Grow Your Instagram Following with These 5 Powerful SEO Tips
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms today, with over 1 billion monthly active users. For content creators and influencers, having a strong presence and large following on Instagram can be game-changing.
However, growing an engaged following organically on Instagram is not easy. The algorithm makes it challenging to reach new audiences without using paid promotions. This is where SEO (search engine optimization) comes into play.
Optimizing your Instagram profile and content for discoverability can help you rank higher in Instagram search and get your content seen by more people in your niche. In this post, I will be sharing the top 5 Instagram SEO tips from a recent YouTube video that you can implement to skyrocket your Instagram growth.
1. Optimize Who You Follow
The first Instagram SEO tip is to optimize who you follow. Most people underestimate how much the accounts you follow impacts your discoverability on Instagram.
To appear more prominently in search and recommendations for your niche, you need to follow the top accounts and creators in your industry. This shows Instagram that you are closely associated with those accounts and share an audience.
For example, if you create comedy content and you follow all the major comedy accounts and comedians, Instagram's algorithm will recognize that and start suggesting your account to their followers and others who view related content.
The key is to unfollow irrelevant accounts and focus on building relationships with accounts in your niche by engaging with their content. Instagram's algorithm looks at these connections to recommend accounts.
2. Include Your Niche In Your Name
Another simple yet powerful SEO tip for Instagram is to optimize your name and include your niche or relevant keywords.
For instance, if you are a photographer, having “Photography” or “Portrait Photographer” as your name goes a long way compared to a random name like “John Smith”. This allows you to appear in search when people look for related terms.
You want your name to clearly communicate what type of content people can expect from your Instagram account. This small optimization makes you more discoverable both in search and when Instagram recommends accounts with similar names.
3. Optimize Your Bio with Keywords
Your Instagram bio is valuable real estate for SEO. You have limited space, only 150 characters, but you want to use it wisely to improve discoverability.
Include important keywords and phrases that are relevant to your niche in your bio. For example, as a social media coach, I have “social media growth tips” and “Instagram growth strategies” in my bio.
This tells Instagram's algorithm what my profile is about and allows me to appear in search results for those terms. Prioritize keywords you want to rank for.
4. Use Targeted Keywords in Captions
Instagram captions present another opportunity to incorporate SEO keywords and optimize your content. Caption keywords are just as important as hashtags today.
When writing your captions, focus on naturally working in relevant keywords and phrases that describe what the content is about. Instagram scans captions to understand the topic of your post.
This allows your content to appear when people search those terms. Aim for sentences that explain your content while seamlessly integrating keywords you want to rank for.
5. Leverage Recommendation Categories
The final Instagram SEO tip is to leverage Instagram's recommendation categories in your settings. This feature allows you to control what topics your content is recommended for.
Go to Settings > Privacy > Recommendation Categories to view what categories Instagram is recommending your content for. Toggle off any irrelevant topics not related to your niche.
You can also select topics to recommend your content for when posting. Choose ones relevant to your niche. This further optimizes your content to be recommended to your target audience.
The Power of Instagram SEO
Implementing these Instagram SEO best practices can truly amplify your growth and discoverability on the platform. Small optimizations make a big difference when it comes to Instagram search and recommendations.
Focus on building relationships with accounts in your niche, optimizing your name and bio for keywords, integrating strategic keywords in captions, and leveraging recommendation categories.
With the power of SEO, you can reach new targeted audiences on Instagram and skyrocket your following. Patience and consistency are key. Use these tips to establish yourself as a top account and authority in your niche.
Turning Instagram Followers into Customers
Growing your Instagram following with SEO is an excellent first step. But at the end of the day, you want to convert those followers into customers or email subscribers. Here are 3 tips to monetize your Instagram:
1. Add Links to Your Profile
Add your website URL, online store, or email list sign up link to your Instagram bio. This gives people an easy way to learn more about your offers, products, and services.
2. Promote Your Products in Posts
Strategically promote your products, offers, or links in your Instagram feed posts and stories. Find natural ways to weave it into captivating content.
3. Run Targeted Ads
Run Instagram advertising campaigns with your offers and links to reach interested audiences beyond just your existing followers. Target potential customers in your niche.
The Sky is the Limit on Instagram
As you can see, when you combine Instagram SEO best practices with savvy monetization strategies, the potential to profit from Instagram is truly limitless.
Apply these proven tips covered in this article and video to establish your authority on Instagram, expand your reach in your niche, and drive traffic and sales. Consistency and persistence are key.
I hope this post provided you with actionable tips to 10x your Instagram following and monetization efforts. Let me know which strategies you find most effective!
