Instagram Posts Have Come to Google Search – But How Can Brands Capitalise on the Update?

3 minute read.

Instagram announced that from 10th July 2025, search engines might index public Instagram posts. This update allows search engines such as Google and Microsoft Bing to index photos and videos from stories, reels, posts and highlights that were uploaded or posted from 1st January 2020 onwards. 

To qualify for indexing users have to meet the following criteria:

• The account holder is currently over 18.
• The account is currently public.
• The account is currently a professional account.

This is a huge benefit for businesses, as it can potentially expand the reach of your Instagram posts. Read on for my top tips on how your brand can capitalise on this update.  

Optimise Instagram Profile Biography 

When creating an Instagram profile, brands often consider their logo and content but ignore key details in their profile biography. Yet the biography is important for audiences to discover who you are and what products or services you offer. A concise and accurate profile biography will be invaluable for your brand to appear in search. Consider:

• Brand logo as your profile picture. This should be consistent with all your other social media profiles. 
• Brand name consistently. Keep your brand name the same across all your social media profiles. Different names can make it harder for audiences to find you.
• Link to your Threads account. Ensure your handle is included for easy discoverability.
• Optimise your biography description. This should state what your business does in a concise way. The description is not the place for a lofty tag line that doesn’t add any value. 
• Link to your website. Consider a link in bio tool, such as linktree or Lnk.Bio, so you can include important business information and content links. Test links to make sure they aren’t broken. 

Create Quality Content

Instagram is saturated with content, with users uploading approximately 1.3 billion photos and videos every day. This means brands must create quality content that will resonate with audiences. To gain traction and appear in image and video search, consider how you can add value and hook in your audience. Content that performs well ladders up to your key content pillars and is informative and inspirational. Think:

• Tutorials 
• Behind-the-scenes
• Transformations
• Trends 
• Hacks
• Product showcases
• Q&As
• Lives  
• And more!

Video is still king, so prioritise reels, but don’t ignore stories, carousels, and single-image posts to add variety. If you have a budget, consider working with influencers to not only provide variety in your content output but also enhance reach and add credibility. 

Use Keywords In Post Captions

Historically, hashtags were added to post captions or comments to help users get their content discovered. However, over recent years, their importance has slowly dwindled. There was some secrecy around this, with marketers and content creators believing that certain key hashtags could improve reach. Yet over the past few months, these myths have been officially debunked by Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri – hashtags do not help content visibility. 

So how can your brand use copy to improve reach? By utilising SEO keywords in your post captions. That does not mean stuffing keywords into your post, search engines ignore this kind of content. Instead think of what users might be searching for and how you can signpost this in your caption copy.

For example, if you’re creating a reel showcasing a banana bread recipe, what is going to make your reel stand out in search? Does the recipe take 10 minutes to prepare? Does it contain five ingredients? Or is it a luxurious recipe with a secret ingredient? Whatever the unique selling point(s) (USPs), include them in the caption in an authentic way.

Turn Visibility into Opportunity

The ability for Instagram posts to appear in Google search results marks a significant shift in how brands can expand their digital presence. With a well-optimised profile, high-quality content, and smart use of keywords, businesses can take full advantage of this update to drive visibility and engagement. By treating Instagram as not just a social platform but a search engine in its own right, brands can gain a competitive edge in the increasingly crowded content space.