Instagram is no longer just a visual social platform—it’s quickly becoming a major player in search. With Google now indexing public posts from professional Instagram accounts, businesses are rethinking how they create, optimize, and invest in content.

A recent Adobe Express survey of 1,000 business owners and marketers reveals just how significant this shift has become—and why brands can’t afford to ignore “social SEO.”

Instagram’s New Role in Search

Google’s indexing update is reshaping content strategies across industries. More than half (53%) of marketers already know that Instagram content can appear in Google search results. For many, that awareness is leading to real changes:

• 1 in 4 businesses say SEO-optimized Instagram posts now outperform paid ads.
  62% of marketers believe social SEO will become even more important for brand discovery within the next two years.
• 30% have already changed their Instagram posting habits to improve search visibility.
• 58% plan to increase their Instagram content budgets within the next six months.

Businesses are recognizing that Instagram is no longer just a social tool—it’s a search engine in its own right.

What Marketers Are Doing Differently

Those adapting to this new SEO landscape are shifting their Instagram strategy in several key ways:

• Optimizing bios and profiles with keywords (37%)
• Writing longer, search-friendly captions (33%)
• Creating evergreen, search-optimized posts (23%)
• Adding ALT text for better accessibility and indexing (23%)
• Using fewer, more intentional hashtags (19%)
• Including link trees with keyword-rich anchors (17%)

These tactics help boost visibility on both Instagram’s native search and Google’s broader search ecosystem.

Interestingly, while 72% of brands say they were already optimizing social posts for search, nearly 24% admit that this is a completely new strategy for them.

Are Social SEO Efforts Paying Off?

Marketers say yes.

• 23% report that Instagram SEO content now drives more traffic than paid ads or traditional SEO.
• 51% say Instagram SEO sometimes performs better depending on the content.
• Only 15% still see paid ads or standard SEO outperforming Instagram content.

When asked about the biggest benefits of optimizing Instagram for search, respondents pointed to:

• Higher engagement (65%)
• More website traffic (54%)
• Steady follower growth (51%)

These numbers highlight Instagram’s growing influence across multiple marketing performance metrics.

The Future of Instagram & SEO

Looking forward, 62% of marketers believe that social SEO will become a major driver of brand discovery in the next one to two years. Nearly 15% expect that shift to accelerate even sooner—within the next six months.

This change reinforces an important reality:

Social platforms and traditional search are no longer separate. They’re merging.

Brands that build search-friendly social content now will gain a long-term advantage in visibility, engagement, and growth

As Instagram and social platforms continue reshaping how brands appear in search, partnering with specialists who understand this evolution is more important than ever. SEO Guru NYC helps businesses adapt to these shifts with strategies designed to strengthen visibility across Google and social search ecosystems. Our team uses proven, data-driven methods to optimize content, enhance discoverability, and boost long-term growth.

If you’re ready to elevate your brand with guidance from New York’s trusted SEO specialists, connect with us and take the next step toward stronger digital performance.