Instagram has reached a new milestone in its race for visibility. As of July 10, 2025, public publications from professional and creative accounts can now appear in Google search results.
For brands, especially in the fashion and home sectors, this is a real turning point! A golden opportunity to transform ephemeral content into a lever for lasting visibility, or even a long-tail SEO asset.
Here, Casaneo, experts in affiliation and influence marketing, explains the implications of this new law, what it changes in concrete terms and, above all, how you can adapt your strategy to make the most of it.
Instagram on Google: a game-changing update
Instagram was a world apart, hermetically sealed from search engines. Those days are over! From now on, public posts on “Business” and “Creator” accounts (users aged 18 and over) can be indexed by Google.
What does this mean in concrete terms?
- All visual formats (reels, carousels, static photos) can appear on Google, as long as the account is public.
- Automatic activation. No parameters to check to benefit from this visibility.
- Worldwide deployment. No need to wait if you’re in France, it’s already in place.
- For those who wish to remain in their own bubble, it is always possible to disable indexing via the account’s privacy settings.
For your brand, influencer content is no longer just “social”, it’s also becoming “searchable”. In other words: your Instagram posts can finally appear where your customers are actively looking for you.
What are the benefits for brands and e-tailers?
It’s clear that Instagram’s presence on Google has undeniable advantages for your brand or online business.
Tenfold organic visibility
Imagine a customer typing “flowing linen dress summer 2025”, “casual chic summer look” or “cozy living room decorating ideas” into Google. And then she comes across the Reel of your favorite influencer wearing just that model. Visibility goes beyond subscribers. Your Instagram posts can reach Internet users in the midst of a purchasing decision. It’s a jackpot!
A longer lifespan for your content
On Instagram, a publication is often visible for 48 hours, 72 hours at most. Thanks to Google, that same content can resurface weeks or months later, in the wake of searches. A real bonus for the ROI of your influencer campaigns.
A new SEO gateway
And because your publications are accessible on Google, your Instagram campaigns also contribute to your natural referencing strategy. A well thought-out publication can boost your visibility on strategic keywords previously reserved for blog posts or product sheets.
Better performance measurement
With this update, likes and shares are no longer the only indicators. You can analyze traffic from Google via Search Console or Instagram Insights (“external sources” section). It’s perfect for justifying your influence budgets.
Closer collaboration between influence and SEO
With this radical change, SEO copywriters, social media managers and influence managers can work together on the same content.
- SEO specialists can help identify high-intent keywords for inclusion in captions or on-screen text.
- Media buying teams can use naturally ranked publications to boost their impact in paid campaigns.
- Influencer managers can identify gaps in the overall SEO strategy and fill them with targeted visual content.
This double leverage effect creates new opportunities to amplify visibility and enhance the value of the most engaging content.
What strategies should you adopt to leverage Instagram on Google?
Of course, Instagram’s presence on Google means you need to activate new levers to take full advantage of this new situation. Here are the best strategies to adopt, whatever your sector of activity.
Optimize captions for search
From now on, the first 125 characters of an Instagram caption become very valuable. You need to think of them as an SEO headline:
- Use natural language, close to what your target might type into Google, such as “Comfortable look for air travel”.
- Include keywords right at the start of the caption, without overpowering the tone.
- Avoid overly technical brand jargon or incomprehensible private jokes outside an Insta context.
Tip: work on your influencer briefs to include key wording to be inserted naturally into the caption.
Add on-screen text to Reels
We all know that Google doesn’t read videos. But it does read what’s written on them. Take advantage:
- Add a text overlay with the Reel theme (“Dry skin care routine”, “5 ideas for a bright living room”).
- Use clear, descriptive expressions.
- Thinkaccessibility. Legible text is good for SEO and for your audience.
Tip: anticipate these elements right from the content design stage to avoid post-production back-and-forth.
Hashtags are no longer just for trendsetters. They can now contribute to search engine indexing.
- Give preference to long-tail hashtags in French, related to the user query. Example: #tenueétéconfortable, #astucesdécointemporelle.
- Avoid overload (#fashion #look #style), preferring 3 to 5 targeted hashtags.
Tip: think of your hashtags like you think of SEO tags: useful, precise and relevant.
To maximize your ROI, cross-reference data from Instagram and Google.
- In Instagram Insights, look at “external sources”.
- In Google Search Console, track the appearance of your Instagram URLs in the results.
- Analyze click-through rates, associated keywords and traffic peaks.
Tip: create a monthly tracking table with publications, targeted keywords and results obtained.
Work hand in hand with your SEO team
Social media and SEO teams now need to work closely together.
- Together, we’ll identify high-intention keywords related to your universe.
- Plan your influencer campaigns according to seasons, search peaks and trends.
- Build bridges between your blog content and your Instagram posts.
Tip: do you have evergreen content? Don’t hesitate to republish or re-optimize a high-performing Reel. Rework the caption to rank your Instagram post higher on Google.
Towards a new era of influencer marketing
With this update, Instagram becomes a hybrid playground, halfway between social network and visual search engine. For brands and e-tailers, this is a godsend, as the same content can now meet several objectives: branding, engagement and SEO.
Influencer campaigns are gaining in strategic depth. They’re no longer just about “looking good in the feed”, they’re about nurturing brand visibility over the long term.
Optimize your influencer campaigns on Instagram and Google with Casaneo!
