8th May 2023
If you’re using Instagram to market your business, the best way to guarantee success is by growing your Instagram followers first. The more people you manage to reach, the higher your chances of driving sales. So, Instagram optimization is a must.
In order to boost your following, you need to get found on the platform. This is the trickiest part because Instagram SEO is a bit different from the regular Google SEO you’re used to, so it takes a little getting used to.
This guide shows you some of the best ways to optimize for Instagram search and why you should care about Instagram optimization in the first place. But first, let’s jump right into what exactly Instagram SEO is.
Instagram SEO is a process of optimizing your Instagram profile & posts’ content so that it ranks higher in the Instagram search results & suggested content feeds. Doing this effectively will result in more visibility, more followers & more engagement.
Like Google Search Engines, your followers can also find your brand on Instagram. And that foolproof technique of optimizing your profile and content for the Instagram search engine is called Instagram SEO. You can ensure your profile/content ranks to appear in searches by using targeted keywords and adding relevant hashtags to your profile and posts.
That’s why multiple social media marketers optimize their branded Instagram account so that it pops up each time their target audience feeds in a word that’s crucial for their business. But is it worth it?
But why do you need Instagram optimization in the first place? Why is Instagram so important that you should dedicate your time to getting found on the platform? Here are some stats to answer your questions:
The above data shows you just how important it is to get found on Instagram as it could be the very thing that feeds your customer acquisition.
However, one thing to note is that getting found on Instagram doesn’t work like on popular search engines such as Google. For one, hashtags make more of a difference than keywords do, although keywords still play a small role.
At the same time, adding hashtags to your bio won’t help your account show up in searches for said hashtags. Also, incorporating keywords into your profile name and Instagram handle improves your discoverability more than adding them to your content. So, all of this can get a little confusing if you’re new to SEO for Instagram.
That’s exactly why we created this post – to help you figure out the best Instagram optimization tactics so you can get found on the platform.
Here are some of the best ideas on SEO for Instagram to improve your discoverability and reach on the platform:
The Instagram search function works a bit like Google in that it delivers the most relevant profiles based on your search term. According to Instagram, the search results depend on several factors including the accounts you follow and are connected to.
Also, the posts you like on Instagram have a major influence to determine relevance. In addition to this, keywords also play a critical role.
So it helps if you can optimize Instagram profile with keywords to show up in relevant searches. Here’s how to optimize your Instagram account:
For usernames, this may not always be possible as you typically have to stick with your official brand name. But you might be able to find a way to play around with the profile name in your bio as is the case with @luxemagazine and @oka above.
On the Instagram Explore page, you can only search for content using hashtags and location tags. Besides this, Instagram also provides content recommendations personalized for each user based on their interests and interactions.
For instance, if you regularly “like” food-related posts, your Explore page will likely display content that aligns with the type of content you’ve shown interest in. That’s where your post captions come in.
The Instagram Explore page algorithm uses an account embedding framework that helps to identify accounts that are topically similar to each other. This framework learns what a word represents based on the context. Also, it identifies how certain accounts are relevant to one another based on the keywords used in bios, names, and usernames as well as captions.
That’s exactly why writing descriptive Instagram captions with relevant keywords will improve your chances of showing up on the Explore page of relevant users. Instagram will use the keywords in your post captions to determine which topics of interest align with your account.
See the descriptive caption in the following post related to nature and wildlife photography, for example.
On Instagram, hashtags function like keywords do in regular search engines – they help users discover relevant content. When you search for a certain hashtag, it’ll show you all the posts tagged with said hashtag. Similarly, tagging your post with a certain hashtag means that the post will show up when someone searches for that particular hashtag.
So, it’s crucial to add trendy Instagram hashtags relevant to the content so that you can attract the right audience. But try not to overload the caption space with hashtags as it can be an eyesore. Although you have the freedom to use up to 30 hashtags, make sure you find the right hashtag density for your posts. You can run tests to find the perfect number for you.
For instance, the following post has about 20 hashtags relevant to the image.
But keep in mind that Instagram will take other factors like engagement and account relevance into consideration when ranking your post in hashtag search results. So, the more engagement you get, the more likely your post is to show up in relevant hashtag searches.
Therefore, it is essential to consider post timing, image quality, etc., to better engage your audience and improve content visibility. Of course, you should always publish only the most high-quality content if you want to catch your audience’s eye. You can also find out the best time to post on Instagram for your brand and try to schedule your Instagram posts, reels, or stories for the time of day when your followers are most likely to be active and engaged.
Instagram has a feature that allows you to write alternative text to vividly describe your photo in detail. The app then reads out the image description using a screen reader that lets you hear what the photo contains. This alt-text feature was originally intended to help users with visual impairments to understand Instagram’s visual content.
In addition to enhancing the Instagram experience for visually-impaired users, you can also use this feature for Instagram SEO. The idea is to use keywords in your alt text to help the Instagram algorithm better understand what the image contains and how it can be relevant for certain users.
Although Instagram automatically generates alt text for your images, make sure you edit this section to make it more descriptive as the auto-generated list may not be detailed enough. To write your own alt text, select “Advanced settings” before you finish sharing an image.
Under the Advanced settings, tap on the “Write alt text” option.
Then write your alt text to accurately describe the image while also implementing a few relevant keywords. Tap on “Save” and then share the post.
Another way to boost discoverability on Instagram is by getting tagged. When people tag your account in their posts or Instagram Stories, others will be able to click through to your profile. So, there’s a good chance you can attract an even bigger audience the more you get tagged.
For example, you could encourage people to tag you in their photos of your products for a chance to be featured in your posts. You could then repost some of their photos to show how much you appreciate them. Even if you want to maintain a consistent feed aesthetic, you could still share their posts to your IG stories.
Alternatively, you could also run promotions and giveaways that involve tagging your account. This is a great way to boost the number of tags because people are more likely to participate when there’s a chance to win something.
Check out how Benefit Cosmetics runs a giveaway, encouraging people to share the post to their Stories and tag the brand for extra entries.
Just like how you analyze the impact of your regular SEO efforts, it’s also crucial that you measure how your Instagram optimization efforts are paying off. To stay on top of your game, conduct an audit of your Instagram account on a regular basis. Make sure you’re asking the right questions:
Were the changes worth it? Did they have any impact on visibility at all? What could you possibly do to make an even bigger impact? You can get the answer to all of these questions once you start tracking your Instagram performance.
If you have a business account or a creator profile on Instagram, you’ll get a comprehensive analytics tool to measure your account performance.
This built-in analytics is great for understanding individual post insights. Also, it gives you a detailed breakdown of reach and impressions as well as how you managed to attract each viewer – whether it’s from home, hashtags, profile, and so on.
Don’t forget to get a better idea of the differences between reach and impressions so that you can understand how these two metrics play a role in your overall performance.
In addition to the built-in Instagram analytics, make sure you invest in an even more comprehensive analytics tool.
Now that you know how to optimize Instagram profiles, it’s time to implement it. Your Instagram account could make all the difference between being a winning brand and being just another business. So, drive up visibility on the platform with effective Instagram SEO and boost your brand awareness among a relevant audience. Make the most of the Instagram optimization tips given above to get found on the platform.
InstaElite customers around the globe are growing their social reach, getting more Instagram followers, and building a loyal audience with us!