Instagram Content Is Now Ranking On Google: 3 Things Solopreneurs Can Do On Their Instagram To Show Up On Google Results
Instagram Is Now Ranking on Google: What Does That Mean?
As of July 2025, public Instagram posts and reels can appear directly on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). That means anything you publish on Instagram, whether it’s a reel, carousel, or single photo, could be discovered through a Google search.
What this looks like in practice:
If someone Googles “Things to do in Kotor, Montenegro,” my reel titled “9 Things To Do in Kotor, Montenegro” now has just as good a shot at appearing on the results page as my blog post “How to Spend Two Days in Kotor, Montenegro”. Google’s change levels the playing field, making every piece of content compete for the same attention, regardless of the host platform.
Previously, only your Instagram profile might surface if someone searches for your name or your business name. Now, Google is indexing every individual post, meaning your content can show up for specific search queries even if the searcher is unfamiliar with you.
The Technical Talk: How Does This Work Exactly?
If you’re curious about SEO and want to understand the mechanics behind this, here’s a quick breakdown:
Crawling: Googlebot scans the web, discovers pages (now including Instagram posts), and assesses whether to add them to Google’s index.
Indexing: Approved content is stored in Google’s giant database. Once indexed, your posts have the potential to rank.
Ranking: When someone enters a query, Google orders results by relevance. The closer your post’s keywords match the search term, the higher you’ll rank.
Query: The exact words or phrases a user types into the search bar (e.g., “summer smoothie recipe” or “how to install a window air conditioner unit”)
The Impact On Your Small Business: Why Should You Care?
Your business just got a whole new way to be discovered without any extra ad spend. Every Instagram post can drive organic search traffic back to your brand. By optimizing your Instagram content for search, you’re essentially adding another branch to your marketing funnel.
Plus, while Gen Z and Gen Alpha already use social media as their preferred search engine, this update bridges the gap to older audiences who rely on Google as their primary search tool. Suddenly, your Instagram content can reach demographics you may not have tapped into before, giving your small business an even broader digital footprint
3 Things You Can Do Today To Help Your Instagram Rank on Google
I’ve seen a lot of people talking about this update, but few who are sharing actionable steps for small business Instagram accounts. Here are three strategies solopreneurs and small business owners can implement right now to help rank on Google:
1. Include Keywords At The End Of Your Instagram Captions
Your captions are now being crawled and indexed by Google. Adding relevant keywords is a way to help ensure you get added to Google’s database. This doesn’t mean you should abandon your brand voice in favor of a keyword-stuffed caption. You can still have a fun, creative caption then tuck the keywords you want to rank for at the end with your hashtags. Think of hashtags as categories and keywords as the search terms you want to target.
Caption template:
[Your witty, engaging caption that your audience loves]
•
#HashtagCategory1 #HashtagCategory2 #HashtagCategory3
Your industry | Your specific niche | The product/service you offer | Your solution for your target audience
2. Use Common Industry Search Queries in Captions and Text Overlays
Think about what your ideal customer may type into Google. What are their wants, needs, or problems that send them to a search engine? Those exact phrases are what you want to add to your Instagram. Weave them naturally into both your caption and the text overlays on your reels or carousel images.
For example, instead of:
“Helping my client organize her paperwork before we move to put in an offer on her dream home.”
Try:
“Documents you need to have ready before buying a house”
Same content, but the second version aligns with a clear search query, so Google (and your customers) know exactly what you’re offering.
Hint: Check out Google’s “People also ask” box for related queries you can target.
3. Incorporate Discoverable Content Into Your Instagram Strategy
Traditionally, Instagram posts fell into two main types: entertaining or valuable. Now, we need to add a third: discoverable. These are posts that won’t necessarily go viral or see huge engagement, but they’re essential for Google indexing. Start to share straightforward, evergreen content about:
Who you are
What you do
The problems you solve
The markets you serve
Keeping this kind of content consistent and fresh boosts your chances of appearing in various search results, strengthening your overall digital presence.
Get Seen On Both Instagram and Google
Social media is always evolving. With Instagram now feeding directly into Google’s search index, your everyday posts can become powerful entry points to your business.
Follow @TheDeardenGroup on Instagram to stay up to date with changes that impact small businesses.
If you don’t have an Instagram strategy in place, let’s chat! Schedule a call to work with me to craft a plan that gets you seen on both Instagram and Google.
