Keyword Search Now Available on Instagram

Monica Simmons - November 30, 2020

Instagram has introduced many new features and user experience updates over the course of 2020; from Reels to Guides and even a new home screen experience to promote the use of these new features. Most recently, however, Instagram released an update allowing users to search for keywords (rather than just for specific hashtags, accounts / names, or places). This update will make it easier for Instagram users to find relevant content within the platform.

So, what does this mean for advertisers and organic content creators? Relevant post captions now become more important than ever to increase visibility of posts for keywords that users may be searching for. While the exact “ranking” for keywords within Instagram depends on a variety of factors, the keywords and phrases mentioned within your post caption serve as one of the top indicators of relevancy.

Other factors that determine whether a keyword search may be matched to a particular Instagram post are the date posted (recency) and the type of content. Additionally, Instagram notes that searches will be “limited to general interest topics and keywords that are within Instagram’s community guidelines.” It is important to keep in mind that not all keywords will yield search results, such as those pertaining to political or controversial topics.

While keyword search is a brand new feature for Instagram (and likely to experience adjustments over time), it is another factor for content creators to take into consideration. As time goes on, we will learn more about the functionality and larger role that keyword search will play in an overarching Instagram content strategy.

To learn more about content strategy opportunities, please contact the experts at MoreVisibility.