Naturally, Instagram’s search engine can find any account on Instagram, but it can also dig up various hashtags and locations. The search results depend on multiple elements, such as the people you are connected to or follow the videos and photos liked by you, but they also depend on keywords.
In addition, the search feature combs through countless accounts. By the end of the search, you get the most relevant results, which are the ones that have the keyword you were looking for. So, to get the best out of the search feature, you should optimize your profile.
Here are the six ways you can catch up to or even surpass your extremely popular Instagram competition.
1. Optimize Your Profile
Just like in your username, you should include keywords in your bio, as well. The keywords you pick to showcase your brand’s identity, so choose carefully and highlight them well. Aim for the ones that would promote your brand in the right way to become more visible on Instagram.
It is possible to add clickable hashtags in your bio, too. Those help you appear in search results when someone is looking for your account and when someone searches the hashtag you put into your bio. Suppose your business has something to do with, for example, creating artwork.
In that case, you will benefit from including the keyword “artwork” in your username since Instagram’s search engines detect both keywords and your username. Doing so would make your profile more discoverable to the audience you have not yet reached since the top search results are more likely to show the accounts that include the wanted keyword in their name and username.
2. Come Up With Descriptive Captions
Recently, Instagram introduced searching the posts for keywords. You can use this feature to make your posts, and thus your profile, more visible.
The first step is to develop some very descriptive captions, some short written descriptions of the images you post, and so on. These could all come up in the keyword search results. Be creative with your captions, and don’t be afraid to mix in some humor and intrigue.
3. Use Hashtags as Keywords
A lot of people underestimate the power of hashtags on social media. They are an essential part of your Instagram SEO and can give you an extra push when it comes to spreading the word about your brand. Do some investigation of the keywords related to your brand, and use them as hashtags.
Hashtags are very efficient for discovering new channels and are, in a way, like alternative keywords. So, choose the right hashtags for your brand to get that further bump in the search engine. However, be careful not to overuse hashtags as you would profit more if you used only the relevant hashtags and a maximum of around five per post.
4. Make Use of Instagram Video
Videos have become an exceptionally popular and effective way of advertising anything and everything. So, why wouldn’t you use them to your advantage? Videos are an excellent method to engage potential visitors of your Instagram profile.
Naturally, it is easier and more captivating for people to watch a short video than to read a text block. It is statistically proven that videos have more potential to get clicked on, shared, and viewed. They are highly interactive, which means a deeper web of engagement.
5. Attach Alt Text Onto Your Images
Visually impaired people primarily use the alt text feature on Instagram, but who says it can’t be used for SEO, as well? It’s smart to employ it as another tactic, as you can greatly benefit from its aid to your discoverability.
The automatic alt text Instagram generates gives information about the content of the image you posted. However, it isn’t perfect. That’s why you should edit the alt text to make it more precise and to contain keywords relevant to the picture.
6. Analyze Your Success
It’s important to keep track of your reach on Instagram and to set goals you want to reach. Account Insights on Instagram gives you a survey of your audience’s engagement with everything you post.
You just have to set up a business or a creator account. So if you, for example, see that one of your posts gained above-average traction, you can adapt and post more content similar to that post.
Conclusion
Instagram has over one billion monthly active users and is undoubtedly one of the most popular social media networks. The market for the advertisement of your brand on Instagram is huge, so standing out among all those people can be pretty difficult. However, if you follow these tips and tricks, you can make your Instagram profile more discoverable with no hassle.