Search engines can now index content from professional accounts on Instagram, providing businesses, entrepreneurs and influencers with the opportunity for their posts to rank on search engine results pages.
Search engine indexing refers to how a browser like Google collects, parses and stores data to facilitate fast and accurate information retrieval. In simpler terms, your company’s Instagram content, from reels to static posts, will now appear in the results pages of search engines if its content aligns with whatever the user entered in the search bar.
What Does This Mean?
As of July 10, the lines separating Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and social content were merged, not only giving Instagram life beyond the app but also influencers and businesses alike the ability to compete in search rather than status, and let’s face it, quality.
Businesses on Instagram will now think about their target audience beyond the social platform. That said, it doesn’t take away the value in producing creatively, rich and engaging content… it means that businesses will now also be required to consider what prospective customers tap into their search engines – this could range from weaving SEO friendly keywords into captions and video screen text, to adding alt-text to images.
A Huge Win For Businesses
Not only is this a significant milestone, but it’s also a chance for businesses to increase their market share, as now companies have an opportunity for social media posts to reach an audience that has never even visited their profile. However, for posts to appear on the results pages of search engines, businesses must be strategic, thinking with SEO principles front of mind.
Content written with SEO has always appeared in the results pages of search engines well after it is released – this is something Instagram businesses will have to consider. For longevity to be achieved, companies will need to think about how their audience uses search engines. For instance, what problems are they trying to solve when they open a browser? And what kind of content will still matter a year from now?
These are the kinds of questions that must be considered.
How To Use Instagram Indexing To Your Advantage
How well do you know your audience? Start thinking about what keywords they tap into search engines and then incorporate this discovery into your content strategy. Understanding what customers are searching for and integrating that language as naturally as possible into captions and video text is paramount for a successful search engine ranking.
Once keyword research has been conducted, the audience’s search intention has been discovered, and keyword opportunities prioritised, you can start applying the findings to the post. From captions and hashtags to comments, keywords should be strategically scattered through your content. Even alt-text is important now, which is essentially metadata for Google to read and then recommend to your target audience.
Here are a few things to think about if you want your company to rank well in the future…
Repurpose Older Content with SEO
Older posts can be reborn… well, not actually on Instagram but in search. It’s important to identify posts in the archive that could perform well in search if quality SEO is applied. From editing captions to adding alt-text to images, strategically changing the posts’ keywords will increase the probability of the content ranking on the results page.
Value-First Educational Posts
According to Forbes, a great way to create SEO-rich content is focusing on value-first educational posts – such as how-tos, case studies, tutorials, and guides. Why? People tend to tap their questions into a search engine whenever they want an immediate answer to an issue or problem… educational content is designed to answer those queries, and therefore, is filled with SEO-rich keywords by default.
With the above considered, answered and applied to your social media strategy, it won’t be long until your business’s Instagram posts end up on the results pages of prospective clients.
Essential Business Considerations
Instagram content will now be more visible than ever before. Therefore, it’s important to consider from a business perspective if the content you post is suitable for an audience greater than your social media following. Search engines indexing Instagram also expands the competitive landscape… not only will your Instagram posts compete against legitimate blogs and webpages, but they will also compete against your competitors’ posts. So, it’s important to watch both the rankings of your company’s social content in addition to your competitors or peers, especially if they are ranking higher on a results page.
How We Help You Create Instagram Posts That Rank
Whether it’s crafting a social media campaign to drive brand awareness or designing a new website that not only aligns with your company vision but also scores well in search, Gilligan Group is capable. Our digital content strategists in Perth leverage the collective power of in-house design, website development and powerful copywriting to create social media campaigns that not only engage a target audience but also rank well in search results for the topics you want to be known for.
Instagram posts being indexed by search engines is an exciting opportunity for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to grow their online visibility. Gilligan Group is here to help you navigate this new landscape – reach out today
