Your Instagram Posts Are Now on Google. Here’s What to Do About It.
Starting July 10, 2025, your public Instagram posts—if you’re using a business or creator account—can show up on Google. Not just your profile. Not just a tagged image. The actual posts: Reels, photos, captions, videos. Searchable, indexable, exposed. This changes how people discover you. It also changes how you should think about what you post.
Instagram Isn’t a Walled Garden Anymore
For years, Instagram content lived in isolation. If someone wasn’t following you, or didn’t know to search inside the app, they probably never saw your posts. Now, that wall is down. Google can crawl your content the same way it does blog posts or product pages. That makes your Instagram feed part of the open web. If someone searches for “wedding photographer in Portsmouth,” and you’ve posted about that, your work might show up—right next to directory listings or Yelp pages.
It’s a win for visibility. But it comes with baggage.
Who This Applies To
If your Instagram account meets all of the following, your content can be indexed by search engines:
- It’s a business or creator account
- It’s set to public
- You’re 18 or older
- The post was created after January 1, 2020
If you’re using a personal account, or you’ve made your profile private, nothing changes.
What This Means for Your Business
This update gives your Instagram real SEO weight. Before, you could optimize your website for keywords and rely on hashtags for Instagram reach. Now, those worlds overlap.If you’re a business, you can treat Instagram as an extension of your website—especially if you don’t have one. A few examples:
- A bakery can now rank in search for “custom birthday cakes in Dover” just by using that phrase in a caption.
- A home stager can show up for “before and after living room staging” by posting a simple Reel with a good alt tag.
- A stylist posting outfit breakdowns with city tags might show up for “fall fashion Concord NH.”
This isn’t theoretical. It’s already happening.
Instagram Settings to Enable Google Indexing
Before you do anything else, make sure your Instagram settings are configured correctly. Even if your content is amazing, it won’t show up on Google unless these boxes are checked:
1. Make Sure You’re Using a Professional Account. Only Business or Creator accounts are eligible.
- Go to your profile
- Tap the menu (☰) → Settings and Privacy
- Tap Account Type and Tools
- If it says “Personal Account,” switch to Business or Creator
2. Set Your Account to Public. Private profiles will not be indexed by search engines.
- Go to Settings and Privacy
- Tap Account Privacy
- Make sure Private Account is turned OFF
3. Enable Search Engine Indexing. There’s a new toggle to control whether your content shows up in search engines.
- Go to Settings and Activity
- Scroll to Account Privacy (or search for it directly in the search bar)
- Turn ON: “Allow public photos and videos to appear in search engine results”
This setting only exists for professional accounts that are public
4. Review Alt Text Settings (Optional but Recommended). Instagram lets you manually add alt text to each photo or video post.
- When posting, tap Advanced Settings
- Tap Write Alt Text
- Enter a clear, descriptive sentence that reflects the image
5. Turn On Location Tagging (Optional but Helpful for Local SEO). Tag your post locations to show up in location-based search results.
- When posting, tap Add Location
- Choose the relevant city, neighborhood, or venue
How to Prepare (Without Overhauling Everything)
You don’t need to rewrite your feed. But you should take a closer look at what’s public—and how you’re writing it.
1. Clean up your last 6–12 months of posts. Archive anything that might seem off-brand to someone seeing you for the first time. Old promotions, inside jokes, awkward phrasing. If it’s unclear or doesn’t age well, it shouldn’t live in search.
2. Use clear captions. You don’t need SEO formulas. Just write like you’re describing the photo to someone who found it with no context. “Modern quartz kitchen in York, Maine” will go farther than “obsessed with this one.”
3. Fill out your alt text. Instagram lets you add it manually. Use it. Don’t stuff keywords. Just describe what’s in the image in plain language. Google reads this.
4. Add locations. Geo-tagged content can show up in local search. If you’re a local business and not tagging your town or city, you’re missing a simple way to get found.
5. Stay consistent. Accounts that post regularly tend to get crawled more often. It’s not just about one post going viral—it’s about staying present.
Don’t Want to Be Indexed?
You can opt out.
- Go to Instagram → Settings → Account Privacy
- Turn off “Allow public photos and videos to appear in search results”
Or, if you don’t need the professional features, switch to a personal account and keep your profile private.
The Risk: You Lose Control of Context
One problem: Google doesn’t understand tone. A post that works perfectly for your followers could feel confusing—or worse—out of place in a search result.
Examples:
- A sarcastic caption could be read literally
- A post meant to be casual might show up next to formal business listings
- Something deleted might still live in search for weeks, maybe longer
Once something’s indexed, it’s out there. You can’t pull it back instantly. So post with that in mind. If it wouldn’t make sense outside of your follower base, rethink it or move it to Stories (which don’t get indexed—for now).
What This Signals
Instagram and Google merging like this isn’t random. It’s part of a larger shift: social platforms becoming searchable. Content you post on social is no longer just “content”—it’s part of your digital footprint. The brands and businesses that win will be the ones who treat each platform not as a silo, but as a piece of a bigger presence.
Final Thought
If you’re running a business, this is good news—but only if you adapt. Your Instagram feed just became part of your Google presence. Start treating it that way. If you’re not sure whether your posts are ready for this kind of visibility, take 30 minutes this week and read through them like a stranger would. Not a fan. Not a follower. A stranger who just typed something into Google. Then decide what should stay, what should go, and what to post next. Your feed’s no longer just for your audience. It’s for the world.
Ready to Turn Your Instagram Into a Search-Optimized Sales Tool?
At SC Digital, we help businesses turn social media content into real visibility—and real results. If you’re not sure your Instagram is set up for search (or if you want to make it work harder for your business), we can help.