Businesses using Instagram for brand promotion could get a boost from July when Meta's latest update will allow public Instagram posts from professional accounts to be indexed and ranked by Google.
Instagram posts, including reels, are to become searchable from 10 July. Meta's latest update will allow public Instagram posts from accounts with business or creator status to be indexed and ranked by Google.
It means that Instagram content will start appearing in Google search results, even when users aren't logged into the social media platform. Bella Roebuck, senior social and outreach executive at Manchester agency Banc, has said it heralds "a significant shift in how brands and creators approach social content".
Roebuck says that the move will blur the line between social content and web content. She said: "The update creates fresh opportunities to increase visibility, discoverability and traffic to Instagram profiles. As such, Instagram will function more like a search-friendly platform effectively turning posts into mini landing pages."
Roebuck says that businesses can get ready for the change by taking some key steps:
- Optimise Instagram content for SEO, using relevant keywords and alt text;
- Make sure hashtags are searchable and align with your brand;
- Create imagery and copy that fit with your brand's keywords;
- Create web pages to support Instagram content.
Roebuck also recommends that businesses audit their existing content and consider removing or updating anything that is no longer on-message. It's worth noting that removing content from search engines is much harder than deleting a post on Instagram. Once it has been indexed by a search engine, content is cached and stored. Businesses and brands that don't want to be indexed can opt out by going to Account Privacy in their Settings and selecting OFF on "Allow public photos and videos to appear in search engine results".
The likelihood is that with this update, Instagram posts and reels will increasingly feature in Google search results as more users interact with social media content online. Those businesses that use captions and sub-titles on their Instagram posts are also more likely to be found by Google.
Written by Rachel Miller.