DETROIT – No doubt, Instagram is one of the most effective online marketing tools today. With the right approach, it attracts traffic, increases sales, and makes the brand recognizable. And for all this to happen, you need to make sure your profile is relevant to search algorithms.

Instagram is basically the internet in miniature. Just as on Google, the strongest one wins in search! To become first, your content needs to provoke user activity. Of course, you have to follow some rules to succeed, and in this article, we have collected 7 of them.

But let us begin with the best yet unspoken one. To reach the goal, setting the right priorities is vital. Surely, this is hard to achieve, given how busy we all are. That’s why outsourcing comes to the rescue! To free up your schedule, just send your papers to the EssayPro authors and take your academic performance under control. Less school stress, more energy for work, right?

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

What’s Instagram SEO?

Here’s an obvious fact. Instagram SEO is basically the same thing as SEO on the web, and you must have heard of it a lot. It’s a set of measures that put the profile higher in search queries. In simple words, the content must correspond to the requirements of the search platform. Why? Then, the system evaluates the account as reliable and trustworthy. Therefore, it displays it in the first position when issuing results.

Here’s an example. We are all looking forward to Halloween. Let’s enter this word in the search! Now, we’ve got the accounts of make-up artists, festive décor manufacturers, and quest room organizers. Most of the accounts that made it to the first page of search results applied Instagram SEO rules. So, what are their purposes?

The first is sales, of course! On Instagram, users quickly find reviews and comments, not to mention contacting the company directly. Second, it is a way to attract a cold audience. These are the people who have never heard of you before, so we can build some great communication if they find you on their own and decide to reach out to you.

Optimize Your @

Username is the basics, indeed! People use it to find you, thus, making this task easier for them. Your nickname should:

  • Be easy to read and remember;
  • Be simple to type;
  • Correspond to the brand name;
  • Not contain a large number of numbers and symbols.

If you have other social platforms for business, we recommend that you use the same nickname on all social networks. These rules are followed by the world’s leading companies. Look: Mercedes-Benz gave up the hyphen and named the profile “mercedesbenz.” The same applies to “jnj” (Johnson & Johnson).

Optimize The Profile Description

Working on the “About Me” section, present the information in a nice yet concise way. You’ve got 150 characters (with spaces) to tell a potential subscriber who you are, what you offer, and why they should follow you.

Please note that this is the only section of the Instagram profile that is indexed by search engines. Therefore, the description should be informative, semantically rich as well as logical, and short.

Optimize The Pictures

Instagram SEO is primarily about image optimization. Pictures should be unique and of high quality. Most likely, as part of your content strategy, you are doing everything to make them amazing! Of course, algorithms consider photos taken with a good camera to be more relevant. And if you can also edit them well, then you’re doing great! As for other requirements, the picture resolution should be from 320 to 1080 pixels and a file size of no more than 30 MB.

Don’t Forget About The ALT Text

ALT text is an alternative text to an image. It contains a detailed description of what is shown in the photo. Initially, the option was intended for people with visual impairments, but later it became a marketing thing. Why? One can include a large number of keywords there. In addition, the social network automatically places images with ALT text higher than others.

To use this option, find “write alt text” in the additional settings. It’s available for both new and old photos in the feed.

Use Hashtags Wisely

SEO optimization of an Instagram post is based on the following principles. The main part of the content under the photo contains the most important key query. Next, there are hashtags with additional keys that are indicated under the publication.

Well, these days, hashtags aren’t the most effective tool, but they still have potential. The correct use of hashtags allows you to get an additional influx of followers. And this is what you should do:

  • Focus on the tags of niche leaders;
  • Rely on hashtags that your target audience uses;
  • Experiment when searching for new ones, but don’t overdo it;
  • Create your own hashtags.

Be Active In Posts And Stories

The more your profile appears on other people’s feeds, the better for SEO. Especially if you are mentioned by popular profiles with high traffic. We don’t quite recommend you to collaborate with world-known bloggers (this certainly requires huge resources), but rather micro-influencers with higher engagement rates. Their audience trusts them and, thus, is likely to trust you as well! The Small Business Blog suggests some ways to see private Instagram accounts and measure their engagements to identify niche relevant micro influencers.

Generally, successful SEO needs regular activity. If you can’t post often, then concentrate on stories. The main thing is to do it harmoniously. Let the stories be logical and consistent so that it is easier for a person to understand your main message. Find a balance between entertainment, education, and ads, and people will be happy to follow you!

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

Don’t Violate Community Rules

Instagram has some rules that you shouldn’t break if you don’t want to get shadowbanned. For example, you can’t publish someone else’s content without the author’s permission. But still, you can use photos from free stocks, which are absolutely available. Plus, the content mustn’t call for aggression, terrorism, or other law violations.

In addition to general rules, there are unspoken ones. There is no reliable data about them, but in practice, you can get banned for the following actions:

Suspicious activity. A large number of likes, subscriptions, and comments can be considered by algorithms as cheating. Therefore, you should be careful with bots and like-times;

  • Sending the same messages and posting identical comments. The content should be unique, and the descriptions for each post too;
  • Frequent change of IP address. This happens when many third-party services are connected to the account. Of course, it may be comfortable for businesses when many managers have access to the page. But it is better to reduce the amount of software to the necessary minimum;
  • Account complaints. Any user can click on “leave a complaint,” and if the claim is justified, the profile will be banned. This results in a need to contact technical support and prove your innocence.

To Wrap It Up

Instagram SEO is a free way to attract more target audiences and increase conversion. In terms of effectiveness, the tool is inferior to paid ads, but nevertheless, it surely brings long-term effects. With the help of thoughtful and well-planned actions, you can be ahead of any competitors who don’t follow the tips above. So, don’t miss your chance and let the potential followers find you in literally two counts.

Article by Lily Greenwood