Four Ways To Boost Discoverability on Instagram
Promoting your brand on Instagram requires knowing how to optimize content to ensure the intended audience is seeing it. Instagram is a search engine, and there are effective ways to have your company discovered by utilizing SEO best practices. Here are four ways to boost your discoverability on Instagram:
Add A Location To Your Posts
Geotags are used for adding a location to your post or story and are one of the original SEO features on Instagram. However, it serves a deeper purpose as a business on Instagram. Using Geotags in posts and stories is important to reach an audience based on location. By adding a geotag to a post, the user is technically pinning your location to that photo. The function of this tag allows the account to be found anytime an Instagram user clicks on the same geotag on another photo. For example, if someone is looking to buy a home and hire a designer in Austin, they may search by location to see if there is any specific content relating to their real estate or design ideas. Geotags can be as specific as an exact address or as broad as just using a country as a location.
2. Utilize Trending Audio
Video content is the preferred form of content to be shared on the app, and audio is a great way to discover new followers. When using trending audio, a user can tap on the song and see all other users who have created content using that audio, discovering accounts that go beyond the explore page and feed, leading users to interact with accounts they typically would not come across. One reason why Instagram encourages the use of “trending audio” is that it reaches a whole new audience that has some sort of connection to the audio, whether it be their favorite song, the reel templates that go along with it, or they are eagerly looking for more content similar to what was previously posted. However, Instagram users do not always have to use trending audio. Original audio can take off if other users put your audio over their videos. When creating audio content, the key is to be clever and keep the audience in mind. SEO comes into play when a user is creating their audio content. When naming the original audio, try using relevant and searchable keywords for other users to find.
3. Add Descriptive Hashtags
Hashtags are the original form of search on Instagram. Incorporating industry-specific, community, and general hashtags such as #wallcovering #whitesofa #belgianlinen will increase the overall searchability of your post. If users are interested in new wallpaper for their living room, a photo with these hashtags will pull and increase engagement. Adding location hashtags can increase SEO by categorizing your photos under a specific location, making them easier to discover by location. Within the interior design industry, community hashtags such as #luxeathome or #theworldofinteriors are typically followed by users within the industry that are consistently looking for inspiration and the latest projects. Users can add hashtags to stories to gain views as well.
4. Include Keywords In Captions
Using captions with descriptive keywords will increase the searchability of Instagram posts. Instagram uses descriptive keywords to categorize the content. For example, maximalist interiors or wallpaper are different keywords users can search by category. Keywords can boost profile interactions if they are carefully selected within a user’s bio.
For example, “Rich wood tones on the ceiling and light neutral textures accent the living room space of our #Oceanfront project, as seen in @verandamag.” This post-by-data includes keywords, project credits, and tags to help increase engagement. Tagging a brand's Instagram account will also increase engagement and bring more traffic to posts. We suggest adding general keyword hashtags to improve content searchability.
Instagram's algorithm is ever-changing, and as businesses and creators, it is important to implement SEO tools and tactics to keep the user’s account value and gain engagement momentum. When posting, it is crucial to add a valuable location, a descriptive caption, a mix of hashtags, and when applicable, audio that pertains to your audiences’ wants and needs. Continuing these practices will bring users to a library of other similar posts, reels, and stories with like-minded content.
