Starting July 10, 2025, public posts from Instagram professional accounts, including business and creator profiles, will be indexed by Google and other search engines. That means your reels, carousels, photos, and videos may now appear in organic search results. For marketers, this update turns Instagram into a much more powerful content discovery tool, reaching beyond followers to capture attention from everyday search users.
Why This Matters for Your Business
Previously, Instagram content was hidden behind a digital wall, visible only within the app. But with this update, your public content becomes part of the broader web. That opens up exciting opportunities for SEO, visibility, and audience growth. However, it also raises important questions about content control, brand messaging, and how your posts appear to people outside your Instagram following.
Who Is Affected by This Change?
This change only impacts public professional Instagram accounts, including both business and creator profiles. It applies to users aged 18 and above and affects any public content, including standard posts, Reels, and videos. Private and personal accounts, or users under 18, are excluded and will not be indexed by search engines.
Instagram’s SEO Shift: What’s New?
Until now, Instagram has played a minimal role in SEO. But that’s about to change. Your posts may now:
- Appear in Google Images
- Show up in search result snippets
- Rank for keywords in captions, alt text, and hashtags
This means a single Instagram post could now contribute to your broader digital presence, extending its lifespan and value well beyond the feed.
Update Your Content Strategy for Search
To make the most of this shift, align your Instagram content with SEO best practices:
- Use relevant keywords in the first line of your captions
- Write meaningful alt text for accessibility and visibility
- Rethink hashtags, they now act like search terms, not just social tags
- Your Instagram posts now need to function more like web pages: informative, keyword-rich, and evergreen.
Context Collapse: A New Risk to Watch
With wider visibility comes greater scrutiny. When Instagram content reaches search engine users, context can be lost. Jokes, niche memes, or overly casual posts may confuse or even deter potential customers or clients. Worse, even deleted posts may live on in cached search results. This calls for tighter content governance and awareness of how your brand appears in search.
What Marketers Should Do Next
This update makes Instagram more than just a social platform; it’s now a search asset. To stay ahead:
- Audit your posts and archive any outdated or off-brand content
- Update bio, highlights, and pinned posts for first impressions
- Craft captions and alt text with long-term relevance
- Track not only views and likes, but search performance too
Need help? RMG’s team of strategists can guide your next steps.
At RMG, we’re here to help you navigate this new digital landscape and craft content that performs both on the feed and in search.