Google did not drop Web Stories from image results
Google issued a correction plus explained Search Console had a reporting bug with Web Stories in Image Search.
Google has issued a correction from its previous statement in early February that Web Stories no longer showed in Google Image search results, that is not true. What is true is that Google stopped showing the Web Stories icon in the image search results.
Plus, Google Search Console had a reporting glitch with Web Stories in Google Image Search for the past two months.
Correction. Previously, Google wrote, “Web Stories don’t appear in Google Images anymore.”
Google posted a correction today saying, “Web Stories continue to appear in Google Images, just as other web content may appear, but Web Stories no longer appear with the Web Stories icon in Google Images.”
Search Console bug. Google Search Console had a bug during this same time period that did not show any clicks or impressions for Web Stories within Google Image Search. Google posted the bug details over here and wrote:
A logging error prevented Search Console from reporting on Web Stories in Google Images from August 28, 2023 until March 26, 2024. As a result, you may notice a decrease in clicks and impressions during this period for your Web Stories in the Search Console Performance report. This has been resolved and you may start to notice an increase in clicks and impressions, as the data returns to Search Console. This did not reflect a change in actual clicks or impressions, only an issue with data logging.
Why we care. For the past several weeks now we thought Google is no longer showing Web Stories within Google Image Search results. In fact, Search Console data did not report on impressions or clicks on Web Stories within Google Images. But this is not true, it was a miscommunication and now both have been corrected and clarified.