Embedded Keywords ignored in search

After uploading images to the web, embedded keywords in images, unless manually inserted, are ignored. Or, at least that is what my research has come up with. I am currently using wordpress, as many do, and went looking to see my cherished and time consuming keywords in the website's siteindex. Nothing there. I have found nothing to indicate those keywords are utilized anywhere on the site(s). I have gone into google's webmaster tools and found no indication images keywords are used at all. I have found nothing to indicate an index file is created or submitted to search. I am talking about embedded keywords, not titles, descriptions, tags, or alt that are either included when exported from Capture or hand inserted in each online cell for each image.
I find it hard to believe this is true, but I have found nothing to refute it. Perhaps wordpress is the culprit and strips it out. I do not know. While websites selling themes give the impression exif is included upon close inspection, the contents are minimal or nonexistent.
I know some photostock sites utilize the embedded keywords after they have been imported into their theme, I have not found ANY wordpress themes, plugins or seo that utilize the embedded keywords. They do gone on about how good they look and how easy, but they don't SEEM to distribute indexable information.

Please tell me i"m wrong. I have also been referred to as "user error"
so see if you can find if those keywords capture one helps us input do any good.

Respectfully,
Hey You