Public content from Instagram’s professional accounts to appear on Google from July 10

New Delhi: Instagram will begin allowing public content from professional accounts to appear in Google and other search engines starting July 10, 2025. The feature enables photos, videos, carousels and Reels from business and creator accounts to be indexed and surfaced in organic search results, changing how social media content is discovered beyond platform boundaries.

Public posts from users aged 18 and above with business or creator accounts will be included automatically, though the feature can be turned off manually through Instagram’s privacy settings. Users will find the option under Settings → Privacy → “Allow public photos and videos to appear in search engine results,” which is enabled by default for eligible accounts.

According to the report, Instagram’s indexing update does not involve technical changes to how search engines crawl content. Instead, visibility will be governed by user-level privacy controls. Personal and private accounts remain unaffected.

A social media strategy document from SaleSmartly notes the broader impact of the change, saying: “Instagram is no longer a walled garden. When your post shows up on Google's front page, new customers can flow in through an invisible door.” The shift reflects a departure from Instagram’s historically closed model and signals its entry into open web visibility.

Instagram content has already been appearing in search results to some extent. SEOZoom data shows that in Italy alone, Instagram content ranks for more than 669,000 keywords, with over 613,000 Reels indexed by Google. The data also indicates strong performance in top search positions, especially from the second to fourth slots.

The indexing update brings new implications for marketing and analytics. Professionals will need to track performance both on Instagram and in search environments, combining insights like click-through rates, keyword visibility and traffic sources with platform-native metrics such as reach, engagement and follower growth.

As content becomes searchable, captions now carry additional weight. The opening lines may function similarly to headlines in search results. Alt text, initially designed for accessibility, will also serve as indexable metadata, providing further context to search engines.

Hashtags, once used mainly for platform discovery, will now play a role in search engine optimisation. When aligned with relevant keywords, they will help surface posts in web search results. Instagram bios and pinned content may also require strategic updates, given their potential to appear in search listings.

Google Search Console is expected to reflect performance data for Instagram content, particularly around branded terms and relevant queries. At the same time, Instagram Insights will categorise incoming traffic from search engines under “External sources,” offering additional visibility into referral patterns and user demographics.

This development positions Instagram content alongside traditional web pages, YouTube videos and TikTok posts in competitive search environments. It also adds complexity for brands and creators, who must now balance content tailored for social engagement with formats optimised for search discoverability.

Context collapse may also become a concern, as posts created for specific audiences on Instagram gain wider visibility through search engines. This broader exposure means content decisions will carry more long-term weight than before, with indexed material remaining accessible even after social relevance fades.

The update comes amid broader trends in how search engines expand their indexing frameworks to include various content formats. It also reflects rising pressure from AI-driven tools that incorporate social content into their training data and output. According to the report, the shift signals that social media posts are becoming part of core digital infrastructure, reshaping how visibility, relevance and discovery function across platforms.