From July 10, 2025, Instagram is rolling out a major update that could change the way your business or brand reaches new audiences online. For the first time, search engines like Google and Bing will be able to index and show public photos, videos, posts, and Reels from professional Instagram accounts in their search results.
This is a big shift for Instagram, moving from a closed-off social media platform to a more open one where your content isn’t just seen on Instagram, but all across the web.
TLDR; What’s Changing and Who It Affects
- The change: Search engines will automatically be allowed to display all public content from professional Instagram accounts (business and creator accounts) in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- When: July 10, 2025
- Who’s affected: Only professional accounts. Personal accounts are not included in this update.
- Control: Professional account holders can toggle this feature on or off via privacy settings, giving you control over whether your content appears in search results.
- Search engines involved: Google, Bing, and other major search engines.
Note: Google has already been indexing some public Instagram content unofficially, but this update formalises the process and gives creators explicit control.
Why This Matters for Your Digital Marketing and SEO
If you’ve been relying on Instagram purely as a social channel, now is the time to rethink its role in your multi-channel search engine optimisation strategy. With this update:
- Your Instagram posts can help your brand rank directly on Google and other search engines.
- You have more control over how and where your content is discoverable.
- Optimising Instagram content for SEO can drive new organic traffic beyond the Instagram app.
This means social media and SEO are merging closer than ever, and your Instagram presence is now a valuable SEO asset.
Take Action Before July 10
- Review your Instagram settings.
Check your professional account’s privacy options to enable or disable search indexing. - Audit your recent content.
Make sure your public posts, reels, and videos reflect your brand positively — these could appear in search results for new audiences. - Adapt your content strategy.
Start optimising captions, alt text, and profile details to align with SEO best practices. - Track your performance.
Use Instagram’s analytics tools to monitor changes in reach and engagement after the update.
Making Your Instagram SEO-Friendly: Tips to Get Started
- Optimise your profile bio.
Include keywords relevant to your industry and services in natural language. - Write SEO-friendly captions.
Craft descriptive, keyword-rich captions that match how your audience searches. - Post fresh, valuable content regularly.
Search engines favour fresh and relevant content, just like Instagram’s algorithm. - Add alt text to your images.
Use Instagram’s alt text feature to describe images with relevant keywords. - Link Instagram to your website.
Place your website URL in your bio and use UTM parameters for tracking traffic.
What This Social Media-SEO Convergence Means
Instagram’s new indexing feature reinforces a shift digital marketers have long predicted: social media and SEO strategies must work hand-in-hand.
- Social content is increasingly appearing in Google’s SERPs.
- The divide between SEO and social media is blurring. Brands must think multi-channel to maximise visibility and engagement.
- As AI-driven search features reduce traditional organic traffic, diversifying your visibility across social platforms becomes critical.
FAQs
Q: What exactly happens on July 10, 2025?
A: Instagram will let professional accounts choose if their public content is indexable by search engines.
Q: Will disabling this feature reduce my visibility?
A: Yes, your content won’t appear in external search engines if you disable indexing.
Q: Does this apply to personal accounts?
A: No, only business and creator accounts are affected.
Q: Didn’t Google already show Instagram content?
A: Yes, but now it’s an official opt-in feature giving creators control.
Start Making Instagram Part of Your SEO Game Plan
If your brand isn’t already integrating Instagram into your SEO efforts, now is the moment to start. This update opens exciting opportunities for organic reach beyond Instagram’s app, helping you grow awareness, attract leads, and build authority.
We’re ready to help you navigate this new landscape and make your Instagram content work harder in search. Want to chat about optimising your Instagram SEO? Talk to us anytime.