In social media services, especially Instagram, its all about optimising your content to appear in as many places as possible, including search results and suggested content feeds. It’s a crucial strategy for increasing your visibility.
The more people who see your material, the better your chances of increasing your following and developing a strong Instagram community are.
But how does Instagram SEO behave in practise?
Instagram’s algorithm analyses all of the app’s content, accumulating data that it can use to figure out what the post is about — and, by extension, who may be interested in it. While the algorithm handles all of this automatically, there are a few things you can do to assist it proceed in the right direction.
Keep reading to learn how to improve your discoverability using five methods proven by our Melbourne SEO services experts that we’ll share later in this article.
Make your Instagram profile searchable
The greatest location to insert relevant keywords and search terms is in your Instagram profile (also known as your Instagram bio). The first step in Instagram bio SEO is to optimise your username. Select a handle and a profile name that are appropriate for your content. If your brand name is well-known, this is the greatest place to start. If you have room in your handle or moniker for a keyword, use it.
If it’s relevant to your firm, mention a location in your profile. Only Business and Creator accounts may add a location, so if you haven’t already, this is just more incentive to upgrade to a professional account.
Use the appropriate keywords
Previously, Instagram search did not take keywords in captions into account, but this looks to be changing. To aid with discoverability, Instagram now expressly advises using relevant keywords in post captions. This is due to a change in how search results are delivered. In the past, search results only contained accounts, hashtags, and locations that were relevant.
Now, in addition to search results, there are keyword results pages for browsing. This is fantastic news for lesser-known companies, as it means that users will be able to find your material without having to search for your account name.
Include Hashtags That Are Relevant
Using relevant, targeted hashtags in posts and stories is still one of the most effective strategies to reach new Instagram audiences. If you have a public Instagram account and include a hashtag in a post, that post will appear on the results page for that hashtag.
Using the “correct” hashtags may bring you in front of your target audience, even if they haven’t connected with you previously, because hashtags are used with the goal of discovering new material.
That’s why having a clear and well-crafted hashtag strategy is critical; without one, you risk missing out on opportunities to optimise your account, create more interaction, and increase followers.
Add alt text to pictures
On Instagram, alt text works the same way it does on the web. It’s a written description of an image or video that allows persons with visual impairments to access the material. In the event that the photo fails to load, it also offers a description of the content.
Instagram alt text also has the benefit of assisting Instagram in better understanding what’s in your content and, as a result, determining if it’s relevant to a certain search.
For people who use a screen reader, Instagram employs object recognition technology to provide an automated explanation of each photo. This data also gives the Instagram algorithm and search results information about the content of your photo.
Maintain Consistency in Your Niche
Finally, consistency with your Instagram SEO strategies is a crucial (but easy) visibility technique. The algorithm will learn more about your account the more you follow the aforementioned best practises.
This level of consistency teaches Instagram who you are and what you provide, resulting in your profile and content being shown to relevant folks as they explore Instagram.