How Instagram is changing SEO
Instagram isn't just a social app anymore. It's also a tool for SEO. Google now indexes public content from professional Instagram accounts, which means business owners and marketers are rethinking how they write posts, connect with people, and plan their content.
Adobe Express surveyed 1,000 business owners and marketers to explore how this change is influencing brand visibility, content performance, and marketing spend. Whether you're an early adopter or just learning about this shift, here's what you need to know.
Key takeaways
- 53% of business owners and marketers know that Instagram content can now appear in Google search results.
- 30% already changed how they post on Instagram, and 26% plan to.
- 62% of business owners and marketers believe social SEO will become more important for brand discovery in the next one to two years.
- 23% of business owners and marketers say SEO-optimized Instagram posts consistently perform better than paid ads or other SEO content for their brand, while 51% say they sometimes do.
Summary/Overview
Is "Insta-SEO" the future?
Instagram's SEO potential is shifting how business owners and marketers think and post.
More than half of business owners and marketers (53%) already know that Instagram content from professional accounts can now show up in Google search results. For many, that knowledge is translating into action: 30% already changed how they post on Instagram because of this update, and 26% said they plan to make adjustments.
Among those changing their approach, the top tactics include SEO-optimizing Instagram bios and profiles (37%) and writing longer, keyword-rich captions (33%). These subtle changes help ensure that posts are more discoverable on Instagram and now on Google, too. While 72% of business owners and marketers said they were already optimizing social content for search in some way, nearly one-quarter (24%) admitted this is a brand-new strategy for them.
The growing impact of Instagram on traffic and engagement
Instagram's dual role as a social and search platform is changing performance expectations among business owners and marketers.
Nearly one in four business owners and marketers (23%) said their SEO-optimized Instagram content drives more traffic than paid ads or other SEO content for their brand. About half (51%) said they sometimes do, while 15% reported that paid ads or other SEO content perform better. When asked about the top benefits of Instagram SEO, increased engagement led the list at 65%, followed by website traffic (54%) and follower growth (51%). These results show that optimizing social content boosts results across multiple key metrics.
Looking ahead, 62% of respondents predicted that social SEO will grow in importance for brand discovery over the next one to two years. In fact, 15% said this shift could begin as early as the next six months, highlighting the expanding role of social platforms alongside traditional SEO strategies.
Why brands are shifting budget toward social search
As Instagram gains power as a search tool, marketers are adjusting their priorities and putting more budget behind organic content.
With social platforms like Instagram gaining traction as search engines and discovery hubs, many business owners and marketers are realigning their strategies. But some are worried about keeping up, especially on TikTok (31%) and Instagram (22%) in terms of content output, audience engagement, and overall visibility.
Shifts in how people discover brands also influenced marketing budgets. On average, businesses reported allocating 23% of their marketing budgets to organic Instagram content, and 58% said they plan to increase that spend in the next six months.
Tools to support your social content strategy
As social media becomes a bigger player in search, posting standout content on Instagram matters more than ever. Adobe Express makes it easier to stay consistent, on-brand, and optimized across your social channels with:
- Instagram templates: Create scroll-stopping posts, Stories, and Reels designed to boost engagement and visibility.
- Content scheduler: Plan and schedule content ahead of time to stay consistent and post when your audience is most active.
- AI Clip maker: Instantly turn longer videos into short, social-ready clips.
- Character animator: Easily animate a character using your voice or audio recording for free.
- Video background remover: Remove your video background with one click, no green screen or advanced editing required.
- AI tools: Use features like text-to-image and generative fill to bring ideas to life fast and keep your content fresh.
Rethinking search in a social-first world
As Instagram becomes more discoverable through Google, brands are evolving their content strategies to keep pace. From rewriting captions with SEO in mind to reshuffling budget priorities, business owners and marketers are adapting quickly and seeing results. The message is clear: If your content isn't optimized for both social and search, you could be missing out on valuable visibility, traffic, and growth.
Methodology
Adobe Express surveyed 1,000 business owners and marketers to understand how Google's decision to index Instagram content from professional accounts is affecting content strategy, digital performance, and marketing budgets. The survey was conducted via SurveyMonkey, and all survey responses are self-reported.
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