Can Instagram Captions Boost Your SEO Strategy?
The moment Instagram announced that public posts would appear in search engine results, businesses began to adjust their strategies to boost SEO. And you should too.
Instagram was once a purely visual medium: capturing attention with eye-catching graphics and photographs was the main goal. With this change from Meta, however, all public content from professional Instagram accounts are eligible to appear in search results—without users needing to open the app. Professional Instagram accounts include both Business and Creator accounts.
With the growth of zero click search, this change makes sense. Thanks to AI overviews and other changes in search behaviors, users no longer need to click into individual web sites to get the answers they’re looking for. Nearly 60% of searches in the U.S. now result in zero clicks, according to research by SparkToro.
Instagram allowing their content to be indexed for search means that every time you post, it becomes one more avenue to answer a user’s search query. It elevates your Instagram content, making it more easily found by non-followers, and raises awareness and brand recognition.
How to Make the Most of Indexable Instagram Content
Apply standard SEO practices to Instagram captions and images.
Consider questions your prospective customers might search for and answer them in your captions. Ensure keywords appear in the caption. Add alt text to every image. In essence, think of each caption like a mini blog post or landing page.
Consider each post from a non-follower’s perspective.
While we don’t recommend treating your carefully cultivated community of existing followers like strangers, we do encourage you to take a look at how an Instagram post would be perceived by someone who doesn’t know your brand—yet. If your clearly branded post appears in a search results page, you’ll be able to showcase your business, acquire followers and, ultimately, gain customers.
Create a strategy focused on user search intent.
When you’re considering what kind of content to create, continue to look at your metrics and lean into the type of content that performs best for your audience. This change now provides the opportunity to expand your content to include posts that support user intent. Some ideas include:
- How-to videos related to your industry
- Carousels of graphics with insider tips
- Evergreen content that can continue to surface over time
Key Takeaways
Instagram indexing public content is both an opportunity and a risk: take the time to audit your existing content with an eye toward SEO. Your social media managers don’t need to create each and every post with the intent to appear in search results. Strive for a balance between community building, engaging with trends, highlighting your expertise, and addressing high-intent queries.
Does this Instagram update have you thinking about your overall SEO strategy? Give us a shout and 5 Horizons can provide an SEO audit with immediate enhancements you can make to level up your ranking.