Instagram Posts Are Now Available in Search Results

On July 10, 2025, Instagram broke down its walled garden and began allowing Google and other search engines to index public posts from professional accounts. In plain terms, your brand’s Instagram photos, Reels, carousels and even captions can now show up on Google’s results page.

Why the change? Users (especially Gen Z) increasingly turn to visual platforms instead of Google for discovery. In fact, 46% of Gen Z (and 35% of millennials) prefer searching on social media over traditional search engines. Google’s own data confirms this, nearly 40% of young people often choose TikTok or Instagram over Google for local search queries. Search behaviour is evolving, and this Instagram update is a direct response to that trend. Google benefits by indexing billions of new visuals, and Instagram content gains a broader audience beyond the app.

This convergence of SEO and social media means your Instagram presence can directly affect your search visibility. Brands that get ahead of this will tap into new search traffic, those that ignore it risk ceding ground to competitors who optimise their Instagram.

What Exactly is Changing?

Instagram’s visibility update allows Google to automatically index public content from business and creator accounts (age 18+). Until now, Instagram’s robots.txt blocked most indexing, keeping posts inside the app. That “closed box” approach is over. Now, public Instagram posts, Reels and even profile info can rank on Google just like webpages. Importantly, private accounts and personal profiles remain unaffected, only public professional accounts are indexed.

Example SERP.

This is an opt-out feature. By default, Instagram has flipped the switch on, meaning most business accounts are now discoverable via Google. If a brand wants to stay invisible on search, they must toggle off the new setting (found under Settings → Privacy → “Allow public photos and videos to appear in search engine results” in the Instagram app). Otherwise, your content is fair game for Google’s crawlers.

This change applies globally as of mid-July. Overnight, Instagram transformed from a closed social platform into a part of the searchable web. Some early data shows Instagram posts can rank as high as #4 on Google for relevant searches.

How This Impacts Search & SEO

• Social posts in SERPs: With Instagram content in search results, the line between social media and SEO blurs. Google is treating social posts like web content. For brands, that means everything above ‘See more’ on a post is now your page title and the rest of the caption is the full content. Hashtags gain a new life by being supplementary keywords to enhance a caption. Your social media team is now part of your SEO team, and vice versa.
• Extended content lifespan: Instagram posts used to live fast, gaining engagement in-app for a few days then fading. Now, a well-optimised post can continue to attract views months later via Google. Evergreen Instagram content (e.g. a how-to carousel or a product demo Reel) might keep driving traffic long after the initial post, similar to a blog post’s longevity. This elevates the ROI of quality social content.
• New competition in search: Your brand’s Google rankings might now include your Instagram page results, and your competitors’ IG content. For certain visual or trend-focused queries, an Instagram Reel could outrank a blog. In Google’s eyes, Instagram is becoming a searchable content powerhouse, not just a social network. Brands need to watch search rankings for their social content, not just their website pages.

Why Businesses Stand to Benefit

For businesses, this convergence of social and search is a massive opportunity. Your Instagram content can now reach people who never visited your profile or even use Instagram. It’s like getting a second storefront, on the world’s biggest search engine. A creative Instagram post might outrank a generic web article. This levels the playing field, especially for smaller brands and creators: great content is great content, no matter the platform.

Another big benefit is more organic traffic without extra ad spend. Showing up on Google means potential customers can discover you without you paying for a click. It’s like free advertising. Instagram’s own documentation highlights that “posts could show up in search before someone even finds your profile”. For example, a local salon’s Instagram post about bridal hairstyles might catch someone searching Google for “wedding hair ideas Perth,” leading them to the salon’s profile and ultimately, a booking, even if they’d never used Instagram before.

Lastly, this update forces a beneficial internal shift: SEO and social teams collaborating. Brands that align their content strategy across channels will reap rewards. Distl’s approach has always been integrated, by blending our SEO insights (keywords, search intent) with our social media creativity, we can help you to create content that both engages followers and ranks on Google.

How to Leverage “Instagram SEO” – Actionable Tips

With opportunity comes responsibility, it’s time to treat your Instagram like a search-optimised content hub. Here are concrete steps to make your posts search-friendly without ruining their social vibe:

1. Research & Use Relevant Keywords in Captions

Write captions that are not only catchy but also include the keywords people might search for. The first line of your caption is especially crucial, Google now treats it like a title tag. For example, instead of a vague caption like “Weekend vibes 👌,” a local gym might say “Weekend Workout Tips – 3 Quick Exercises You Can Do Anywhere.” It’s human-friendly and contains terms someone might Google (weekend workout tips). Balance is key: avoid awkward keyword stuffing. The goal is a natural-sounding caption that happens to hit search terms. (Think: what questions would your customer type into Google? Incorporate answers to those in your caption.)

2. Always Add Descriptive Alt Text

Instagram allows you to input alt text for images, do it every time. Originally for accessibility, alt text now serves SEO too. Write a clear description of the image with a keyword twist. For instance, instead of a default alt like “A photo of a cake,” use: “Chocolate raspberry cake at Perth Bakery, made with local ingredients.” This way, Google “sees” your image content. Remember, alt text = context for search engines. If someone searches “chocolate raspberry cake Perth,” that image could surface. And you’re being inclusive for visually impaired users, a nice bonus.

3. Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags fell off relevance but are now back in a big way, they’re now part of your SEO arsenal. Google can interpret hashtags as topical signals. So swap generic tags for specific, relevant ones. For example, instead of spamming #love #happy on a travel post, use #WestCoastSunset #PerthBeaches if that’s the content. Branded and location-based hashtags are especially useful. They effectively act like keywords. Avoid overly broad or unrelated tags (they won’t help you rank and might even confuse Google). Think of hashtags as an opportunity to insert extra search keywords that make sense. If your post is about a new product, tag the category and location (e.g. #OrganicSkincare #AustraliaMade) rather than just #instagood.

4. Refresh and Repurpose Older Posts

Since older content can now gain new life via Google, audit your Instagram feed. Identify high-quality posts from the past that lacked SEO focus. You can edit captions to add keywords or more context (Instagram allows caption edits). Also consider reposting or pinning top performers that align with search interests. For example, if a 3-month-old tutorial video is still relevant, update its caption with a how-to title and pin it to your profile. Google doesn’t heavily prioritise “freshness” for these (unlike trending news), so even months-old content can rank if optimised. Ensure any important past posts have proper alt text and location tags now. Essentially, treat your Instagram like a blog archive and optimise standout pieces retroactively. It’s an easy win competitors may overlook.

5. Embrace Reels and Video Content

If ever there was a time to jump on Reels, it’s now. Reels tend to generate about 2× the impressions of static posts and have higher engagement, it’s clear video content is favoured. Ensure your Reels have descriptive captions and even on-screen text/titles. Treat Reel titles like YouTube titles and include key terms about the content. For instance, a Reel titled “DIY Patio Makeover in 1 Day” is more likely to rank than one titled “Weekend project 😎”.

6. Connect Your Instagram and Web Presence

Don’t let your Instagram float on its own island. Link to your IG content from your website. For example, embed your Instagram feed on your site or include links to key posts in your blog articles (“As we demonstrated in [this Instagram video]…”). This creates cross-channel signals. Google sees that your website (authoritative domain) is connected to your Instagram content, which can help indexing and credibility. Likewise, ensure your Instagram bio links to your site (which it likely already does), you still shouldn’t add URLs to captions as this is terrible UX and users can’t click them, but you should treat your Instagram and website as part of one ecosystem. This integrated approach is a Distl specialty, it’s all about reinforcing your brand’s digital footprint from all angles.

How Distl Can Help

At Distl, we’ve been preparing for this change for decades, we’ve always believed in breaking down silos between branding, web and digital marketing. This Instagram update validates that integrated approach. Whether you need help developing a cohesive social media strategy that considers search implications or want to ensure your Instagram content pulls its weight in the SEO game, we’re here to help navigate this new landscape.

Ready to make your Instagram work harder for your business? Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

Let’s talk about how we can transform your social content into a search-winning strategy that drives real results. Because in 2025, the question isn’t whether your Instagram should be optimised for search, it’s whether you’ll get there before your competitors do.

Olivia Tan

Organic Social Media Lead