The way people search is changing.
From Reddit to Instagram, social has become a new kind of search engine.
SEO (AKA search engine optimization) is the process of optimizing your web presence for search.
For social media managers, Instagram SEO is essential to making sure your content is discoverable, helping you build your brand on social.
It’s simpler than it sounds. Let’s dive into what you need to know about Instagram SEO in 2025 as search continues to evolve.
Table of Contents
What is Instagram SEO?
Instagram SEO is the practice of optimizing your content so it’s easy for your profile, posts and Reels to be found on Instagram.
While the S in SEO does stand for search, Instagram SEO is unique in that you’re also optimizing for Instagram’s algorithm to organically promote your content on the Explore page or in users’ feeds.
It's an essential tactic for improving your discoverability.
The more people discover your content, the greater chance you have of growing your following and building an engaged Instagram community.
Why Is Instagram SEO Important?
With a strong Instagram SEO strategy, you can ensure your posts are surfaced in relevant search results on the Explore Page and in suggested content feeds.
It's the ultimate tactic for reaching relevant audiences and giving your content the visibility it deserves – here are the top 2 benefits of investing in Instagram SEO.
#1: It Increases Reach & Discovery
With over 500 million people using Instagram every single day, SEO plays a significant role in both reach and discovery on the platform.
You can use the search bar on the top of the Explore Page to find and discover accounts, keywords, hashtags, places, posts, and audio.
#2: It Connects You with Your Audience’s Interests
Tailoring your Instagram content for SEO means that your content will be super relevant to what your audience wants to see.
But that's not all.
SEO also plays a major role in what populates users' suggested posts — a space in the Home feed with content from accounts you don't follow.
And according to Instagram, these suggestions are, “based on posts from accounts like the ones you follow and posts similar to the ones you like or save.”
We get it, it's a lot to juggle. However, Instagram SEO is an essential component of growing on social.
Streamline your Instagram management - and collaborate with your team - with Later’s Instagram Scheduler to keep things as simple as possible.
How Instagram SEO Works
Optimizing your Instagram posts for SEO (more on that, later) is just one part of the equation.
Instagram's algorithm processes every piece of content on the app, gathering information it can use to determine what the post is about — and by proxy, who might find it interesting.
Instagram states that "we use information from accounts, hashtags, and places — called signals — to rank your search results." The main signals are:
Text: Instagram tries to match the text people type into the search bar with relevant keywords, accounts, hashtags, content, and places.
User Activity: Instagram ranks posts based on the searcher's previous activity on the app, such as posts they've viewed or accounts they follow or interact with.
Post Popularity: Posts with more clicks, likes, shares, or follows rank higher, especially for popular terms that have a lot of posts behind them.
How Do I Use Keywords on Instagram?
You’re going to read a lot about keywords when you’re learning about Instagram SEO.
Keywords are words and phrases that your audience is searching for that you’re going to use to inform your captions and content.
They are important because they signal to both the Instagram algorithm and your audience that your content is aligned with what they’re searching for.
No matter what the keyword is, you’re going to want to integrate it naturally throughout your work.
After all, the most important thing with Instagram SEO, or any SEO for that matter, is aligning your content with search intent.
So, if you’re a travel account and you’re targeting the keyword “London Travel”, it’s way more useful - and interesting - to create content about the “Top London Travel Tips” than it is to write captions filled with the word “London travel” that offer no real value.
(In the SEO world, we call this keyword stuffing and it’s a major faux pas.)
8 Tips for Optimizing for Instagram SEO
Knowing how to use SEO to your advantage can increase your visibility on Instagram, leading to new followers, increased engagement, and even sales.
Here are our top 8 tips for integrating SEO into your Instagram strategy.
Tip #1: Use Keywords in Your Captions
What is your audience searching for?
A little bit of keyword research can teach you a lot about what people are searching for and give you some direction for planning your content surrounding these topics.
You can start by searching in the Instagram search bar and seeing what suggested topics and profiles appear.
You can also use keyword research tools to find what people are searching for. Some of our favorites are:
Google Trends, to stay on top of trending topics in your region;
SparkToro, the audience research tool that shows you what your audience is loving on social and beyond; and
SEMRush, an SEO platform with a best-in-class “Keyword Magic” tool that helps to generate keyword ideas.
Save these keywords and integrate them naturally into your captions. Try to do a little keyword research every week to keep your topics, keywords, and content fresh.
TIP: With Later's AI Caption Writer, you can create on-brand captions in seconds — no brainstorming required. Create an account now.
Tip #2: Optimize Your Profile Name & Bio
If you want to grow your following and use Instagram search to your advantage, you need to optimize your Instagram bio.
If you’re hoping to rank for a specific keyword, it’s a good idea to incorporate that keyword into your name or username — since both are searchable on Instagram.
Take Paper Magazine. Both their name and username contain the keyword “magazine.”
If you can’t fit a keyword into your username, adding keywords to your name field can be just as valuable.
Tip #3: Use Relevant Hashtags
Using relevant, targeted hashtags on posts is still a great way to get discovered by new audiences on Instagram.
If you have a public Instagram account and add a hashtag to a post, that post will be visible on the corresponding hashtag’s results page.
And since hashtags are used with the intent to categorize and discover new content, using the right hashtags can put you in front of your target audience — even if they haven’t connected with you before.
TIP: Later’s Hashtag Suggestion tool is an easy way to find hashtags based on the content of your post and similar hashtags in your industry.
Tip #4: Add Alt Text to Your Instagram Posts
Instagram alt text is a feature that allows you to write custom alternative text for a richer description of your photos.
And while the feature was mainly designed to improve accessibility on the platform, it can also be used for SEO purposes too.
But, make sure you're putting accessibility at the forefront — don't keyword stuff just for the sake of it.
At the moment, Instagram automatically generates alt text for your photos, but you can add them manually too.
How To Add Alt Text to an Instagram Post:
To add alt text to a post, tap Advanced Settings at the bottom of the screen before posting.
Next, tap Write Alt Text.
Write your alt text in the box and tap Done.
Tip #5: Know Your Niche
A major (yet simple) visibility tactic is to be consistent within your niche. Make it clear to the algorithm and to users that you know who you are and what you’re talking about.
The more you post consistently about your core content pillars, the more the algorithm will learn what your account is all about.
This type of consistency teaches Instagram who you are and what you offer — which means your profile and content will be served to relevant users as they browse Instagram.
See how posts from Shevoke populate the Explore page when “sunglasses” is searched:
Tip #6: Optimize Reels with Subtitles
Let’s be real (or should we say… Reel?): Videos are a super important part of any social media strategy. Instagram accessibility doesn’t stop with alt text.
Adding subtitles to your Reels adds additional context, making your video content more likely to rank, and keeps your video content super accessible.
You can take it one step further and add captions directly to your video, too, as Lauren Bash does in her sustainability-focused Reels.
Tip #7: Add a Location to Your Posts
Adding a location to your posts is another prime example of making your posts relevant to specific topics and people.
For example, Travel and lifestyle creator Eadaoin Fitzmaurice tagged "Dover Beach, Barbados" in a post showing content from a press trip to Barbados.
Whether you’re a local restaurant that wants to get follows from foodies in your city, or you’re a travel creator creating city guides for specific locales, tagging your location is an easy way to indicate your post’s relevance to the Instagram algorithm.
Tip #8: Boost Your Engagement
Posts with more engagement are shown more frequently on the Explore page and are recommended more often in-feed.
Instagram’s algorithm wants to give people the content they enjoy and high engagement suggests that people like what you’re all about.
Encourage people to interact with your posts, engage with your community in the comments, and focus on creating that your followers love.
We often do this at Later by encouraging our followers to post their opinions in the comments.
It’ll increase your chances of Instagram recommending your content to like-minded folks, who are the ones you want to connect with anyway.
Looking for more tips? Read our guide for boosting your Instagram engagement here.
