It feels like I have been talking about “social search” forever, having written an Instagram post on it back in September 2023 sharing an example of how I “searched Instagram” in Glasgow in 2018 to find a place to have brunch in … fast forward to today, and searching social media has become second nature for millions of people, it’s how we decide where to eat, shop, or even the latest books to read.
As someone who’s worked in digital marketing for over 12 years (and marketing more broadly for nearly 24), this shift feels natural to me. But what’s interesting now is how mainstream it has become. Searching social media isn’t just something a few of us do – it’s become part of everyday language for users and businesses alike.
Especially after the new (not actually new) Instagram and Google indexing shift.
The way we “find stuff” has changed.
Evolved really. This conversation feels brand new and “trendy” at the moment – especially after that recent spate of updates and pop-ups on Instagram letting users know that “Google may now index your public content.” But this is less new news and more new-to-you. In fact, as Social Media Today reported, Google has been indexing public Instagram content since around 2020, mostly in the US, and it’s been rolling out globally (and quietly) for a few years now.
“Now, when people search for topics on Google, public Instagram content that’s relevant to that search may appear, even if they’re not logged into IG.”
What we’re seeing now is the shift becoming more visible.
More business users in the UK and beyond are noticing their content is discoverable outside of the app. More people are using Instagram and TikTok to search. And more businesses are starting to realise that social platforms aren’t just for followers anymore – they’re part of the whole SEO ecosystem.
What is social SEO?
Social SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the skill of making your social content easier to discover (think keywords) – not just by your existing followers, but by anyone “searching” on social or elsewhere. It’s how people discover content on platforms like Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn. This includes people searching within platforms (like someone typing “coffee shop in Aberdeen” into Instagram or TikTok), people searching outside platforms (like someone Googling “co-working space in Aberdeen”) and seeing your Reel in the results.
So Social SEO is about meeting that user behaviour – matching your content to what your audience is already looking for. Think keywords, common search terms in your industry, FAQs type content.
Google is prioritising authentic, user-generated content and the likes of Instagram (other social media channels exist) are becoming part of the broader search landscape. So that means your everyday posts – if you answer a question, show your work, or help someone make a decision – are already doing a brilliant job of this.
Social SEO helps your content keep working – it builds visibility, credibility, and trust.
Honestly, this is cool. And it’s become pretty clear: your social media content doesn’t just live on the socials anymore, it can show up in search results and connect with people who’ve never heard of you before.
I covered keywords and social search in my recent Social Media for Business workshop and this still rings true: “if your Instagram caption explains what you do in clear, searchable language; it’s working harder for you. You don’t need to go viral. You need to be searchable.”
So why does this even matter?
Because the way people find and choose businesses or brands is evolving and your content might already be part of that decision-making process, even if you don’t realise it.
Someone might search “Aberdeen-based chiropractor” and land on your instagram post or type “bakery in Aberdeen” into Instagram and find your Reel or they might look up “brand photographer Edinburgh” and find your tagged location posts before your website.
This is important for you as the business owner running your social media because you don’t need a huge follower count, you just need to be searchable and you don’t need to post every day, just consistently and clearly.
How to make Social SEO part of your strategy.
Don’t panic, you don’t need to rip everything up and start again. It means making small, intentional changes around your bio, “about” section and to start thinking “keywords” when writing your social media captions.
You can try:
- Write social media captions with search in mind – use keywords and phrases your audience might type into Instagram, LinkedIn or Google.
- Instead of: “the dreamiest shoot yesterday” try “the dreamiest brand photography session with a small business owner in Edinburgh yesterday”
- Think like your target audience – what would they search for when looking for a business like yours? Use your FAQs as a guide for this and use those words (naturally) in your bio and captions. For example, if you’re a coach, are they searching for “confidence coach for creatives”? Or if you’re a photographer, is it “Aberdeen-based brand photographer for creative business owners”?
- Think matching user-search intent, not just jargon-stuffing
- Optimise your bio and about section like a mini homepage (character-count permitting of course) – say what you do, who you do it for, and where you are (if location matters)
- Create content that answers a question – what are your ideal clients asking? What questions pop up in conversation at work? Create a post that answers or talks to this.
- Be helpful (useful) and specific: “How to brief a designer for your first brand identity” or something like “What to include in your LinkedIn featured section”
I’m not talking about chasing the algorithm here, I’m talking about being searchable to the people who are already looking for a business just like yours. These intentional shifts (done consistently of course), build visibility that lasts longer than a trending audio could (I still absolutely love a trending audio though, but that’s a different strategy conversation!).
P.S. I’ve referenced Google throughout this article, but we all know that search is evolving fast – with AI tools and industry terms like GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) being talked about alongside (and sometimes above) traditional SEO. This article is focussed on social search and keywords and my intention isn’t to overwhelm or stuff with my industry buzzwords, it’s here to offer a few practical, human-first takeaways that any business owner can fold into their social media strategy today.
