If you want to stand out on a social network with over a billion users, learning essential SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tips might be that missing piece you need to increase the reach of your Instagram profile.

Sometimes a profile with great content does not have the desired reach; yes, we know that life is not always fair. But optimizing it can get you to the top of search results and attract new followers. 

While applying SEO doesn’t magically produce results overnight, including these habits in your content creation can be the start of something big.

What Is SEO On Instagram?

Instagram SEO, like all SEO, is all about optimizing content, so it follows specific parameters that are key to the algorithm. These parameters can be hashtags or keywords. This way, your content will stand out in search results. 

As for the elements that Instagram considers when showing you search results, for example, Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, highlights the importance of choosing the right words. 

“Let’s say you’re interested in finding pictures of outer space after seeing the blue moon. When you tap the search bar on the Explore page, the first thing you see is your recent searches. As you begin typing “space,” we show you accounts, audio, hashtags, and places that match the text of your search.”

Text is the most crucial signal for showing up on the search page, as Mosseri assures that Instagram tries to “match what you type with relevant usernames, bios, captions, hashtags, and places.”

Text can be optimized in multiple ways, but it is not the only way to achieve an SEO-friendly profile. 

5 Must-Have SEO Tips For Instagram

Optimize your Instagram profile

One of the main keys to improving your SEO on Instagram is your profile. Do not forget that the username should be the same or very similar to other social networks so that your followers can find you.

As a profile image, choose a picture that fully represents your company, either the logo or product. Plus, you should not forget that the quality of the image reflects the quality of your company, so forget about using pixelated images.

You should include secondary keywords and a link to your website in your bio. You can also have a call to action, and don’t forget to keep your profile public and switch your account to Instagram Business.

Hashtags Are Instagram’s Keywords

By adding different keywords and niche-specific hashtags, you will increase your chances of attracting a broad audience, and not just people searching for one of them.

Tools like Instagram Insights show which hashtags performed better. The thing is, Insights gives you an overall number of visits obtained by all the hashtags in your post, so if you use a lot of hashtags instead of the recommended 3 or 6, you won’t know how to measure which ones are delivering results.

Don’t forget the Alt Text

This feature allows users to write captions for photos, specifically designed for visually impaired users. This feature also allows you to optimize your SEO strategy on Instagram. 

In addition to this, the main advantage of alt text is that it helps the algorithm better understand what’s in your content and what it’s about, so Instagram will know if your content is relevant to specific searches.

To access this feature, you must select the “Advanced settings” tab at the bottom and choose the “Write Alt Text” option.

Tag and Collaborate! 

SEO is all about discoverability. Tagging can expand the audience that sees your content when people tag your profile in their posts and stories. But the recently launched Collab tool gives tagging a whole new meaning. 

Collaborating with another profile boosts the reach of your content and engagement by gaining access to another account’s audience. The post will have a shared counter of likes, comments, and shares between both accounts.

Tracking Instagram Insights Matters 

Just as you should be measuring your SEO results in general, the important thing is to analyze what is working and what is not. Make sure you take advantage of Instagram’s built-in analytics tools to review every measurable parameter.

As with any marketing strategy, the important thing is that you get to analyze what content has given you the most results. Insights give you a breakdown of reach and impressions and how you’ve managed to engage each viewer, whether it’s from the feed, hashtags, profile, etc.

Instagram puts powerful tools at the fingertips of its users to help with discoverability. Knowing how to use them is the first step. Being consistent is the second.