In an age where digital trumps almost everything else, social media, including Instagram, is a very powerful tool for marketers and advertisers. Because of Instagram’s highly visual content, it is not surprising that it instantly appeals both to customers and advertisers alike. In addition to that, Instagram has its own search features, which also double up as SEO advertising.
However, much like any marketing channel, you cannot just go on Instagram posting photos, videos, and content without a clear and cohesive strategy. It is vital to know how to do SEO for Instagram if you want to be successful in maximizing SEO and Instagram marketing. Otherwise, you won’t be converting your content into sales as easily, wasting valuable time and resources.
Everyone tells you what you should do for your Instagram SEO, but that doesn’t tell you where mistakes can be made. To cover some of the pitfalls to avoid in your Instagram SEO, peruse our list below.
Instagram SEO Tips: What Not to Do!
1. Do not let your Instagram feed become disorganized and incoherent.
The cardinal rule in maintaining an Instagram account is to keep your feed cohesive and organized, or it won’t be visually appealing to the visitor. Having a messy feed is a major turn off for most Instagram users. A messy feed will make your business look very unprofessional and unauthentic. As such, you have to make sure that you have one central theme that encapsulates everything in your feed. Delete all photos and videos that look like they are not part of the group or look like outliers. Not only that, but also make sure that everything else is consistent with your branding. These include your captions, tags, grid layout, and any other features. Perfectly curated content is easily the best way to attract as many followers on Instagram as possible.
2. Do not swarm your posts with irrelevant hashtags.
Hashtags are one of the coolest and trendiest facets of social media nowadays, and so businesses usually incorporate these into their posts. However, one huge mistake of those using Instagram SEO is to swarm their post with lots of irrelevant hashtags. This will not help you and will only lead to a smaller number of impressions. If it’s not relevant, then your content is not what people wanted to see when they searched for that particular hashtag. You want the people that are looking for you to find you.
As such, if you really want to maximize your use of hashtags, the best way is to pick out those hashtags that are pertinent to your business and are going to bring interested parties to you. With this, someone who searches for the hashtag and finds your brand will want to see more. Your chances of this user becoming a customer can only increase from there.
3. Do not use complicated usernames.
Usernames are the most common way for people to search for pages on Instagram. If your username is too complicated, users might as well forget it immediately and stop looking for you. Make it as easy as possible but also relevant to your business. Think of a username that customers will likely associate with your brand. In most cases, the username is usually derived from your business name to make it easier for the customer to remember.
4. Do not focus too much on quantity.
Some brands that use SEO and Instagram think that the more they post, the greater chances they have of attracting customers. While this is true to a certain extent, especially on other platforms, it won’t help you as much here. The focus should be on quality, not quantity. No matter how many pictures you post on your feed, if these aren’t properly tailored to your audience, then it won’t help you achieve your Instagram SEO goals. In line with this, you should avoid posting duplicate photos or advertisements, as this gives the wrong impression — namely that you are running out of good things to show to the customer.
With over a billion active users logging on every month, using Instagram for SEO marketing is one sure way to increase your brand awareness. All you need is the proper strategy and extra effort in ensuring that your Instagram account is always perfect. At Advanced Digital Media Services, our professional social media marketers know how to do SEO for Instagram and multiple other platforms. Should you want to work with us, start by filling out the form below!
