In early July of 2025, Instagram reshaped the digital marketing landscape. Public posts from business accounts, professional accounts, and creator profiles are now visible in Google Search.
This rollout marks a major shift. Once siloed within the app, Instagram content can now expand your discoverability outside the platform and appear alongside traditional search results where your audience is already looking.
So, what does this mean for your organization and how can you capitalize on it to increase visibility, relevance, and influence? As a strategic social media marketing agency, we see this shift as a chance for mission-driven organizations to extend their reach far beyond Instagram’s walls and into the broader search landscape.
1. Optimize Your Keywords
With this change, Instagram’s prominence on the web is sure to be even more dominant. Now, IG posts are like short-form blog headlines; your chance to get in front of searchers, not just followers.
Thus, it’s vital to include clear, specific language that mirrors what your audience is already Googling. Terms like “STEM curriculum for middle schools,” “emergency veterinary hospital,” or “NJ public school rankings” have real search value. If your website is already optimized for certain keywords, reinforce them in your Instagram captions and alt text.
Avoid vague or clever-sounding language. Instead, pair creativity with substance. A caption like “Big things ahead” with an emoji may sound fun, but it won’t get you found. Try something like: “Big things ahead for college prep in Burlington, VT #EducationEquity.”
2. Update Your Profile
Your Instagram profile is now part of your SEO footprint. The more clearly it communicates who you are, where you are, and what you do, the more effectively it can support your discoverability in search.
Include key details in your bio such as industry, audience/s, service area/s, and location/s. For example, a nonprofit might say: “Empowering youth through the arts. Based in Camden, NJ. 100+ students served annually.”
Make sure your handle, username, and profile name align with your brand and contain relevant keywords. This not only helps Google index your profile more accurately but also builds trust with users who see your content in search results.
Lastly, use your bio link strategically. Link to a landing page or resource hub that aligns with your broader content strategy, and track clicks to measure what’s driving engagement.
3. Use Hashtags Strategically
Hashtags are no longer just for platform-native searches. With search engines indexing this metadata, the right hashtags can now help you rank on Google as well.
Rather than repeating the same list each time, tailor your hashtags to the post topic, location, and audiences. A post promoting an upcoming webinar might include the following hashtags: #ThoughtLeadershipTips #UpcomingWebinar #NewYorkEvents.
Combine broad industry tags with localized or niche-specific ones. Geo-tagging posts, especially when promoting events, services, or physical locations, can also give Google helpful context to display your content more accurately.
If you’re managing communications for a school, education nonprofit, or ed tech company, partnering with an education PR agency or a firm well-versed in location-based search can maximize ROI.
4. Prioritize Visuals with Value
Instagram visuals are now previewing in search results! That means your photos, graphics, and videos are doing double duty as content and click-driving thumbnails.
Choose visuals that communicate your services, professionalism, and relevance. A clean, on-brand photo of your team at work or a high-impact graphic with an engaging title can quickly draw attention and signal what the post is about.
When appropriate, overlay a small amount of text to add clarity, especially if the image promotes a downloadable resource, checklist, or webinar. Include consistent brand elements like your logo, color palette, and font choices to reinforce brand recognition across platforms.
5. Name Image Files and Write Alt Text
Naming images and alt text is a frequently missed opportunity, but it matters. Before uploading images, give your files clear, descriptive names like veterinary-telehealth-trends.jpg or NJ-summer-camp-guide.png.
On Instagram, use the custom alt-text feature to describe what’s in the image using keywords that match your services or focus areas. For example:
“Elementary school students using a STEM learning kit during a classroom pilot program in Pennsylvania.”
Alt-text not only supports SEO; it’s an essential accessibility feature that ensures your content reaches visually impaired users and performs better with screen readers.
6. Track What’s Being Searched
This update gives you an opportunity to closely monitor how your content performs beyond the app. Start by Googling your business or industry topics and see what Instagram posts appear in the results. Are they yours? If so, which ones, and what formats or keywords are they using?
Identify patterns in what’s ranking:
- Do reels perform better than static posts? (They likely will!)
- Are certain hashtags driving results?
- Does your carousel format consistently show up in search?
Use these insights to shape your content calendar. If educational posts about mental health are surfacing often, lean into that niche with a series. If your branded graphics are showing up regularly, make them a standard part of your visual strategy.
This is also a great time to revisit your analytics dashboard and track engagement, clicks, and reach from posts that now appear in search. The feedback loop is more powerful than ever.
7. Crosslink Between Instagram and Your Website
Google rewards connected content. By linking between your platforms, you signal to search engines that your Instagram content is credible and active.
When you publish a new blog or report on your website, embed an Instagram post that supports it. Add a short CTA like: “View our education trends research on Instagram.”
Conversely, use your Instagram posts to preview or amplify longer-form content. For example, a post with a teaser graphic can drive traffic to a full blog on your website. This repetition of themes and keywords across multiple platforms helps build authority and search engine alignment.
The more you treat Instagram as an extension of your digital marketing ecosystem, the more your discoverability will improve. This cross-platform strategy is something a national PR agency can help manage, ensuring consistency across messaging, SEO, and audience engagement.
Conclusion
Instagram is no longer a closed-loop platform. With posts now appearing in Google search, your social media strategy must evolve. It’s no longer just about likes and follows; it’s about SEO, visibility, and how each post fits into a broader, measurable communications strategy.
Organizations that get ahead of this shift by optimizing keywords, updating profiles, prioritizing high-value visuals, and connecting content across platforms, will outperform competitors in a pre-July 2025 mindset.
This is an opportunity to maximize the ROI of your Instagram content and position your brand where your audience is already searching.
About Rosica Communications
Rosica Communications is a national public relations and social media agency that helps organizations strategically optimize their digital presence. We integrate SEO principles into content development, elevate thought leadership, and drive measurable results across earned and owned media channels.
To support this, we developed the Thought Leadership Measurement Matrix™, a proprietary framework that evaluates how PR and content efforts impact brand authority, visibility, and ROI. This tool helps our clients quantify success and continuously improve performance across platforms, including Google and Instagram.
To learn more, schedule a call with Chris Rosica, CEO and President of Rosica Communications: https://calendly.com/rosica/30min.