Danish
From 10 July 2025, public content from professional Instagram accounts will be able to appear in Google and Bing search results. This marks a crucial development for businesses seeking greater digital visibility and underscores the growing importance of SEO in an increasingly visual search landscape.
What does the change mean?
Instagram has traditionally been a closed platform where content was mainly discovered internally through hashtags and the Explore feature. But that is now changing. Meta (the parent company behind Instagram) has announced that from 10 July 2025, search engines Google and Bing will be allowed to index public content from professional accounts. This includes captions, images, reels and videos – and all of this will now be directly accessible via a Google search.
This only applies to:
- Users over the age of 18
- Professional accounts (business or creators)
- Public profiles (private accounts will remain hidden)
This is the first time Instagram has officially allowed indexing. Google has been collecting and displaying selected Instagram content for years despite technical ‘noindex’ recommendations, but now it will happen with the platform’s consent and with the option for users to opt out.
Users no longer need to be logged into Instagram to view the content. This makes it possible to convert search traffic directly into new followers, customers and leads – without spending extra money on paid advertising on Meta.
SEO is (once again) pushing the boundaries
For years, Google’s algorithms have prioritised quality and user relevance. With SGE (Search Generative Experience) and AI-driven search results, it has become clear that search engines now emphasise multimodal content – i.e. the combination of text, images and video. Instagram is thus becoming more than just a social media platform. It is becoming a competitor to blogs, news sites and product landing pages in search results.
If an Instagram post matches a user’s search intent better than a traditional article, it will probably win the spot.
What does this mean for your business?
You can now have your Instagram posts displayed directly in Google, even for users who do not have an account on the platform. This means:
- Greater reach: Your content can be seen by a new target group without advertising.
- Increased organic traffic: Relevant posts can rank on searches, which can increase organic traffic.
- Extended content lifespan: Instead of dying in the feed, your posts get long-term visibility via search engines.
SEO and social media: One strategy, not two silos
With Instagram now part of the visual universe of the search field, it is crucial to think of SEO and social media as a unified strategy.
Instagram indexing underscores that the line between search engine optimisation and social media is becoming blurred.
The digital user journey may start on Google, but it can easily end on Instagram – or vice versa.
Your brand story and visual identity should no longer live only in the app – they need to match search intent and show up when users search for relevant topics in Google. It’s about understanding user intent and delivering value – regardless of platform.
Multimodal search behaviour requires optimisation
SEO is no longer just about text. Google is increasingly integrating images, video and social content into SERP. If you want to dominate search results, a fast website and technical optimisation are not enough – you also need to be present in the formats your customers prefer.
Ready to get your Instagram ranking?
At IIH Nordic, we have already helped companies increase their traffic through a targeted content and SEO strategy. With Instagram as a new SEO channel, your company has a unique opportunity to reach new target groups via Google – without paying for clicks.
Get the best of both worlds
With IIH Nordic, you don’t just get search engine optimisation – we combine it with effective Paid Social strategies on Meta. Let us boost your visibility across platforms
