Instagram Is Now Searchable — Why This Matters for Brand Visibility
Written by Leah Shaffran
As of July 10, 2025, Instagram now allows public professional accounts to be indexed by Google. That means your Instagram content—posts, Reels, carousels, and even profile bios—can show up in search results.
This is more than a feature update. It’s a signal that the lines between social, SEO, and content strategy are blurring, and forward-thinking brands have a clear opportunity: build discoverability through connected, multi-channel collaboration.
TLDR;
- Watch for July 10, 2025 roll‑out for professional account indexing.
- Review your account settings, make sure opt‑out behavior is intentional.
- Optimize content: use keywords, alt text, geo, and purposeful captions.
- Add Instagram visibility to SEO KPIs: traffic, impressions, discovery.
- Plan for life‑long indexing—ensure content accuracy and brand alignment.
This is a Strategic Moment
Instagram Content Is Already Appearing in Google Search
While this feature only just became opt-in, it’s already live in practice. According to SEOZoom:
- Over 620,000 Instagram Reels are indexed by Google in Italy alone.
- These Reels appear in Google’s top 10 results for more than 669,000 different keywords.
- Instagram domains now rank 9th among the most visible domains on Google Italy, ahead of platforms like Pinterest, TripAdvisor, and Amazon Italy.
Translation: your competitors may already be visible in search via Instagram—and your brand could be, too.
This Aligns with AI Search Trends
The broader context? Google is investing heavily in AI-generated search summaries (AI Overviews), which appear in 16–42% of queries and, in some cases, reduce traditional organic click-through rates by up to 64%.
This means traditional SEO real estate is shrinking. Instagram indexing helps brands show up in new ways—surfacing bite-sized, visual-first content directly in SERPs.
This is also a response to user behavior: Gen Z and Millennial audiences often use platforms like Instagram and TikTok as search engines themselves. Now, that content can meet them in Google, too.
Reels Will Drive the Most Visibility
Reels are central to this rollout for good reason:
- They generate 2x the impressions of other content formats.
- Engagement rates average 2.08% vs. 1.7% (carousels) and 1.17% (photos) (Vidico).
- They’re already being indexed and ranked for informational, product, and lifestyle searches.
Short-form video isn’t just for social—it’s now part of the search content mix.
Key Impacts + Action Items
| What Changed | What Your Brand Should Do |
| Instagram indexed in Google search | Opt in via account settings |
| Reels and posts can rank like webpages | Optimize captions, alt text, and bio keywords |
| Evergreen content visible long-term | Publish educational/informative posts for search value |
| Indexed content can persist after deletion | Audit existing content and archive as needed |
| Instagram = search channel, not just platform |
Monitor indexed URLs and cross-channel performance
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Discover more actions to take now and download Backbone's Roadmap for Making Instagram Searchable (below).
How to Measure Success
- Use Google Search Console to track which Instagram URLs are indexed.
- Monitor search impressions and CTRs from Google traffic patterns.
- Compare engagement metrics pre- and post-indexing to attribute spikes or shifts.
This Is a Moment to Break Down Silos
Instagram’s Google indexing update gives brands a rare opportunity to do more with the content they’re already creating—but only if teams are coordinated around a shared goal: discoverability.
Social teams can no longer operate independently from SEO. Content calendars should be shared. Keyword planning should inform captions. Reels should ladder up to broader messaging strategies.
Visibility now lives across channels—and success depends on alignment.
Let’s Make It Work for Your Brand
At Backbone, we help brands build strategies that move across platforms—integrating storytelling, performance, and visibility. If you’re ready to rethink your content and social collaboration through the lens of discoverability, let’s talk.
Backbone’s Social and SEO teams can help you audit, optimize, and align your social assets to perform in both social feeds and search results.
