How to make your Instagram posts more searchable by Google
Instagram posts used to have a painfully short shelf life.
Which sucked because you’d spend hours writing the caption, designing the carousel, filming the Reel, or designing the perfect graphic in Canva, only for the post to fizzle out after a day or two.
Unless someone went to your profile and scrolled way back (honestly, rare), it was basically lost to the feed gods. Which is why I always preferred blogs or other more evergreen content channels (YouTube, Pinterest, etc.)
But that’s changing as of July 2025.
Google is now starting to index Instagram content, which means your posts have the potential to show up in actual search results – not just on the Explore page or in someone’s feed.
This is a great thing because it means your content has a chance to live longer, reach new (organic) audiences, and act a little more like evergreen content.
It also means you can (and should) be a bit more intentional with what you post.
There are a couple of caveats, though:
This only applies to professional and creator accounts (not personal profiles).
Just because you’re posting doesn’t mean you’ll automatically show up. Google still decides what’s worth sharing – just like regular website SEO.
Here’s how to give your Instagram content a better shot at showing up when people search for what you do.
1. Write captions that are more helpful and useful
If your caption is just a string of emojis or a clever one-liner, it might be fun, but it’s not helping you get found.
Google can only work with what you give it, so give it some actual context. Write like you’re explaining something – be clear and use keywords they might be searching.
Instead of:
Just dropped something fun! 🔥
Try:
Just launched a new Asana template for course creators who want a cleaner way to organize their content.
No need to stuff keywords in. Just say it like you would explain something to a friend – but with a little more clarity and intention.
2. Use search-friendly phrases people would Google
If someone was trying to find a post like yours, what would they type into Google?
Things like:
“digital product launch strategy”
“Instagram content ideas for copywriters”
“how to sell a course without a big audience”
Start thinking about your captions through that lens. If you’re already using those kinds of phrases, great. Just bring them closer to the top of the caption where they’re more visible.
3. Use the alt text field to write something useful
Alt text isn’t just for accessibility (though that alone is a good reason to use it). It’s also a place to describe what’s in your post – and Google uses it to understand your content better.
Before you publish a post, tap “Advanced settings” → “Write alt text” → then describe what’s in the image using plain, relevant descriptions.
For example:
“Instagram carousel with tips for launching a digital product with a small audience”
This takes 30 seconds and can help your content show up in image search results.
4. Make Carousels work harder for you
Instagram carousels = more on-screen text = more chances to get found.
If you’re creating a post with multiple slides, make sure the text on each slide is bold and clear. Think headers like:
“3 things to do before you launch”
“Why your webinar isn’t converting (yet)”
“How to create a digital product in 24 hours”
Not only is this a better user experience on Instagram, but Google is getting better at reading the text on images, so think of your carousels as mini-billboards and make them count.
5. Update your name field in your bio
Your handle is searchable, but so is your “Name” field, which shows up in both Instagram search and Google results.
Instead of “Melody 💻✨,” try:
Melody | Launch Strategy | Digital Products
This doesn’t mean you have to turn your IG profile into a keyword salad. It just needs to say what you do, clearly.
6. Make your posts link-worthy
Here’s something most people forget: the more your post is linked to (in blog posts, emails, other websites), the more weight Google gives it. Think of it as street cred.
So if you write a helpful post or tutorial carousel, link to it from your blog or email newsletter. Encourage others to do the same. Google takes those external links into account.
To sum things up
This change gives your Instagram posts a longer life and a better shot at reaching people outside of your existing followers.
You don’t need to change everything. Just start writing for both the person and the search engine in your captions, carousels, and settings. A few small tweaks will make your Instagram content work harder and last a lot longer with very little extra work.
Launching (or relaunching) a digital product?
All Access gives you every template you need to plan, write, and organize your launch. Includes built-in strategy to save you dozens of hours and sell more without starting from scratch.
