The era of Instagram SEO: How to optimise your posts for Google
In this blog:
What’s changing?
Why does Instagram content becoming SEO-visible matter?
How to optimise Instagram for SEO: 10 tips
Your quick SEO checklist
How to opt out of your Instagram content being indexed
July 2025 marked a turning point in how Instagram content appears on the web. Google and Bing will now begin indexing Instagram content from public professional accounts. It’s a major change which will open new SEO opportunities for creators, marketers, and businesses alike.
Let’s break down what’s happening, why it matters, and how to leverage this for the good of your brand’s SEO and its online visibility.
What's changing? Instagram joins the open web
Meta has confirmed that professional (Creator or Business) Instagram accounts that are public (and belong to users aged 18+) will now have their content, including Reels, posts, and videos, indexed by search engines.
This means that your Instagram content could now start showing up in Google and Bing search results.
What will get indexed?
Feed posts (images + carousels)
Reels (with audio/text overlays)
Captions, alt text, hashtags, usernames
Profile metadata (bio, name field).
What won’t be indexed (yet):
Instagram Stories (these remain ephemeral)
DMs, comments, and other private content
Content from private or personal accounts.
Why does Instagram content becoming SEO-visible matter?
Instagram is a new SEO ‘surface’
Instagram has long been a ‘closed’ ecosystem, with its content always staying inside the app. With this change, it’s now a part of the open web. That means:
Your posts can now attract search traffic from search engines like Google; not just the Instagram algorithm.
Non-followers of your Instagram profile can now discover your content via keywords — not just hashtags or using ‘Explore.’
Any Instagram evergreen content can continue driving visibility long after you’ve posted it.
It’s going to be great for small brands and creators
This is a game-changer for:
Local businesses looking to rank for nearby searches (‘best café in Camden’)
Creators building topical authority (‘freelance UX designer tips’)
E-commerce brands with visual content marketing
Service providers with tutorials or how-to content
It marks a shift toward ‘multimodal search’
Google is currently investing heavily in visual and video search, so your Instagram Reels and image content will feed into this. And with AI-powered search experiences (SGE) in play, your Instagram posts will now play a notable role in how Google answers real-world questions from users.
How to optimize Instagram for SEO: 10 tips
To take full advantage of this indexing change, try to think of each Instagram post as its own ‘mini webpage’. That means applying many of the same SEO best practices you’d use for content like a blog or a video on YouTube.
1. Craft your captions strategically
This means:
Using relevant keywords naturally in the first two or three lines of your post.
Incorporating search phrases your audience might use (e.g., ‘dinner party table setting ideas’ or ‘branding tips for small businesses’).
Answering questions or delivering value in the Instagram caption.
Keeping captions structured: intro, body, and CTA.
Quick example:
Bad: “Weekend vibes ✌️”
Better: “Top 3 productivity apps for freelance designers (2025 update).”
2. Think of hashtags as meta tags
Use 5 to 10 focused hashtags per post to avoid hashtag overload.
Include broad, niche, and local tags. For example, #VeganSkincare, #EcoBeauty, #UKSimple.
Avoid banned or generic tags that dilute reach.
Pro Tip:
Experiment with tools like Flick or MetaHashtags when you’re conducting your Instagram hashtag research, or look at what’s being used by top-ranking Instagram posts in your niche/industry/audience.
3. Ensure you add alt text to every image
This isn’t just for accessibility; it helps search engines ‘see’ your content.
Write short, descriptive summaries of your visuals, including keywords where relevant.
Quick example:
Alt text: ‘Hand-poured soy candles with eco packaging on marble table.’
4. Use descriptive file names before you upload your visual assets
Rename your images and video files before uploading to Instagram:
✅ eco-friendly-candle-set.jpg
❌ IMG_8392.JPG
This may influence how content is processed and indexed in Google Images.
5. Create evergreen, share-worthy content
Not every post needs to be trendy. Look to create posts that can:
Answer customer FAQs.
Teach users something valuable.
Inspire people to save or share your content.
Ideas for evergreen Instagram content:
Step-by-step tutorials.
Product comparisons.
Client success stories.
Industry predictions.
These types of posts have a longer shelf life when it comes to their SEO value.
6. Overlay text in Reels and always include subtitles
Adding on-screen text helps viewers who watch without sound.
Google can parse text in videos (especially if it’s crisp and readable).
Captions improve accessibility and help with visual search indexing.
Pro tip:
Experiment with apps like CapCut, InShot, or Instagram’s native auto-caption feature until you settle on a tool you like.
7. Always add geo-tags to boost local SEO
If you're a local business or serve a specific geographic area:
Always remember to tag your city or town in posts and captions.
Use location hashtags (#LondonFlorist, #BirminghamCoffeeHouse).
Add location keywords to your bio and name field.
8. Review and update your profile ‘Metadata’
This is recommended because search engines like Google may index your:
Bio: Be sure to include at least one primary keyword.
Display Name: It’s useful to include your role/service (e.g., “Fi, Freelance Content Writer, Berkshire UK”).
External links: Check that any ‘link-in-bio’ tool you’re using is optimized and working.
9. Cross-link your content
Link your Instagram posts from blogs, newsletters, and your website.
Embed relevant posts into articles to help build backlinks and add context.
Add a ‘featured on Instagram’ section to your homepage, with clickable previews.
10. Monitor performance with Google Search Console
While Instagram doesn’t natively integrate with Google Search Console, you can:
Track which URLs are being indexed.
See impressions and clicks generated from search.
Learn which keywords are driving the most visibility.
And then you can leverage these insights to strengthen your content strategy in the future…
Your quick SEO checklist
Yes to…
✅ Keyword-rich written captions
✅ Hashtags that are relevant and specific
✅ Adding alt text
✅ Including overlay/subtitles included
✅ File name that are descriptive
✅ Tagging your location (if ‘being local’ is important)
✅ Optimising your profile bio
✅ Crosslinking your posts on your website, etc.
No to…
❌ Keyword-stuffing in your captions.
❌ Using unrelated hashtags, just because they might be trending.
❌ Posting low-res or generic visuals.
❌ Forgetting to include a CTA in your caption content.
How to opt out of your Instagram content being indexed
If you don’t want your content to be publicly searchable, you can opt out in three ways:
Switch your account visibility to ‘private’ in the settings.
Switch from a Professional account to a personal one.
Disable the new setting, “Allow photos and videos on this profile to be shown in search engines”, in your account’s ‘Visibility’ settings.
Ready to get posting?
As Instagram content becomes part of Google’s search results, early adopters who optimize their accounts and adapt their posting behaviours now will see better visibility and engagement (and possibly even conversions) in the weeks and months to come. Remember that, from now on, every post you publish on Instagram will become a discoverable, searchable asset in places like Google and Bing.
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