Image assets in Search ads: how visual extensions perform in 2026

Text ads have long been the backbone of Google Search, but in 2026, users expect more than black letters on a white background. With image assets in Search ads, advertisers can add visual elements to their search advertisements, making them stand out more, occupy more screen space, and communicate the message more quickly. For both e-commerce businesses and lead generation advertisers, this offers a concrete opportunity to differentiate from the competition, without requiring a separate Display or Shopping budget. In this article, you will find exactly what image assets are, how they work technically, when they do and do not appear, which best practices lead to the highest performance, and how AdBrains own AI technology manages all of this in an automated way.

What are image assets in Google Search ads?

Image assets, previously referred to as "image extensions", are visual additions to a standard Responsive Search Ad (RSA). They appear as a small image next to or below the ad text, giving the user an immediate visual signal about the product or service. Google introduced image assets as part of a broader strategy to make the Search SERP richer and more relevant, in direct competition with the visual appeal of social media platforms such as Meta.

The image you add as an asset is not a standalone advertisement, but a supplement to the existing RSA. Google itself determines when the image is shown, depending on factors such as ad position, Quality Score, device, and the expected impact on user experience. This makes image assets a truly machine-learning-driven format: you provide the input, Google optimises the output.

Technically, you upload the image at campaign or ad group level. Google supports both square (1:1) and landscape (1.91:1) formats. Recommended resolutions are 300x300 pixels to 1200x1200 pixels for square, and 600x314 pixels to 1200x628 pixels for landscape format. The maximum file size is 5 MB. Images must not contain text covering more than 20% of the image, and they must comply with Google's advertising policies, including rules around copyright and explicit content.

When are image assets shown?

Image assets in Search: key metrics 2026

Industry benchmarks for advertisers actively using image assets

+31%

Average CTR increase with image assets

15%

Higher conversion rate with visual support

3x

More ad real estate on mobile vs. text ad

Top 3

Required ad position for image to show

Not every search query results in an advertisement with an image. Google applies a number of strict criteria before an image asset actually appears alongside the text. Understanding the circumstances under which your image is visible is essential for aligning your expectations and strategy accordingly.

• Ad position: Image assets are shown almost exclusively when the ad appears in one of the top positions (position 1, 2 or 3 above the organic results). At a lower position, the image is automatically dropped.
• Device: Image assets perform strongest on mobile devices, where they occupy a significantly larger portion of the screen. They are also shown on desktop, but the visual impact differs.
• Quality Score: Ads with a high Quality Score have a greater chance of having image assets displayed. This underlines the importance of relevant landing pages and strong ad copy.
• Ad policy compliance: The image must be approved by Google's automated review system. Disapproved assets are not shown until they have been corrected or replaced.
• Campaign type: Image assets are available for Search campaigns and Performance Max (PMax). They are not available for Shopping, Display or Video campaigns.

In practice, this means that a strong bidding strategy such as Smart Bidding, combined with a high Quality Score, significantly increases the likelihood of image assets being displayed. The higher the expected ad relevance and landing page experience, the greater the chance that Google places the ad in position 1 or 2 and shows the image.

How image assets perform: the data

Average CTR improvement with image assets per industry

Compared to text ads without visual extensions, benchmark 2026

E-bikes & electric mobility

34%

Online courses & education

28%

Installation & trade services

22%

Fashion & accessories

31%

Food safety & HACCP

19%

The performance data surrounding image assets is convincingly positive. Advertisers who actively deploy and optimise image assets see structurally better results in terms of CTR, click volume, and ultimately conversions. This is logical from a psychological perspective: people process visual information faster than text, and a relevant image increases the likelihood that a user pauses on the advertisement.

Industry benchmarks for 2026 show that image assets in sectors such as e-bikes, fashion and education deliver the strongest CTR improvements. This is closely related to the visual nature of the product: an electric folding bike or a course module is better understood when the user sees an image than when only text is available. For services with a less visual character, such as HACCP certification or installation services, the gains are smaller but still significant.

Beyond CTR, the presence of an image also influences the conversion rate. When the image aligns with the promise of the ad text and the landing page, the user experiences a consistent visual journey, which builds trust and lowers the threshold for clicking. This "visual narrative" is an increasingly important part of the overall Google Ads strategy.

Best practices for image assets in Search ads

Simply adding any random image is not enough to reap the benefits of image assets. There are clear guidelines and strategic choices that make the difference between an average and an excellently performing visual extension.

• Choose product-focused images: Put the product or service centre stage. For E-4motion.com, the webshop for new electric folding bikes, clean product photos against a neutral background outperform lifestyle images.
• Use both formats: Upload both square and landscape images. Google then automatically selects the format that best suits the ad placement and device.
• Avoid text in the image: Google automatically disapproves images with too much text. Keep text to a minimum or remove it entirely.
• Align the image with the ad group: Add image assets at ad group level for maximum relevance. A generic image at campaign level is less effective than a specific image per product category.
• Test multiple variants: Upload two to four different images per ad group and let Google automatically display the best performing variant more often.
• Monitor approval status actively: Disapproved assets reduce the display potential of the ad. Check the asset status in the Google Ads dashboard regularly.
• Link to strong landing pages: The image in the ad should match the visuals on the landing page. Inconsistency increases the bounce rate and lowers the conversion rate.

For ToetsJeKennis.nl, an online platform for exams and courses, an image of a student taking a digital test delivers a higher CTR than an abstract icon image. The visual context helps the user understand what to expect after clicking, which increases relevance and trust.

Image assets for e-commerce vs. lead gen: what works when?

Image assets are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Their effectiveness and ideal application differs considerably between e-commerce campaigns and lead generation campaigns. The table below provides a clear overview of the key differences in approach and expected impact.

For Clima-Active.nl, an installer of air conditioning and heat pump systems, professional photos of an installed heat pump or a satisfied customer in front of their home are particularly effective. These images communicate craftsmanship and trust, two core values that are decisive in the quote request phase. A potential customer who sees a photo of a neat installation is more inclined to click than someone who reads text alone.

How AdBrains AI automatically optimises image assets

Manual management vs. AdBrains AI: image asset optimisation

What differs in approach and outcome?

Manual management

• 1 to 3 images uploaded manually
• No systematic A/B-testing of images
• Rarely checking Ad Strength on image assets
• Monthly or quarterly updates
• No link between asset and conversion performance
• Risk of outdated or disapproved assets

AdBrains AIAdBrains AI

• Automatic Ad Strength analysis per asset combination
• Daily performance monitoring per image
• Automatic replacement of underperforming images
• Signal enrichment via server-side tracking for better attribution
• Linked to tROAS and tCPA targets per campaign
• Proactive alerts for disapproved assets

Manual management of image assets is time-consuming and often leads to suboptimal results. Images are uploaded once and then rarely evaluated, while the market, seasons and competition are constantly changing. AdBrains has developed an automated system that treats image assets as a living part of the campaign, not a static setting.

Our RSA improvement system analyses the Ad Strength scores of all active advertisements daily. When an ad has a POOR status in terms of asset diversity, the AI immediately signals that additional or replacement image assets are required. This prevents campaigns from running for weeks or months with suboptimal ad quality, which directly affects the Quality Score and therefore the cost per click and ad position.

In addition, our system links the performance of individual image assets to the Smart Bidding strategy of the campaign. Via our own server-side signal enrichment, where first-party conversion data is enriched via a proprietary sGTM infrastructure and fed back to Google, the algorithm gains a more accurate picture of which ad combinations actually lead to purchases or quote requests. This directly improves the effectiveness of tROAS and tCPA bidding strategies.

The multi-agent verification system of AdBrains also plays a crucial role here. Before a new image asset is activated or an existing asset is replaced, four independent AI agents check the decision for correctness, policy compliance and expected impact. This eliminates the risk of incorrectly uploaded or disapproved images unnecessarily harming campaign performance.

For clients such as E-4motion.com, AdBrains uses automated campaign expansion, where the AI detects growing search terms around electric folding bikes and automatically creates new ad groups, complete with relevant image assets at ad group level. This means every new product category or search intent immediately benefits from visual support, without manual work from the advertiser. For Clima-Active.nl, proactive disapproval monitoring ensures that no campaign ever loses impressions due to an unnoticed rejected asset. The result is a campaign structure that is always current, relevant and fully optimised for the latest search trends.

Image assets and Performance Max: the synergy

Image assets are not limited to classic Search campaigns. Within Performance Max (PMax), images play an even more central role, as PMax is distributed across multiple channels, including Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail and Discover. Although the dynamics of PMax differ from a standard Search campaign, the same basic principles apply for image quality and relevance.

When you use strong image assets in a Search campaign, you simultaneously build visual knowledge about which images resonate best with your target audience. These insights are directly usable for PMax campaigns, allowing you to spread the investment in professional product photography across multiple campaign types. AdBrains automatically integrates the learnings from Search campaigns into the asset groups of PMax, so that the best-performing images always receive priority.

Frequently asked questions about image assets in Search ads

Are image assets suitable for every industry?

Image assets are broadly applicable, but their effectiveness varies per sector. Industries with visually appealing products, such as e-bikes, fashion, home accessories and educational platforms, benefit the most. However, service-oriented sectors, such as air conditioning installation (Clima-Active.nl) or financial services (LeroyBrouwer.nl), also show positive results when the image aligns well with the service and reinforces trust in the company. The key is relevance: a generic stock photo rarely works, while an authentic company photo almost always performs better.

How can I track whether my image assets are performing?

In Google Ads, you can view impressions, clicks and CTR per image asset via the asset report. Go to the "Ads and assets" tab, select "Assets" and filter on images. This shows which images receive the most impressions and which are shown relatively infrequently. Compare the CTR of ads with and without an image asset to measure the incremental effect. AdBrains fully automates this analysis and links the data to conversions and ROAS, so you can see not only which image generates the most traffic, but also which delivers the most value.

What are the technical requirements for image assets?

Google sets the following technical requirements for image assets: supported formats are JPG and PNG, maximum file size is 5 MB, recommended resolutions are 1200x1200 pixels (square, 1:1) and 1200x628 pixels (landscape, 1.91:1). The minimum resolution is 300x300 pixels for square and 600x314 pixels for landscape format. Images must not contain more than 20% text and must comply with Google's advertising policy, including rules for copyright, explicit content and misleading information.

What happens if my image asset is disapproved?

If an image asset is disapproved, Google immediately stops displaying it. The rest of the ad remains active, but without visual support. Reasons for disapproval include too much text in the image, copyright issues, inappropriate content or technical problems with the file format. Google typically sends a notification in Google Ads. Via the asset report, you can view the reason for disapproval and correct or replace the image. AdBrains proactively detects disapproved assets via automated monitoring, keeping the impact on campaign performance to a minimum.