Instagram accounts are notoriously difficult to have displayed in Google search results. Believe it or not, Instagram actually blocks search engines from indexing the images, although profiles themselves can still be indexed. That might make optimization a hurdle, but not an insurmountable one. The fact that Instagram is such a large and powerful visual platform makes it well worth the time and effort for digital marketers to try and take advantage of. Continue reading this blog post to learn some great tactics on how you can SEO your Instagram profile to start getting more traffic from Google, Yahoo and other search engines.
Optimize your Instagram profile – If you want to increase your Instagram engagement and SEO you’ll need to start by optimizing your profile. Here are a few simple tricks: Make your profile public, choose a colorful/on-brand profile image, create a recognizable and searchable @Username, register for an Instagram Business account, and include a trackable link in your bio. These simple steps might seem like a no-brainer, but you need to at least lay the groundwork before you make any other SEO changes.
Include primary keywords in your display name and @Username – Did you know Instagram is its own self-contained search engine? The social network has so much content and so many users that the website itself is often used to lookup search queries. In order to show up for the correct terms in the search bar, you need to work within the app itself to land that coveted top-of-search ranking. To start, you’ll need to decide on a primary keyword. Let’s use bakery as an example. When an Instagram user is looking to fill their news feed with a variety of baked goods, they’ll likely search for the keyword bakery. When you have this keyword in your display name and @Username, you’ll be more likely to show up in the search results or under suggested accounts.
Use secondary keywords in the bio – Now that you’ve taken care of the primary keyword(s), it’s time to try and get the most out of your secondary keyword(s). Secondary keywords are the phrases which orbit your primary keyword. For example, if your primary keyword is bakery then your secondary keywords might be things like cupcakes or cookies. You should aim to create an informative and fun bio, while still including a few very important search-optimized keyphrases. Secondary keywords are ideal for catching people who might not be searching for your primary keyword, but could still be interested in your product or service.
Take advantage of Instagram alt text – Instagram alt text is a relatively new feature that allows you to write captions on your photos. This featured was designed to help visually impaired users enjoy their Instagram experience, but it can also be good for search engine optimization, as well. The network automatically populates alt text options for your photos if you decide to skip this step – so it’s better to do this yourself and ensure the captions being used match what is actually in your photo. To access your alt text options, advance to the screen right before you share your photo and click the “advanced setting” tab located at the bottom.
