SEO Hacks For Instagram®

While the term SEO might fill some of us with dread, it really shouldn't! Brushing up on your simple SEO knowledge can be lucrative for your business, as it increases your reach, discoverability, and ultimately, sales.

Also, when people think of SEO, they think it's only applicable to your website. But in reality, you can use many of the SEO strategies you employ on your website to boost your Instagram® profile too.

This post will introduce you to three awesome SEO hacks that can increase your engagement on the Gram. 

Use Keywords and Optimize Your Bio

To fully appreciate how the search algorithm works on Instagram®, you should treat your profile like you would your website.

If you want to appear in searches, you need to make sure your bio is optimized to drive traffic to your page. 

You need to ensure that your bio includes some industry-specific keywords that people are likely to use when searching for your products and services.

If you're struggling to decide what keywords are suitable for your business, you can use a free tool like Key Word Finder to help you. This takes all of the guessing out of keyword suitability and will ensure your potential customers can find your Instagram® account. 

If you’re looking for a 1:1 marketing strategy consultation to scale your business, click here to check out the packages available.

Use Appropriate Hashtags 

In many respects, to get found on the Gram, you need to treat hashtags in the same way you treat keywords.

Utilizing relevant, targeted hashtags on your posts and stories is one of the most effective ways to boost engagement on Instagram®. 

Remember, by including a relevant hashtag at the end of one of your posts; you will appear in the search result for that specific hashtag, increasing your business's visibility to a whole host of new potential customers.

Hashtags are also an effective way to conduct market research, source user-generated content, and engage with people who are posting in your niche. 

Use the Alt-Text Function in Advanced Settings 

The alt-text function on Instagram® is a relatively new feature, but one that you should definitely make the most of.

Simply, the alt-text allows you to write customized alternative text, which will enable you to provide a much more detailed description of your photos to your potential clients.

The feature was installed primarily to benefit users with a visual impairment, but it's also an excellent way to boost your SEO on the Gram. 

Alt-text enables you to utilize object recognition technology to generate a description of photos for screen readers, but you can also create custom alternative text.

When writing your custom text, be sure to utilize keywords that fit the theme of your profile. As with the custom text on your website, it will drive new traffic to your Instagram® profile.