The Truth About Instagram SEO | How to Boost Your Visibility on IG
Instagram SEO: How to Improve Your Strategy
In this video, Natalia discusses the importance of Instagram SEO and how it can help improve your content's performance. She explains what SEO is, the role of keywords in improving SEO, and provides tips on how to improve your Instagram SEO strategy.
What is SEO?
- Natalia defines SEO as a way to optimize your content for search engines.
- She explains that traditional SEO was focused on Google, but with more people searching for content on social media platforms like Instagram, optimizing for these platforms has become increasingly important.
The Role of Keywords in Improving Instagram SEO
- Natalia explains that keywords are phrases that people search for and using them in your content can help increase visibility.
- She provides an example of a fashion creator on Instagram who could use keywords like "fall outfit ideas" or "style tips" to attract users searching for those terms.
- Using specific keywords in your content increases the chances of it being seen by people searching for those terms.
Tips for Improving Your Instagram SEO Strategy
- Natalia suggests focusing on one niche or topic to make it easier for the algorithm to recognize your account's focus and push it towards relevant users.
- She also recommends using hashtags strategically by researching popular ones related to your niche and including them in your posts.
- Finally, she emphasizes the importance of engagement and building a community around your content as a way to improve overall reach and visibility.
Understanding Instagram SEO
In this section, the speaker talks about the importance of keywords in Instagram SEO and how to find good keywords for your content.
Finding Good Keywords
- Keywords are important for Instagram SEO.
- One simple tactic to find good keywords is to choose a specific subject that will help you for a specific post.
- You can do the same thing with your general niche subjects for your account.
Elaborate Keyword Research
- Doing elaborate keyword research is not necessary but it can be done if you have the time and resources.
- Instagram SEO focuses on simple keywords that can be easily identified.
- The totality of your Instagram presence counts, so focus on consistency, relevance to your audience, and quality of content in general.
Factors Affecting Search Results Ranking
- The most impactful factor in ranking search results is the actual text typed in the search bar because IG wants to match it as best as it can with all the different places these keywords appear in.
- The second factor is activity or level of interaction with accounts that show up in search results.
- The third factor is info about the results themselves which includes popularity measured by likes, shares, and amount of followers a particular account, hashtag or location has.
Placing Keywords
Handle, Name, Bio
- Your bio needs to be well optimized to invite visitors to stay and follow you. Put core keywords in your bio so that your account shows clearly what you normally cover.
- Consider using a keyword in your actual handle since IG pulls accounts based on their name and handle.
- Use the format of Name | Keyword in your display name, especially now that we have more than 30 characters available there.
Example
- Kristina Cooke RD | Diabetes Dietician is a good example of a keyword dense handle and display name.
Additional Resources
- Check out this post from the creators for official recommendations on Instagram SEO. The link is provided in the description box.
Importance of Captions and Keywords
In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of using keywords in captions to improve discoverability and better categorization.
Using Keywords in Captions
- The speaker highlights that captions are key for improved discoverability and better categorization.
- Using relevant keywords in captions can help posts reach a more targeted audience.
- When people find answers to their questions through well-crafted content, they are more likely to consume more of your content and stay longer on your page.
- Engagement such as comments or DMs also tells the algorithm that your content is worth showing further.
Importance of Hashtags
In this section, the speaker explains why hashtags are important for search optimization.
Why Use Hashtags?
- The speaker recommends including hashtags in every caption as it helps connect the dots for the algorithm even further.
- Although hashtags can be used in comments, using them in captions is crucial for optimizing content for SEO.
- Hashtags show up when searching for keywords and people can follow them, making it natural for your content to be shown to them.
Alt Text
In this section, the speaker discusses alt text and its importance.
What is Alt Text?
- Alt text describes graphics visually and is especially important for people with visual impairments.
- Providing a better description of alt text contributes to SEO and helps the algorithm understand your content better.
Alt Text for Instagram: How to Use It for SEO
In this section, the speaker explains how to write alt text for Instagram posts and why it is important.
Writing Alt Text
- Alt text should describe the image or graphic in a concise manner.
- Alt text should be under 100 characters so that screen readers can use it properly.
- To write alt text, go to Advanced Settings when adding a new post and select Write alt text from the Accessibility section.
Importance of Alt Text
- Alt text is primarily used to help visually impaired people understand the image.
- When you type out your own alt text, it replaces the text that would have been generated by object recognition technology.
- Do not use alt text just to insert keywords as this excludes part of the community from experiencing the post fully.
Conclusion
The speaker concludes by asking if viewers will use Instagram SEO in their strategy and invites them to share their thoughts in the comments below. The next video will cover how to use hashtags best in 2022.