Instagram, the trendy social network, has experienced an amazing growth in recent years and has become, without a doubt, one of the most used social platforms by users around the world.
This application has more than 1,000 million active users, which makes it a very important and interesting means of communication for any marketing strategy.
Boosting a company’s SEO positioning on Instagram can increase its visibility, the reach of the content published and interaction with users. In fact, many of the techniques used to improve a website’s SEO positioning can be applied to improve content discovery.
How to do SEO on Instagram?
Recently, the social network Instagram launched a new update to its keyword search. Thanks to this update, it is now possible to search by interests.
Before the update, it was only possible to search with hashtags or user profiles. Now, it is possible to apply SEO strategies on Instagram to help users find posts related to certain topics, without the need to integrate hashtags.
Keyword search
Instagram now offers the option to search for posts using keywords. It also allows users to find brand mentions. Instagram’s new search engine can help businesses grow on social media by making it easier for users to find the company profile they are looking for.
According to Instagram, the search results that appear in its search engine are based on a variety of factors such as: accounts or people followed, photos that have been liked or commented on, among others.
Like Google, when searching for a keyword, Instagram sorts through millions of accounts to find the most useful and relevant results for what the user is looking for.
SEO techniques on Instagram
One of the keys to gaining more followers and user loyalty on Instagram is to share quality and unique content. Instagram stories are also useful to get new followers.
We must not forget the SEO strategies that can be implemented in the profile, as they are essential elements to correctly position the brand in this social network.
Optimize your Instagram profile
One of the first steps that should be taken into account to increase the reach of Instagram is to optimize the account or profile.
Other tricks to optimize your Instagram profile are:
- Create a public profile and not a private one, so that all Instagram users can see the account and the different posts published.
- Establish a biography in which keywords are included. It is also advisable to include a trackable link in the profile bio.
- Choose a profile picture which fully represents the company (logo or star product). It is also important to use a quality, non-pixelated photo.
- Create a recognizable and searchable username. The name should be the same or very similar to other social networks, so that followers can find the company.
- Register the Instagram account on Instagram Business.
Hashtags, a way to position your Instagram profile
Many users find a company or brand’s profile indirectly. They are most likely to discover it through a hashtag. Adding different specific hashtags significantly increases the chances of attracting a wider and more diverse audience.
It is important that each of your Instagram posts has its own hashtag strategy. Hashtags should be treated as secondary keywords. Variety and relevance are key.
Image captions
Instagram is a standalone search engine, so every part of the experience on this social platform should focus on keywords. Creating engaging captions is a must for attracting new followers.
An interesting title will not only catch the attention of users, but will also help you appear more frequently in search results. This helps to create a complete picture of the company’s profile for Instagram’s algorithm.
Alternative text
Alt text is a feature which allows you to optimize your SEO strategy. This feature allows users to write captions for images specifically designed for visually impaired users.
To access the alt text options, select the “advanced settings” tab at the bottom and then choose the “write alt text” option.
SEO in Stories
In Instagram stories it is possible to add hashtags, text and emojis and even link to an external website.