Instagram opens up to Google and Bing: What it means for visibility, creators, and marketers

Did you know? Instagram opens up search visibility beyond the app. Until now, Instagram content has primarily been confined to its app ecosystem. But that’s changing. Starting July 10, 2025, professional public Instagram posts can now appear in Google and Bing search results, for the first time.

That means your reels, photos, and videos could soon be showing up next to blogs, news articles, and YouTube videos when someone searches on Google.

It’s a small policy shift with big implications for creators, marketers, and businesses using Instagram to grow and expand their reach.

In this blog, we’ll break down what’s changing, who it impacts, and how you can optimize your content for this new wave of discovery, right from the open web.

What’s changing: Instagram content will now be indexed by search engines

Instagram is now allowing Google and Bing to index public content from professional accounts, a significant shift for a platform that previously blocked this via its robots.txt file.

In its user notifications, Instagram highlights that “More people could discover your professional account content outside of Instagram,” signaling a major shift in how content is surfaced and consumed.

Here’s what’s new:

1. Any public post, reel, or video from a professional account can now appear in search results.
2. The change only applies to accounts where users are:
   
   1. Over 18 years old
   2. Using a professional account
   3. Set to public visibility

This means if you’re a content creator, marketer, or brand using a professional profile, your public posts can now be discovered outside the app, without requiring users to log in.

Why this matters: A new visibility channel for professional content

Instagram has long been a confined space. This update opens the gate.

Now, people searching for products, names, or visual content on Google or Bing could land on your Instagram post, even if they’ve never used the app.

For marketers, this means:

• Opening up new ground for search-based discovery.
• More visibility for branded visuals and reels.
• Exposure to audiences beyond your followers or hashtag reach.
• Potential traffic and engagement from users searching the open web.

And for creators? Your best content can now compete in the same space as blogs, YouTube videos, and Pinterest pins.

How to get your Instagram content indexed (and when it won’t)

Instagram will automatically enable indexing by default for all eligible professional business accounts, but you can choose to opt out. Here’s a quick glance at when your Instagram content is eligible or not for search indexing:

Pro Tip: Head to Settings → Privacy → Search Engine Indexing to review or change your preferences.

Even older content will be included. Here’s what to know

Instagram isn’t just indexing new content moving forward. This update also includes:

• Posts and reels dating back to January 1, 2020
• Remixed content (if remixing is enabled on your account)
• Previously uploaded content by users who are now 18+

This means years of content could become discoverable overnight, giving long-time creators and brands a new chance to surface in search results.

Important note: Stories, highlights, and profile bios are still excluded from indexing. Only grid posts, reels, and videos will appear.

Can you control what gets removed?

If you opt out later or change your privacy settings, Instagram will stop allowing new indexing. But it can’t force third-party search engines, like Google, to remove previously indexed content immediately.

That means some older content may linger in search results for a while after settings are updated.

Still, Instagram has requested that engines avoid indexing stories, highlights, and off-grid content, but once something is indexed, it can be viewed and shared freely.

What this means for marketers, creators, and businesses

This change transforms how Instagram fits into the broader search marketing ecosystem.

For marketers:

• Brand content can now rank in Google, helping with product discovery, reputation, and funnel entry.
• Visual-first campaigns now have SEO potential outside of the Instagram feed.
• Professional services, local businesses, and creators can reach people before they even open the app.

For creators:

• You now have dual visibility, within Instagram and on search engines.
• Optimizing Instagram captions, alt text, and video titles can help your content reach a broader audience.
• Evergreen content (e.g., tutorials, educational reels) has a longer shelf life through search.

Start planning for visual SEO

This isn’t just a social media update. It’s a search opportunity.

Whether you’re a creator looking to grow your audience or a brand managing a multi-platform strategy, it’s time to start thinking about visual SEO:

• Use searchable keywords in your post captions.
• Add descriptive alt text where possible.
• Optimize for shareability, not just social media engagement.
• Repurpose high-performing content into search-friendly formats.

When reels and posts can rank alongside blogs and videos, it changes how content drives discovery. This is your chance to get ahead of it.

Manage social discovery like a pro with Birdeye 

Now that Instagram content can show up in search results, your posts need to work harder, catching attention both in-app and on Google.

But managing that kind of visibility at scale isn’t easy, especially when you’re juggling multiple accounts, content calendars, and brand guidelines.

Birdeye Social AI changes that.

Instead of spending hours brainstorming, editing, and scheduling posts, you get a smarter system that handles the busywork while keeping everything on-brand.

Here’s how it works:

• The Social Publishing Agent doesn’t just schedule posts; it crafts them using your brand’s voice and local audience needs.

• Brand AI studies your existing content, like your website, brochures, and past social posts, to make sure everything sounds like you.
• Industry AI is built for your niche, whether it’s dentistry, real estate, or local restaurants, and ensures content feels relevant and timely.

Whether you’re running one account or managing 50 locations, Birdeye gives you the tools to:

• Generate Instagram content ideas using AI.
• Post Instagram Stories, Reels, and carousels across locations in bulk.
• Schedule posts in advance with one-click automation.
• Add strategic first comments and manage the link in bio consistently.
• Track your content’s search and social performance from a single dashboard.

This means you can optimize for both engagement and discovery on Instagram and in search results, without juggling multiple tools or workflows.

As Instagram breaks out of its app boundaries, Birdeye helps your business show up consistently, whether someone finds you on a hashtag, in their Explore tab, or through a Google search. With Birdeye’s social media management tools, your brand stays discoverable wherever potential customers are looking.

FAQs for Instagram visibility on search

Final takeaway: Instagram is no longer just a social channel

With this update, Instagram content becomes part of the broader search discovery universe. For creators and marketers, that means new audiences, new traffic, and new competition.

Make sure your content is ready to compete. Want to learn how Birdeye helps you stay visible across all channels? Watch a free demo now.