The landscape of social media is constantly evolving. Social media platforms strive to improve user experience by creating relevant and favorable upgrades every day. In 2020, Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, announced a new feature related to accessibility and search function within the app. Searching on Instagram was initially limited to hashtags and user accounts. Now, Instagram allows users to search terms by interest. Instagram found a way to process every piece of content in the app, such as images, videos, alt texts, and captions, including but not limited to hashtags, and use that information to determine what the post is about and who might find it interesting.
Instagram’s new feature broadens the opportunity for brands and businesses to gain higher brand visibility, reach, and engagement. The Search bar acts as a directory to every content piece and account within the platform’s Explore page. That being said, brands and businesses should aim to be easily found in as many places as possible by their potential customers. It is essential for the posts to be tailored to be what the target audience is interested in and searches for and here are five effective ways to do just that.
5 Tactics to Increase Discoverability and Reach with Instagram SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
1. Incorporate Keywords into Captions
Using keywords that are relevant to what your brand is all about will get you more eyes on your post and/or profile. For example, having phrases like “best rooftop bar in Chicago” or “easy vegan recipes” within the caption can increase the chance to appear on the Explore page whenever the term is searched.
2. Add Keywords or Relevant Phrases to your Profile Name and Bio
It has been known that after crawling and looking into the post caption, Instagram’s algorithm will look into the profile’s name and bio to determine relevance. This is one of the most effective ways to get a higher chance to appear at the top of the Explore page.
3. Write Descriptive Alt Text for your Instagram Posts
Alt Text, also known as Alternative Text, is generally meant to describe what an image looks like when it fails to load on a webpage. This is a feature that is commonly known to improve accessibility on many digital platforms, Instagram included. However, it can also be used to improve your discoverability by writing it manually and also adding targeted keywords. To get into this feature, look for “Write Alt Text” within “Advanced Settings” before posting your content.
4. Make Room for up to 30 Hashtags per Post
Hashtags are still here to stay! Hashtags are still used to discover new content and the right hashtags will put your posts in front of your target audience even though they have never interacted with your content. So, you could still be missing out on the opportunity to get discovered if you neglect this step.
5. Be Consistent, Authentic, and Thorough
Make sure to communicate a consistent and thorough message to your audience. Populate your username, profile name, bio, captions, alt texts, and even hashtags with your targeted keyword. Mention those keywords or phrases twice or three times as you see fit. Most importantly, keep the social aspect of social media. Search engines are always working to be more human, so the more authentic and natural your messaging strategy is, the better.
Are you ready to increase your reach and discoverability on Instagram? If you want our team at That’s So Creative Media to help you gain more traffic and generate leads, sign up for a free 20-minute consultation or check out our services that might fit your needs.
More like this: