Instagram joins the SEO game - how you can capitalise
Starting July 10th 2025, Instagram will allow search engines like Google, Bing etc. to crawl and index publicly available Instagram posts and profile biographies making them more visible in search results. While this was always the case, that your Instagram posts (if on a public profile) could be found on search results, this latest development marks a more intentional and structured integration, meaning Instagram content will now appear more reliably and prominently in search engine results, giving your posts and bios greater reach beyond the app itself.
This is a huge boost for SEO as it allows your brand to be seen by audiences who may not follow you on Instagram but are actively searching for topics, products, or causes related to your brand/industry.
Why this matters for you
For many of our clients, particularly in the nonprofit sector, Instagram isn’t just a platform for engagement; it's also a great tool for storytelling, thought leadership, and reputation-building. With Instagram content now discoverable via search engines, your content carries even more weight in shaping your digital footprint and building your audience.
In practice, this update means that your Instagram content (posts, captions, hashtags and bios) is no longer just for in-app audiences but also for anyone on the internet searching for your brand, industry, or any other areas related to your work.
What You Should Do
Given this new information, here is what you can do to ensure that your Instagram content is doing the most to support your overall digital presence and help you get discovered by the right people:
Firstly, ensure your account is set up as a Business Account. You can do this by navigating to your profile, click on ‘edit profile’ and then select ‘switch to professional account’.
1. Optimise your Instagram bio
Think of your bio as a meta description for your brand. Use relevant keywords that reflect what you do, who you are, and what you hope to achieve. Avoid using jargon and keep it clear, concise, and meaningful.
2. Use descriptive, keyword-rich captions
Instead of using witty one liners and emojis, try incorporating relevant keywords, hashtags and context that aligns with your content strategy. Think about what someone might type into Google to find your content and write with that in mind.
3. Write good alt-text
Write clear and descriptive alt text that reflects what’s in the image and its context. This improves accessibility and gives search engines more information to work with.
4. Audit your older content
Keeping in mind all the points mentioned above, it would be worth going through all your older posts and ensuring they are optimised with clear, keyword-rich captions and relevant context.
5. Post consistently
Post consistently to ensure a steady flow of posts. This not only helps grow your audience but also increases the chances of your content being indexed and discovered in search results.
Final Thoughts
With Instagram posts now showing up on Google, your content is more public than ever. Treat each post like a mini landing page, something you’d be proud to have appeared in search results. This presents a great opportunity for you to boost visibility by making Instagram part of your broader SEO strategy - one that should also account for the growing influence of AI on how search works. Here’s how you can start adapting to the age of AI-powered search.
If you’re not sure where to start or want to chat about making your social content work harder for search, we’re always happy to help.
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Siddhant Patni
Account Manager
