Google Reverse Image Search – Complete Guide

Images are the most valuable treasure for a photographer or a designer. Suppose a cameraman works all day and night trying to capture a perfect shot and then someone simply copies the image and uses it on his website without giving any credit to the photographer. How does it make him feel? So, today in this post I am going to tell you about an algorithm called Reverse Image search which can prove quiet useful in such scenarios. Basically the algorithm was called as Reverses Image Search but when Google implemented it, and then people began to call it as Google Reverse Image Search.

What is Google Reverse Image Search?

Google Reverse Image Search is a simple tool that lets you search the images reversely on Google Images. By reversely I mean that this process of searching image is totally reverse to the normal process. In the normal process you enter the keywords associated with the image and Google shows you the most relevant images based on the keywords, but here the process is exactly opposite here in this tool you supply Google with an image and Google gives you all the images that resemble to the image that you had supplied.

Google Reverse Image Search

So, this gives an opportunity to the photographers and designers to check whether their photos or designs have been copied by someone or not. If they find someone who is using their image without taking their permission or without giving due credit to the person who has actually taken or designed the image then they can take a legal action against such people.

For Whom Google Reverse Image Search is Beneficial?

Google’s Reverse Image Search is beneficial for anyone who wants to search the internet for an image that they already have. Most common examples are:

  • Monitor your self designed infographics being republished.
  • Search internet for the screen shots that your guest authors are using. This gives you another tool to check whether the posts are original or copied.
  • You can also check if any splog is copying your content. Splog is a king of blog that automatically copies niche related content. Although Google panda has slapped tons of splogs but still they can harm you if you allow splogs to copy your content without giving any credit to your blog.

What is the logic behind Reverse Image Search?

The Reverse Image Search on Google is based on the computer vision techniques. In this technique the computer ties to match an image based on the RGB and Monochromatic correlations along with the other images that Google has already indexed.

I would like to mention it here that according to my personal observations I have found that it is not 100% correct but sill can be quiet useful in finding out the most resembling images of another image.

How to do a Reverse Image Search:

Performing a Reverse Image Search on Google is quiet easy and it doesn’t needs you to be some nerd or a rocket scientist.

If you want to perform Reverse Image Search for an image on your computer.

  • All you have to do is to visit: www.images.google.com
Google Reverse engine search
  • Simply drag your image in the search textbox, after this Google will start to upload your image as shown in the above screenshot.
Google Reverse engine search 2
  • Now after uploading it will show you other images that resemble to the image that you have uploaded.

If you want to perform Reverse Image Search for an image on some url.

  • Go to www.images.google.com
Reverse engine search
  • Click the camera icon.
Reverse engine search 2
  • Enter the image url and Google will show you all the other images that resemble to your image.

You can also check the below video to know more about Google’s Reverse Image Search


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Ankit is the founder of Geek Revealed. He is tech Geek who loves to sit in front of his square headed girlfriend all day long. :D   You can find Ankit on FaceBook or Google Plus

{ 3 comments }

Sparkle and CO April 15, 2012 at 10:16 pm

I’ll told my partner who is a photographer. His pictures are published on Flick’r and Tumbl’r. I learnt something today ;)

Zeeshan April 25, 2012 at 6:03 am

Fabulous feature introduced by Google and it really helped me alot to find similar images on web.

Ankit April 26, 2012 at 2:45 pm

Thanks for dropping by :)

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