One of the most effective strategies to expand your Instagram reach is to use strong Instagram SEO tactics (SEO: search engine optimization).
Brushing up on your SEO skills will help your brand or business become more searchable, as well as connect and establish a community.
From hashtags to alt text, we’ll show you how to apply an SEO mindset to your Instagram strategy so you can reach out to the right audiences on the app.
Read more to learn about 5 helpful Instagram SEO Tactics for your brand.
What Is SEO on Instagram?
On Instagram, SEO is all about optimizing your content to appear in as many places as possible. It’s from search results to suggested content feeds.
It’s a crucial strategy for increasing your discoverability.
The more people who see your content, the better your chances of growing your following and developing a strong Instagram community are.
But how does Instagram SEO work in practice?
Instagram’s algorithm analyzes every piece of content on the platform, accumulating data that it can use to figure out what the post is about. And, by proxy, who might be interested in it.
While the algorithm handles all of this work automatically, there are a few things you can do to assist it to proceed in a more optimized direction.
Keep reading to learn how to improve your discoverability using five methods we’ll provide later in this post.
Why Is Instagram SEO Important?
With over one billion monthly active users on Instagram, SEO is critical for both reach and discovery on the platform.
Instagram search, which is part of the Explore page, is a directory of all Instagram accounts on the app.
Much like you would search a term on Google, you may use the search box at the top of the Explore page to find and discover accounts, hashtags, and locations.
You may tap into what your target audience is looking for by customizing your Instagram post.
That’s not all, though.
SEO also plays an important role in what populates on users’ suggested posts — a space dedicated to displaying a selection of posts from accounts you don’t follow.
These suggestions are “based on posts from accounts like the ones you follow and posts similar to the ones you like or save.” according to Instagram.
By implementing solid Instagram SEO tactics, you can guarantee that your posts appear in relevant search results on the Explore page and in suggested content feeds.
It’s the most effective way to reach the relevant audiences and give your content the visibility it deserves.
Instagram SEO Ranking: Key Factors
Instagram’s algorithm takes a lot of extra information into account when determining the ranking of a keyword search result on the Explore page, so optimizing your Instagram posts for SEO is just one part of the equation.
The following are the most essential factors, according to Instagram:
- Relevance to the search query: The algorithm will try to match your search with the most popular posts, accounts, audio, tags, and locations (each split into separate tabs). This is the most critical part.
- User activity: If Instagram thinks that one post would stimulate someone’s attention more than another, it will rank that post higher in the search results. It determines this based on the searcher’s past app behavior.
- Information about the search results: When a search query returns a large number of relevant results, it might become a popularity contest. The number of likes, shares, and followers for a particular account or post can also affect how high a search result is ranked.
When it comes to your Instagram SEO tactics, the most important thing you can do to boost your ranking is to assist the algorithm in accurately identifying your content. So, the next time someone searches, Instagram knows to include your post in the results.
5 Instagram SEO Tactics to Boost Your Visibility
Knowing how to use SEO to your advantage can help you gain a lot of access to Instagram.
Here are five ways to make your website more discoverable:
Tactic #1: Use Keywords to Write Descriptive Captions
Until recently, you could solely search in Instagram Explore via hashtags, location tags, usernames, and profile names.
Things, however, have changed. You can now use keywords to search.
As a result, writing relevant, descriptive captions with chosen keywords can have a significant influence on your content’s discoverability.
While some of those keywords can be found in an account’s name, username, or bio, the majority of them are found in the captions you write.
The takeaway? You should include relevant, descriptive keywords in your Instagram captions. So, you’ll be more likely to appear on the Explore page and gain more eyeballs on your content.
Tactic #2: Incorporate Keywords into Your Instagram Profile Name
If you want to increase your following and take advantage of Instagram search, you need to optimize your Instagram profile.
If you want to rank for a specific keyword, put it into your name or username. That’s because both of them are searchable on Instagram.
Take, for example, the Paper Magazine brand. Their username and name both incorporate the term “magazine.”
If you can’t fit a keyword inside your username, putting it in your name field might be just as effective.
Here at Later‘s username does not include the keyword “social media scheduler,” but their name does:
This is a terrific technique to increase your chances of appearing in the top search results for your target keywords.
Tactic #3: Incorporate up to 30 Relevant Hashtags
Using relevant, targeted hashtags on posts and stories is still one of the greatest methods to be discovered by new Instagram audiences.
If you add a hashtag to a post, that post will appear on the results page for the relevant hashtag. (As long as your account is public)
Hashtags are used to find new content. Therefore, choosing the “right” hashtags might bring you in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t previously connected with you.
That is why it is critical to have a clear and well-crafted hashtag strategy. Without one, you can miss out on opportunities to optimize your account, drive more engagement, and increase followers.
Tactic #4: Add Descriptive Alt Text to Your Instagram Posts
Instagram alt text is a feature that allows you to write customized alternative text for your photos in order to provide a more detailed description.
While the feature was developed primarily to increase platform accessibility, it may also be utilized for SEO purposes.
At the present, Instagram creates alt text automatically so that users can hear content descriptions through a screen reader.
It uses object recognition technology to produce an automated description of photos, with varying levels of success.
You may, however, manually input alt text when creating a post, adding crucial extra detail keywords.
How to Add Alt Text to an Instagram Post:
Before posting, tap Advanced Settings at the bottom of the screen to add alt text:
Next, tap Write Alt Text.
Fill up the alt text box and click Done.
To modify or add alt text to an already published post, go to the photo. Then, tap the three dots in the upper right corner, and finally tap Edit.
It’s that simple to create a more accessible Instagram experience all while enhancing your SEO efforts!
Tactic #5: Maintain Consistency in Your Niche
Finally, keeping consistent with your Instagram SEO strategies is a significant (but easy) visibility tactic.
The more you adhere to the aforementioned best practices, the more the algorithm will learn about your account.
This type of consistency teaches Instagram about who you are and what you offer. That means relevant users will see your profile and content as they browse Instagram.
See how posts from Elf Cosmetics appear on the Explore page when the term “lipgloss” is searched:
You’ll reap the rewards of greater discovery and reach if you keep a consistent SEO message about your brand!
With only a few modifications and improvements, you can simply take advantage of Instagram searches and suggested posts.
Equipped with the above Instagram SEO tactics, you can build a strong, relevant audience that is highly engaged with your content.
So, what are you holding out for? Begin sharing your optimized posts today!