Instagram Posts Will Now Show Up on Google. Here’s What Marketers Should Do

Instagram just made a huge update that could change the way your influencer content performs. Starting on July 10th, public content from Instagram Business and Creator accounts will appear in Google Search results. 

That means a Reel, carousel, or static post from one of your creators could start ranking for high-intent search queries like "best tinted moisturizer for summer" or "comfy airport outfits." For marketers, this unlocks a new layer of visibility, ROI, and long-tail value — blurring the lines between social content and SEO.

In this blog, we’re breaking down what the update includes, why it matters, and how brands can optimize influencer content to take full advantage of this shift.

What We Know About The Update

Here are the core details of the update:

• Who it affects: Business and Creator accounts of users aged 18+
• What it does: Public posts (Reels, photos, carousels) are now indexable by Google and other search engines
• When it starts: July 10, 2025
• Where: Rolled out globally
• How it works: Automatically enabled for eligible public accounts, but can be toggled off in settings

This change also positions Instagram to compete more directly with platforms like YouTube and TikTok, both of which already enjoy a strong presence in Google search results. 

What This Means for Marketers

More visibility and evergreen reach

This shift gives your Instagram content a second life beyond the feed. Posts that once disappeared after a few days of engagement can now show up in search results months down the line, increasing their value and utility.

This turns influencer content into a viable SEO asset. That’s a big win for brands across categories:

• Local businesses can now rank for geo-specific searches like "brunch spots near me" or "yoga classes in Brooklyn."
• Beauty brands can target long-tail queries like "how to apply dewy foundation" or *"best mascara for volume."
• Food brands and creators benefit as recipes and tutorials become more discoverable through Google.
• And so on.

This increased shelf life also makes Instagram content more valuable in pitching and justifying influencer budgets, especially for evergreen content.

New ways to measure influencer impact

With Google now surfacing Instagram posts, marketers can start connecting the dots between influencer content and search traffic. Instead of relying solely on likes, shares, and reach, you can now:

• Monitor “External Sources” traffic in Instagram insights
• Use Google Search Console to track keyword visibility and CTRs for branded queries
• Evaluate which captions and formats are most likely to generate ongoing traffic

This dual-channel performance view gives influencer marketing a more measurable role in your digital strategy, which can be immensely helpful in securing additional budget and buy-in for this channel. 

Bigger role for Influencer + Search collaboration 

This update is a clear signal for brands to break down internal silos. Influencer and Search teams now have a shared opportunity (and responsibility) to drive performance together.

With Instagram content now acting as search assets, captions, Reels, and even alt-text are becoming valuable keyword real estate. That opens the door for new tactics across both organic and paid efforts:

• Organic search (SEO) teams can help identify high-intent keywords for creators to include naturally in captions and on-screen text.
• Paid search teams can target those same keywords in campaigns, reinforcing visibility where influencer content already ranks organically.
• Influencer marketers can use content to fill gaps in the brand’s existing search strategy, especially for top-of-funnel or long-tail queries.
  

This dual benefit expands the reach of organic posts and creates new levers for paid teams to capitalize on trending or evergreen content.

Some brands may even want to revisit older creator content to refresh captions or republish top-performing Reels with SEO-optimized copy, turning them into assets that can rank for months or even years. It’s not just smart for organic reach, but also gives paid search teams proven content to build around.

5 Best Practices to Maximize Search Visibility

To make the most of this update, marketers and creators should shift how they plan, brief, and optimize content. Here are 5 tips from our in-house experts to help you maximize search visibility of your Instagram influencer content. 

1. Optimize captions for search.

Instagram captions now act like search titles, which means the first 125 characters are especially important for indexing. 

Early on in the caption, focus on natural language keywords your audience would actually search for. For instance, a beauty brand may ask influencers to include language such as “hydrating face mask for dry skin.” 

While it’s important to avoid filler or overly branded language that doesn’t align with search intent, you should still look for opportunities to naturally integrate core brand-focused keywords or messages. This helps support search visibility without compromising the creator’s voice or authenticity.

For current campaigns already in production, revisit your strategy to ensure influencers’ captions match how consumers are searching. 

2. Add on-screen text to Reels.

Google can’t “watch” your Instagram content, but it can read what’s written on-screen. Text overlays should reinforce the subject of the Reel (e.g. product name, tutorial topic, etc.) and include descriptive or benefit-driven phrases. This not only improves accessibility, but also enhances SEO relevance. 

3. Rethink hashtags.

While hashtags have been around for a long time, they serve a different (and perhaps better) purpose with this new update. Rather than being just for in-app discovery, hashtags will now support search engine indexing. 

Include intent-based hashtags that align with what people search on Google, using fewer and more focused tags that match your caption’s theme. For instance, a recipe Reel could be paired with the hashtag #easyweeknightdinner or #highproteinmealprep. 

4. Track search and social performance together.

To tell a stronger ROI story, track influencer content performance across both search and social. Combine Instagram Insights data with Google Search Console metrics, and monitor keyword ranking, traffic sources, and metrics like CTR. Then, use this data to refine future creator briefs and identify top-performing formats.

5. Align with your SEO team.

Work closely with your Search team to:

• Identify strategic keywords and content gaps
• Develop seasonal plans that include creators
• Cross-link blog content and Instagram posts for better indexing

Consider performing SEO audits for past influencer content, refreshing captions with keywords and updating CTAs to increase long-tail performance.

Upgrade Your Strategy

This Instagram update signals a broader shift in the role of influencer content, from short-term social posts to long-term, search-optimized digital assets. For brands, this is an opportunity to drive more ROI, reach new audiences, and measure impact in a whole new way. Whether you're running always-on creator campaigns or planning your holiday launches, now is the time to think about influencer content as part of your SEO strategy. 

Need help evolving your influencer program for this new search-forward world? Get in touch with us for a custom strategy session with our team of in-house experts.