A Guide to Using Keywords On Instagram
Once upon a time, Instagram was not utilized as a search engine like Google. But boy, have times changed! Nowadays, people are using Instagram as a tool to discover new people and businesses- which makes it an amazing place to be if you’re looking to find your ideal clients!
But how can you utilize Instagram to actually find the people who are out there looking for what you have to offer? Keywords!
Because Instagram is now keyword searchable, it’s absolutely essential for you to optimize your find-ability through keywords. By doing this, you’ll make it that much easier for your ideal clients to find your profile and content. There are a few key places on your profile you should optimize with keywords to get you the best results. I’m going to walk you through each area and help you create a profile that’s keyword central!
Bio + Name
The first place you should optimize with keywords on your profile is your bio/name. This includes your username and the name displayed above your bio. These fields are keyword searchable, so they should all be optimized for greater reach and searchability. Your username or the name on your profile is going to be the first thing your ideal client runs into when they seek you out, so it’s important to make a great first impression.
Some important things to include in your name/bio are your job title, your niche, what you do, who you are, and your location. When people go to search for someone who does what you do or for someone who does what you do in your specific area, you’ll be among the first to pop up (if you’ve optimized appropriately)!
Hashtags
Until recently, hashtags were the main way for users on Instagram to search for new and relevant content. While the searchability features on Instagram have broadened, hashtags are still relevant in helping folks find you on the platform. Utilizing niche specific keywords on your content helps tell Instagram who to show your content to in the app based on who is most likely to interact with it.
Utilize hashtags that are relevant to what you do, but beware using only the most relevant hashtags that Instagram populates for you when creating hashtags on your posts. It will benefit you if your hashtags are keyword rich, but very specific. Getting too broad with your hashtags can put your content into a pool that is too large and your reach may not be as effective.
Captions + Alt Text
Captions and alt text are both great for accessibility as well as SEO. Captions help tell Instagram how to sort your content and alt text helps potential clients find you in their search. If both of these areas on your profile are keyword rich, it’ll help increase your visibility and therefore reach a larger audience.
It’s important to maintain that the inclusion of keywords is relevant to what your post or image is all about. It would be super simple to just riddle your caption with a ton of relevant keywords, but you do want to make sure that you’re still getting to the point of what it is your post is talking about.
Have you keyword optimized any of these areas yet?! If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear them! Comment below or message me over on Instagram and I'll share my tips and insights!
