means that creators whose income is based on affiliate content must closely watch their monetisation strategies. They will need to balance showing their content through visual search and achieving their revenue goals.

For advertisers, it is a shift in how users interact with video material. Objects, locations and text in videos are search entry points now, and this makes visual content more relevant than ever. Removing monetised content also introduces an interesting dynamic, where creators must decide between affiliate revenue and visibility in visual search.

As Google is rolling out this capability, businesses must start thinking about their Shorts with searchable moments in their strategy. This capability is not an additional tool but a game-changing way for customers to engage with video content and turn them into active visual searchers. For business owners, it means learning how to adapt to a new landscape where visual search can drive engagement and exposure to new heights.

If you need any assistance in getting the most out of your social media marketing, get in touch with the team at Engage Web today.

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James Hussey

Digital Marketing Executive at Engage Web

Having once gone to school in the Burnage area of Manchester known for being the childhood home of Noel and Liam Gallagher, “Some Might Say” that James is a “Supersonic” presence within Engage Web, happily turning his hand to “Whatever” tasks his role throws at him.

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