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Instagram's Latest SEO Updates: How To Optimise Instagram Posts & Level Up Your Strategy
Here’s All the GOOD Bits:
- From 10th July 2025, all public content from professional Instagram accounts will be indexed by Google. Your posts can now appear directly in search results.
- With Instagram SEO here, you can now optimise posts like landing pages, audit your content, and let your Instagram become part of your wider search strategy.
- Reels, photos, carousels, long-form videos and captions will be eligible for indexing.
- Use keyword-rich captions and align your Instagram content with your website SEO to boost visibility.
- Thanks to this update, Instagram is now your brand builder and search traffic driver.
Gather around. Instagram’s new update is about to reshape social media, the way we behave on Instagram, and change your organic search marketing strategy for good.
From 10th July 2025, all public content from professional Instagram accounts will be indexed by Google and appear in search engine results by default. In other words, SEO and Instagram are shaking hands.
Yes, from now on, Instagram content will appear directly on Google without users having to open the app and search for content there. The convergence of social media and search deepens.
But what does this mean for brand visibility and organic traffic? And how can you optimise your content on Instagram to take full advantage of this new development?
The Good Marketer has your back and all the answers, as usual.
Why Is Instagram SEO Even Happening?
According to a Forbes survey, approximately 24% of people online use social media as a search engine, with 46% of Generation Z and 35% of millennials preferring social media over traditional search engines (Emarketer). When users act like TikTok and Instagram are search engines, then let them behave as such. So, when hashtags are already playing in the background, Meta decided to prioritise keywords in captions over them and make the content more accessible via Google.
What does it mean for visibility? A lot. SERPs will reveal content you’d previously only discover on the application. Instagram’s update allows for external discoverability, so now your content can be a genuine branch in SEO strategies. Brands, think of your Instagram pages as mini landing pages. Captions should be written with keywords in mind. Visuals should be optimised for both branding and clarity. Alt text should become standard practice for every image, carousel, and video reel thumbnail.
And marketers, new doors are opening for your SEO strategy and Instagram advertising. It’s time to adapt, overcome, and scale.
Instagram Marketing Strategy, Stirred Not Shaken
For brands that have moved on from Instagram in favour of TikTok in recent years, this SEO for Instagram update gives you quite a valid reason to reconsider and re-engage.
Basically, Instagram can now play a role as both a brand builder and a traffic driver. So, if you’re already active on the platform or your interest is stirred back there, it’s time you audit your current content, introduce alt text to images, revisit your captions with keywords, and monitor how your content begins to appear in SERPs.
But here’s a bit more about that:
What Will Be Indexed?
Here’s a list of what content is eligible to appear in search:
- Reels, photos, carousel, long-form videos
- Captions and some comments
- Content posted since January 2020
- Posts from Businesses and Creator accounts
And a list of what is not eligible to appear in search:
- Instagram stories or highlights
- Private account content
- Posts by users under 18
The New Instagram Algorithm Change Will…
- Demands keywords: You simply must add those to your captions from now on. The usual SEO tools can help you identify the right terms to target, just like they do for traditional optimisation. Aim for 1-3 high-impact keywords per post. Make sure you make them sound natural within the engaging copy. You know the drill.
- Merges Google & Social Into One Strategy: From now on, social media and website strategy will go hand in hand, so you should keep them well aligned. Messaging should be even more consistent, and keywords and themes — well-planned, so that Google can index the content across platforms.
- Hashtags? Still there?: Actually, yes. Indeed, the importance of hashtags is further reduced, there’s no question about that, but the update doesn’t completely eliminate them. You can still use hashtags in your strategy to reinforce keywords and enhance the post discovery within Instagram (just like before).
Optimising Your Instagram Content for SEO
Now that we know why, when, and what, it’s about time we turn to the how. Here are our tips on how to optimise Instagram posts effectively.
In regard to keywords, we advise you to use keyword-rich captions for your posts. So, when posting, research what is trending in the industry and what users are looking for (just like your website content), and include those in the captions.
However, as with a traditional SEO strategy, aim to prioritise thought over stuffing. Be intentional. Don’t overload captions; too many keywords can dilute the message and, ultimately, negatively impact your engagement rates.
As mentioned above, make sure you align hashtags, captions and creatives. All these should work together to tell a coherent story and boost your relevance, and not only on Instagram. Make sure these are coherent with your website content as well.
Blend the hashtags and keywords. They are not competing. Make them work together, complement each other. Use a smart mix of both, and you’ll be on the winning side of visibility.
Alt Text should also be optimised, because Instagram uses it to understand your content contextually. How you craft it will influence how content is indexed and discovered via search. Instagram can auto-generate it, but for SEO best results, we strongly advise you to custom-write it. Include relevant keywords naturally, avoid stuffing. Be specific. Be contextual.
Finally, the last element you can optimise to improve Instagram reach is your bio. That’s prime real estate for SEO. It won’t be directly indexed like a website, but it will help your brand’s searchability. So, use niche-specific keywords early in the bio (e.g. men’s grooming expert) and keep it short, sweet, and clear. Ask yourself, what would someone type to find my content?
There. You’ve got it.
A New Era For SEO, Unfolding
What appears to be a simple update is about to completely shift how we see and use social media content in marketing. Strategy is becoming more prevalent, and you’re now required to be more proactive to position your business ahead of the curve. But, in the end, SEO is a long game. Just like on your website, Instagram SEO means being consistent and infusing your content with quality today, so you can reap the results tomorrow.
It’s a big thing, we know. It’s the marriage of search engines into social media. That changes the game for brands, creators, marketers, and, of course, users, too. If you’re unsure how to pivot or need expert guidance to build a strategy that actually gets seen, contact our team. We’re here for the underdog, and we know how to get found.