Although PR and social media fall under different streams of the marketing umbrella, they definitely go hand in hand. When done right, they can complement each other beautifully, helping you make connections and strengthening your brand’s visibility. Social media is always going to play a role in your media strategy, so it’s important to stay in the know of major updates.
When I heard about some major SEO and Google changes that are directly impacting Instagram, I reached out to Jennifer Kolbuc to break it all down.
Jen is the owner of Mountaintop Consulting, and the Co-Founder of the Marketing Club Membership – a membership inspired to help small business owners be empowered in their marketing. She’s also an endless ideas generator and a fast talker with a no BS approach to social. Just the way I like it.
Here’s what Jen had to say about these updates to the way we should be posting and sharing content on Instagram.
Instagram just rolled out a major update: public posts from business and creator accounts can now appear in Google Search results.
Yes, that means your Reels, posts, and profiles are no longer just visible inside the app. They’re now eligible to be indexed by Google, making your content discoverable by people searching outside of Instagram.
Until now, most content was designed to perform within the Instagram app. If your content didn’t perform well, or even if it did perform well on Instagram, it was rarely seen outside of the platform.
But now? Instagram has entered the SEO chat.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is a term we more commonly associate with websites and website copy.
For the most part, this is good news for business owners who want to get more reach from their content.
Here’s a few of the ways that it might impact your upcoming Instagram content:
- Your Instagram posts can reach beyond your followers. With Google indexing your content, people searching for relevant topics on Google might find your business, without ever opening the app.
- Captions and keywords matter more than ever. Instagram’s search function has been improving for a while, but this update means your written content could now help you show up in web search results too. If you usually include short captions, or just a quick one-liner with your content, it’s time to increase your word count with your posts.
- You need to think like a search engine. Ask yourself: What would my ideal client Google if they were looking for someone like me? What words and phrases are they using? Start naturally working that language into your Instagram captions, bio, and alt text.
This is great news if you’re posting high-value, informative content. You’ve now got a chance at long-term discoverability, not just a 24-hour flash in the feed.
Here’s a few action steps you can take on your Instagram account how to get started:
- Review your Instagram bio. Make sure it clearly states what you do and who you help, using searchable terms. Your user name and bio should have the keywords your audience is searching for in them.
- Be intentional with your captions. Use relevant keywords your audience might type into Google. (But don’t make it sound like a SEO robot wrote your post)
- Keep your content public. Only public posts from business and creator accounts are indexable.
- If you’re creating helpful, evergreen content, keep doing it. That’s the content that will win on search.
Instagram is no longer just a visual-first platform. It’s becoming a search-friendly ecosystem—and that’s a major opportunity for small business owners and creators who are willing to adapt.
Want more from Jen? Download her free social media content calendar and stay on top of social media trends and tips to streamline your content.
Also,
Connect with her on Instagram @socialwithjen
And LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenniferkolbuc
