Google and Instagram Are Officially a Thing: How to Make the Relationship Work for You
Wait, Instagram posts in Google Search?
Yep. As of July 10, 2025, Google crawls public posts from professional Instagram accounts. Your Reels, carousels, and even that clever caption you wrote over coffee can now pop up beside blog articles and product pages in the SERP.
Instagram’s own boss, Adam Mosseri, is leaning hard into SEO both inside and outside the app, calling it a “win-win for everybody.
Translation: search and social just merged. Time to treat them like one growth engine.
Why This Update Is a Big Deal
More real estate on page one
Instagram visuals can show up in image packs, video carousels, and even classic blue links. Each post becomes a mini landing page that can capture clicks you once chased with blog posts alone.
Social proof as a ranking signal
Google has always loved authority, and engagement metrics like saves and comments are strong public endorsements. Posts that spark conversation can lift your search position, which then drives even more engagement. Nice feedback loop.
Faster content velocity
A solid Reel can be storyboarded, shot, and published in one afternoon. If it ranks for a long-tail keyword the same day, you have essentially speed--ran the traditional blog timeline.
Five Instagram SEO Tips with a TFM Twist
Open with the keyword
Put your primary phrase in the first 125 characters of the caption. Think of it like a headline.Write alt text for humans
Describe what is in the image while weaving in related terms. This helps screen readers and search bots.Turn your bio into an elevator pitch
Include your niche keyword, location, and one clear benefit because Google crawls bios too.Choose intent-driven hashtags
Skip the mega-generic tags. Use specific phrases that match questions people actually type, like #AustinWeddingFlorist instead of #Flowers.Map a clean link-in-bio path
If a user lands on your Instagram via Google, make the next click obvious. Use a category page, lead magnet, or booking form that continues the story begun in your post.
Building a blended content calendar
Choose a monthly keyword theme.
Create three Instagram formats per theme: one how-to Reel, one list-style carousel, one inspirational single image.
Time each post when Google Trends and Instagram Insights both show a spike.
Repurpose top performers into micro-blogs or web stories to steal more SERP features.
Metrics that matter
Track three core signals to understand whether your search-social flywheel is spinning. Monitor the impressions and clicks Google sends to your Instagram URLs, these numbers reveal how visible your posts are beyond the app. Make sure you watch the engagement rate, likes, saves, shares, and comments, on any Instagram post that shows up in search results, because rising engagement often pairs with higher rankings. Follow link-in-bio conversions using UTM tags, this closes the loop by showing how many search visitors turn into leads or sales.
With these metrics combined in a single Looker dashboard you can see, in real time, how search boosts social and social boosts revenue.
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