Arche Social Media Team
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Do you already own a website and understand Google SEO? Google analytics, the google search console, keywords? Well, I have some great news for you. A lot of that information will feel pretty identical, but there are some glaring differences. These two systems are answering different questions and ranking content in different ways. Let's take a look at how they compare
What's Similar Between Google SEO and Instagram SEO?
At their core, Google SEO and Instagram SEO share the same purpose: creating an algorithm that understands context so it can match the user with the most relevant content.
Beyond that, there are several other similarities that really connect the two:
Beyond that, there are several other similarities that really connect the two:
- Literal will always beat cleverness: What does this mean? Instagram and Google BOTH prefer clear H1's and title tags over vague phrasing. Putting explicit terms in your profile name helps optimize your profile for local or service-based searches. Your name shouldn't just be John Doe, it should be John Doe | Los Angeles Injury Lawyer. Now both of those search engines can optimize you both in the Los Angeles and the Injury Lawyer area.
- Both Use Engagement As A Signal: Both algorithms use monitoring behavioral metrics to know if a piece of content is good. Google looks at click-through rates, dwell time, and bounce rates. Instagram uses watch time, saves, shares, and profile clicks. If a user moves away from the content quickly, both algorithms assume the content fails to captivate or satisfy the user
- Both are Used for Google Indexing: Now, Google crawls and indexes public Instagram reels. An Instagram can rank inside Instagram's native search and act as a mini landing page for ranking on Google.
Where does Google SEO and Instagram SEO differ?
- Google Optimizes for Google Search Results. Instagram optimizes multiple areas: the search bar, the explore page, reels tab, suggested/recommended.
- Google can take Months for SEO: Instagram? It's all about what's recent. A strong post from six months ago won't be pulling in regular traffic. Google cares about the age of your site.
- Engagement, while similar is very different: Google wants backlinks, site authority, and content quality signals. Instagram wants saves, shares, comments and watch times. A messy post that people interact with will win a well optimized boring post.
Public Instagram Accounts Can Be Shown on Google
Here's the great part about Instagram now: If your profile is public, it can show up on Google Search. Make a clean, keyword-rich instagram profile and it can show up just like a blog post would. Treat it similarly to traditional SEO and you'll be perfectly fine.
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