The line between social media apps and search engine platforms keeps getting blurrier. As of July 2025, Instagram now officially allows Google and other search engines (if people still use those…shoutout Bing?) to index public posts from professional accounts. This includes Reels, captions, and posts, making them searchable outside the app. Technically this has been happening for years, but now that its officially official, it means content will be pushed even more.

Here are three things you should know about this change and what it means for your brand:

1. Instagram Content Now Plays a Role in SEO: While search engines have been pulling in short form video from YouTube and TikTok for a while now, in the past Instagram had discouraged search platforms from pulling in content. But now, your Instagram content can appear in search results, especially when people search for brand names, categories, or keywords. Professional accounts can toggle this feature on/off in the app, but for a brand that wants to increase its reach, we suggest keeping it on.
   
   
   
2. Use SEO-Driven Captions and Hashtags: If your content is being indexed, the text you use now matters beyond Instagram – it plays a role in how people find your content on Google. Our advice: Treat Instagram captions like mini blog posts, using keywords that people might use when doing a Google search on the topic of the post.
   
   
   
3. Social Media Is the New Search Engine, Especially For Gen Z: The update is a natural response to how younger users already behave online. 41% of Gen Z now use social media platforms as their primary way to search online, so reframing your Instagram strategy to also mimic your search strategy will optimize your content for both discoverability and shareability.

This update isn’t just a technical change – it’s part of a broader evolution where search and social are overlapping. Google is showcasing social content and social platforms are becoming discovery tools, leading to more ways social can strengthen your relationship with consumers.

Need help optimizing your content? Let’s talk!

Sources:

1. Varnish | Meta announces Instagram update set to shake up search

2. Forbes | What Google Indexing Instagram Means For Your Business Visibility

3. Sprout Social | New Research from Sprout Social Finds Social Media is the Top Place Gen Z Turns to for Search, Surpassing Traditional Search Engines