Instagram is a very popular platform among users. Currently, it has more than one billion monthly active profiles, of which more than 25 million are companies.
However, it is well known that the Instagram algorithm is somewhat inconsistent and only sometimes shows posts to our followers. But what if we told you that you can reach more users and create business opportunities with an SEO strategy on Instagram?
Indeed. Positioning on Instagram is possible, and your account can benefit from organic growth by following some SEO tricks on Instagram.
How to Get More Reach on Instagram?
In order to implement an SEO strategy on Instagram, we must consider this social network as if it were a search engine since it has search functions that allow you to find users, places and hashtags.
To achieve positioning on Instagram, we recommend following these tricks:
Optimize your profile
The first step to achieving visibility on the app is to optimize your Instagram profile. With this, we will obtain a better experience for the user, giving them a greater chance of loyalty.
The first thing we have to do is keep the profile public. With this, we will ensure that users can access the content without problems and stay if the content is attractive to them.
In addition to this, both the username and business name should be easy to remember. Avoid punctuation marks, numbers, and complicated words. To have a well-optimized profile, pay attention to these keys:
- Choose a main keyword. To carry out an SEO strategy on Instagram, it is crucial to choose the main keyword for which we want to position ourselves. This keyword will be the one we will include in the name and, if possible, also in the username. In this way, when searching for that word in the search engine, we will have a better chance of appearing among the first users.
- Search for a secondary keyword. Our profile biography is the ideal place to include a secondary keyword or even several. These will be words related to your business, and that may be interesting to the user.
In addition, it is advisable to have a business profile to have access to all the features of Instagram Business, including statistics.
Last, but not least, add a link to your bio so your audience can learn more about you.
Optimize your posts
When you have optimized your profile, it is time to pay attention to your publications so that they get all the reach they deserve. To do this, you can follow this series of recommendations:
- Use hashtags as keywords. Adding related hashtags to your posts is a good way for them to reach a wider audience. To do this, include other secondary keywords as a hashtag, carrying out a prior study of the most popular ones, but also including other more specific ones. If you want this strategy to be more effective, try different hashtags and monitor and analyze the results.
- Create attractive titles for images. In each Instagram post, you must use an attractive title that captures the attention of users. In addition to getting their attention, it will also help you position yourself in search engines. Therefore, it is also important to add keywords in the text of your images and allow the Instagram algorithm to work its magic.
- Take advantage of alt text. This function, designed for users with visual disabilities, can be used in your SEO strategy on Instagram. This works in the same way as the alt text you use on web images and can help position your images better. To access it, you will have to click on “Advanced settings” when you are publishing an image, and once there, select “Write alternative text”.
- Upload quality images. Instagram is the most visual social network there is. Therefore, images are a key factor in gaining positioning on the internet. Work on its quality and take care of every last detail, and the algorithm will value it.
What not to do on instagram?
You should know that not everything goes on Instagram, and its algorithm is capable of detecting Black Hat SEO practices just like Google does. In this sense, for some time now, they have implemented the well-known and feared shadowban for those users who decide to behave badly.
In order not to end up punished by the algorithm, you must avoid performing these actions:
- Employ bots.
- Post inappropriate photographs.
- Following too many accounts in a short period.
- Buy followers.
- Use content from other accounts.
- Using too many hashtags or those that are prohibited.
- Perform any action that could be considered spam.
In addition to this, you should avoid posting content that may be offensive or hurtful to other users, and that may result in them reporting it, drawing the attention of the “Instagram police.”
Finally, remember that SEO on Instagram, just like in search engines, is a long-term strategy, and you will have to be patient to see the first results. Still, we assure you that it is worth it.