If SEO means search engine optimization, that means that this set of techniques can help you achieve a good positioning on the pages of a website on Google or other search engines, right? Therefore, wherever there is a search engine it is possible to do SEO. And Instagram is no different. Many users use the Explore tab to search for products and services or use features such as hashtags or location searches to find new accounts. So, I ask you: have you been using all the possibilities that the tool offers to expand your business and be found through SEO mechanisms on Instagram? In this article, we will guide you in an SEO mindset for your Instagram strategy in search of audiences relevant to your brand. Tactics that range from using the most assertive hashtags to including keywords in the texts of your captions. However, it is very important to know your audience, understand their pains and desires, and create interesting and different content, with relevance, without just doing the most of the same. In addition, having a business account, unlocked and with a strategic profile name, is essential. Did you know, for example, that your profile name and your username are the most strategic spaces for users who don’t follow you to discover your account?
We’ll talk about this in the course of the article, so good reading.
How does SEO work?
Instagram’s algorithm collects all kinds of data about users’ browsing, storing behavior and preference information to suggest new accounts and new posts. But the platform also collects information about the content posted, to determine what that post or video is about. You may have noticed that, lately, the platform has been suggesting both accounts that you don’t follow, but liked through some reels or hashtag, as well as posts from other profiles, related to profiles you follow and interact with a lot. According to Instagram, these suggestions are “based on posts from accounts like the ones you follow and posts similar to the ones you like or save.” Therefore, by understanding this reasoning, there are some tactics that can guide the algorithm to suggest your content, increasing its discoverability. And below we will talk about them. First, let’s talk about the key factors of Instagram SEO ranking.
Instagram SEO Ranking
Before going to the SEO tips for Instagram and how to be found, we need to understand the key factors in ranking the platform, after all, understanding how to optimize your posts is only part of the process. The information that the algorithm takes into account to rank posts in the search result by keywords, according to Instagram itself, are: When it comes to Instagram SEO strategy, the most assertive move is to help the algorithm identify your content in the right way so that it can include your posts and videos as much as possible in search results. Understand: SEO on Instagram is directly linked with the ability to customize and focus your content.
6 practical SEO tips for Instagram
Understanding how Instagram SEO works can help you increase your reach, but mainly help your target audience find your page and your content. So, write down these practical tips on how to be found on Instagram using SEO.
1. Keywords from your Instagram profile name
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are two points super strategic keywords on your Instagram profile. They are the profile name and the username.
By including keywords in these spaces, the probability of appearing in the search results of interested users is very high. For example, let’s say you are traveling to Maragogi, Brazil, and you want to have dinner but you don’t know what or where. If you go to Instagram, how would you search for a restaurant in Maragogi? Possibly you search the magnifying glass for “Restaurante Maragogi” or perhaps “where to eat Maragogi” or maybe “fast-food Maragogi”. In the search tab, the results that will appear first possibly will be from pages that have the terms you searched for in their username or profile name. This is an excellent SEO tip for Instagram that few pages use knowingly. So, if you can incorporate a specific keyword into one of these two fields, your chances of having your profile found will increase greatly.
2. Captions with keywords
We know that the changes on the Instagram platform are constant and that the new “Following” and “Favorites” feed options will still greatly change the way we produce content on the networks. Until recently, searches were limited to hashtags, location tags, usernames, and profile names. However, currently, the algorithm has also been dedicated to understanding the keywords in the caption texts of your feed. These are the ones that also appear in the “Main” field of the search, which we mentioned above. With that in mind, writing relevant and descriptive captions is a great chance to rank among the best and ensure your profile gets more attention.
3. Location
Here is an especially important opportunity and one of the best SEO tips for Instagram for local businesses, that is, those that have a regional scope, such as food spaces, physical stores, clinics, neighborhood businesses, and others. Tagging your location, your neighborhood, or your own business – through a Facebook page, for example – is extremely important at this time. We return to the example of searching for a restaurant in Maragogi. Searching by location can reveal to the user several profiles of restaurants and bars close to the place where the customer is staying. Then, it is the content of the page that will highlight your business from the others, encouraging or not, customer contact, and the sale.
4. Assertive hashtags
One of the big mistakes made in the use of hashtags is the lack of strategic sales thinking. Many users end up using viral hashtags with the false illusion that they will pump followers, when the opposite is true for this tip about SEO for Instagram. The more used the hashtag is, the harder it will be for your content to pass through users’ feeds. The chance of your content getting lost in the midst of so many posts is huge. Now, if you think about the strategy of your business, your audience, and your product, you will certainly be able to reach the people you want. In the case of the example of the Restaurant in Maragogi, hashtags for location, type of product, a special ingredient of a typical dish, and even some tourist attractions in the region can very well favor the visibility of the page. Generic terms like #tbt may not bring any customers to the brand, as rarely does a person search for a product or service using that term. The biggest issue here is understanding how people search for your product or service and focus on that. Remember that the limit is 30 hashtags per Instagram post. Use one or two high-range, about 10 medium-range, and about five with topics that are relevant to your business. And be very careful with banned hashtags so as not to be penalized by the platform.
5. Adding alt text
Designed to improve accessibility within the platform, the feature of inserting alternative texts can also be used as a way to improve SEO performance. The platform automatically generates these captions, so people can hear the content descriptions through a screen reader. However, you can enter them manually, adding details and strategic keywords. See below how:
Tap Advanced Settings at the bottom of the screen before posting. Then tap Write alt text. Write your alt text in the box and tap Done
You can also insert or edit alt text in an already published post. To do this, go to the image and tap on the three dots in the right corner, and select Edit.
6. Be consistent with your niche
We end our list of the six SEO tips to be found on Instagram with an item that may seem simple but is very relevant. Being consistent across networks means focusing on the same topic and its related subjects s. In this way, the platform will understand what you offer, giving Instagram the power to suggest your content to really relevant users. With a very clear and defined niche and messages around the same type of subjects, the discovery and, consequently, the growth of your profile will end up coming more easily.
What do you think of the SEO tips to be found on Instagram?
Now that your SEO mindset is in place and you’re in possession of these simple and powerful tactics, it’s time to plan your content and do your part. So what are you waiting for? Start sharing your posts right now. And don’t forget to share this article with anyone who can benefit from the content.
