Instagram is one of the most effective Internet marketing tools today. With the right approach, it will help attract traffic, increase sales and make the brand recognizable. You can achieve such results by bringing the account to the top of the search results. To do this, it is important to make the profile consistent with search algorithms. In other words, SEO on Instagram will help bring the account to the top of the feed. In this article, we will talk about the intricacies of its implementation and the main tools that will come in handy .

What is Instagram SEO

To bring an account to the top of the social network feed, it is necessary, as in the case of website promotion in Google, to perform certain work aimed at its optimization. This set of measures includes the concept of SEO in Instagram.

In simple terms, you need to bring your profile content into a state that meets the search requirements of this platform so that the system notices your account and brings it to the top positions when issuing results for a request.

A simple example. For some holiday you want to decorate the room with balloons. To do this, enter the desired query “Balloon decoration” in the Instagram search bar.

Open the first search result and click on the post:

From the information you can understand that this is the profile of an agency that decorates photo zones with balloons at holidays to order.

This is what the profile looks like

Most of the photos in the top positions of the search results for the hashtag #balloondecoration belong to this account. They got there not by chance, but as a result of competently executed SEO on Instagram. Let’s consider in more detail why it is needed.

Why do you need to optimize your Instagram account?

First of all, let’s consider why a business needs a social network account. If we take into account the trends of 2022, we can see how the trend of integrating eCommerce sites and social networks is becoming relevant in digital marketing. Many users prefer to search for a service or product on the vastness of these platforms, since the result is displayed faster, you can place an order faster, immediately view photos or videos of the product/service, read reviews from other users.

Instagram is also convenient for business because it is easier to gather a cold audience. A big role in this is played by the fact that this platform is visual, that is, the target audience immediately sees examples that attract them and lead to subscribing to the account. To achieve this result, it is important to perform SEO on Instagram.

This measure is a relatively new method of business promotion, which works by attracting additional traffic, i.e. interested users who become subscribers.

In addition, SEO on Instagram is also a convenient opportunity for promotion outside the social network. Due to competent optimization, the page can get to the top of Google search results. But we should immediately note that this task is not the easiest. To implement it, it is important to understand the ranking features that operate in the social network.

How Instagram Algorithms Work

This concept refers to the method of ranking posts in the feed, Reels, stories and in the “Interesting” section of any social network user. Algorithms appeared around 2016. Before that, posts were shown in chronological order (from new to old). But with the introduction of algorithms, the situation changed. Now, accounts with high-quality content have an advantage. These are the posts that are shown first.

Interestingly, Instagram ranking methods are not universal. They differ for each part of this social network: stories, feed, the “Interesting” section, and Reels. Let’s talk in more detail about which algorithms are relevant.

Impressions in stories

The Instagram algorithm can be divided into 2 stages.

In the first stage, the social network selects what exactly to show users in the main positions. In fact, these will be recent posts. In the second stage, the platform collects data on user actions in relation to accounts from subscriptions. Stories of those with the most interactions (reactions, comments, regularity of views, etc.) will be shown first. And vice versa, videos of those profiles to which the user reacts the least are moved to remote positions in Stories.

You can track interactions in a special section where Instagram statistics are displayed. It is important for anyone who is going to promote a business in this social network to understand in detail what it affects.

Sorting the tape

Instagram users have probably noticed that some posts are displayed in the feed, while others are not. Why is that? This is the work of the “smart” Instagram feed. As we said, publications are now displayed not in chronological order, but are selected based on the frequency of user interactions with the profile. If we talk about the key factors on which SEO on Instagram is based, we can highlight:

• interest in historical data;
• engagement with a specific type of content;
• relevance of the publication time;
• number of subscribers;
• regularity of posting;
• the time a user spends on a social network.

Increase your chances of appearing in the feed by being active with your followers. You need to motivate your subscribers to be active: like, comment, bookmark publications.

There are many ways to evoke such a reaction: requests, quizzes, polls, and giveaways. But it is important not to overdo it. The consequences of excessive activity can be found below in the section with current content requirements.

Search Instagram

The ranking principle in this part of the social network works the same way as in Google. Instagram reacts to keywords that users use in their queries. If the same phrases are contained in the profile content, the social network perceives it as the most relevant and brings it to the top positions in the search results.

In general, when generating search results for each user, Instagram takes into account 3 factors:

• the text of the request itself . This is the main signal for the social network. It displays in the top results that contain the keyword specified by the user (it can be in the title, profile name, description, hashtag, geolocation);
• actions . The search results are selected taking into account what the user has recently viewed, what accounts he has visited, what hashtags he has subscribed to;
• popularity . The more users and visits an account, geolocation, hashtag has, the higher their positions in the search results.

As you can see, reaching the top is only possible with proper profile optimization. That is, it is important to create relevant content, select keys and distribute them across account elements. In other words, SEO is necessary. We will tell you how to do everything in the next section.

Instagram SEO Checklist

In this section, we will detail the work plan that needs to be completed to promote the profile. So, you can optimize your Instagram page by working with 8 main aspects, we will tell you about them step by step below.

Open profile

SEO on Instagram is primarily aimed at attracting subscribers. In order for users to quickly and easily subscribe to the page, it is important to open it. You can do this in the profile settings. To do this, click on your avatar. After that, a drop-down window will open. In it, you need to click on the gear “Settings”:

Next, you should open the “Privacy and Security” section and uncheck the box next to “Private Profile”:

After this action, a window will appear where you need to click on “OK” to confirm the action. That’s it, now the account is open. Anyone can freely subscribe to it.

Nickname

The next element that is important for Instagram SEO is optimizing the profile name. It is important to think it through well, because it is how users search for and remember the account. To make this task easier for them, when choosing a nickname, you should follow these rules:

• the name should be easy to read and perceive, be simple to write. The more complex and longer the nickname, the worse it is for perception and memorization. Because of this, SEO on Instagram is more difficult. Do you need additional efforts? Of course not, so we come up with a simple nickname;
• the name should match the brand name. This will also make it easier for subscribers to find the account;
• The nickname should not contain many numbers or special characters. Such names are very difficult to remember and find.

Important: if you use other social networks besides Instagram to run your business, it is better to use a single nickname for all profiles. Then the account will be easier to remember and find. Many global companies, such as Mercedes-Benz, practice a similar experience. By the way, the company even refused to use a hyphen in the name to simplify the spelling:

Another well-known brand, Johnson & Johnson, decided to shorten its name to 3 letters:

Keywords

We have already mentioned that Instagram SEO is performed on a similar principle as search engine promotion in Google. Keyword are also important for account promotion in this social network. Although the description is not included in the title, it is still taken into account by the search. Therefore, it is important to distribute the keys by which users can search for the account.

This should be done harmoniously. If the keywords are entered illogically, absurdly, then this will complicate the promotion of Instagram. To prevent this from happening, you need to try to rephrase the sentence. It should be literate, easy to read.

Optimizing Instagram using keywords involves another nuance: you shouldn’t use high-frequency words. Many people use them, so the competition among entrepreneurs is very intense. Sometimes it can even be overwhelming for your particular business. Therefore, it’s better to pay attention to words with medium and low frequency, which will make it easier to promote an account on a social network due to low demand.

Photo content

Instagram SEO involves working not only with text, but also with images. This is explained by the special format of the social network. Instagram is a visual platform. Here, images play a key role in attracting users and promoting a product or service.

Therefore, Instagram optimization also includes working with photos that are used for publications. The following requirements are put forward for them:

• uniqueness;
• clarity. Social media neural networks understand the content of images, so it should be clear what is drawn on them;
• quality. Ig algorithms consider those photos that are taken with a good camera and processed to be more relevant.

Instagram has a number of requirements for images. In particular, they concern sizes. The optimal ones are photos with resolutions of 320–1,080 px and an aspect ratio of 1.91:1 or 4:5. The image size should not exceed 30 MB.

As you can see, there are a lot of worries with optimization, especially considering that we have listed only half of the work. You can avoid them by delegating this process to professionals. The Instagram promotion service is now available to owners of companies with different business topics. But, of course, you need to figure out what methods it includes. Therefore, we continue our checklist.

ALT text for images

This concept hides alternative content to the image. ALT text usually contains a detailed description of the photo content. Initially, this option was invented for users with poor vision, but nowadays it is a “trick” of marketers and one of the SEO techniques on Instagram. You can put keywords in ALT text, for example. The social network gives priority to images with descriptions when ranking.

To use this option, you need to select the “Write ALT text” option in the settings. This is available for all images, including those that were added to the profile a long time ago.

Hashtags as keywords

Users often use the special symbol # when searching for the desired profile, because Instagram SEO is also based on the use of hashtags. True, compared to account optimization, this tool is not as effective and more labor-intensive, since you have to work with each individual post. But it allows you to attract additional traffic, so it deserves attention.

To perform high-quality SEO on Instagram, the tool must be used correctly:

• take into account the tags of the leaders of the given business niche in which the promotion is carried out;
• experiment with finding new ones;
• put # that your target audience uses. At this stage, it would be a good idea to read our article “How to find your target audience on Instagram?»;
• create your own, engage users.

It is allowed to put several hashtags on one publication (up to 30). They can be selected using special services,

Optimization is carried out in two directions:

• the main key is entered in the main part of the content;
• Additional keys are indicated in the hashtags below the post.

Having dealt with this point, we move on to the next one.

Activity in posts and stories

The more actively the profile is displayed in other people’s accounts, the better for promotion. It is especially good if it is mentioned by authoritative pages with high traffic rates.

To achieve this effect, you need to interact with companies and bloggers whose target audience matches yours. To do this, you can tag influencers in stories and posts. According to the rules of good manners, they can respond in kind, noticing your move.

You can also advertise with bloggers on a barter basis (you provide your product and get feedback from a wide audience) or for a fee.

Generally speaking, successful SEO on Instagram is possible if you are active regularly. Therefore, if you can’t post often, you need to record stories. But do it delicately, without abusing the attention of users.

Reposts from popular accounts in Stories

First of all, you need to find the most famous accounts in your niche and tag them in stories. These can be profiles of brands, bloggers or companies. There is a chance that they will notice such an action and tag your account in theirs.

In this section, we have looked at the SEO checklist items for Instagram in detail. Now we need to understand the rules that the platform puts forward for filling profiles.

Current requirements for Instagram content

This social network has a general set of rules that you need to read to avoid violations. Otherwise, the profile will be shadowbanned or blocked forever. For example, you cannot rewrite someone else’s content without indicating the author. It is best to do this with his consent. The social network also blocks pornographic images, publications with calls for terrorism, aggression, etc.

In addition to the set of rules, there are also unspoken requirements for content. For example, it is quite possible to get a ban for the following actions:

• periodic activity . Multiple subscriptions, frequent comments and likes, especially if such actions are not typical for a particular profile, algorithms can regard as cheating. Therefore, in an attempt to attract an audience, you need to be very careful when using measures such as giveaways, like-times and sweepstakes;
• similar comments, messages or tags . It is important that the content is unique. This requirement also applies to post descriptions;
• frequent IP changes . This happens if you connect different services to your profile. Although when doing SEO on Instagram, automation simplifies promotion, it is better to reduce third-party software to a minimum;
• complaints . Any user can click on this option, and Instagram tracks such reactions. If they are unfounded, then the profile is not in danger. But there are also random blockings. In this case, the account owner will have to prove his innocence to technical support.

In practice, it sometimes happens that your own content is not enough. But even in such situations, you should not steal someone else’s content, the risks of falling under the sanctions of the algorithms are very high. You can find content on free photo stocks, where images are freely available. Texts can be easily ordered from copywriters. In any case, we recommend that you study in detail what promotion on Instagram is, what basic principles this platform is guided by. This will help to avoid a number of mistakes and competently optimize your profile.

Conclusions: How Instagram SEO Can Help Your Business

Let’s sum up everything that has been said above.

SEO on Instagram is an effective and free way to attract target audience and increase conversion rates. And they, in turn, are key to the development of online business. Although SEO is inferior in effectiveness to paid advertising, this tool provides a longer-lasting effect. However, it is not suitable for use as the only measure for promoting a business. For the desired effect, it should be used in combination with other SMM methods.

Don’t know where to start? Contact our agency, recognized as the best SEO company. We will create a tailored strategy to promote your Instagram account using the most effective marketing tools to help your business thrive.