How to Use Instagram Content to Rank for Local SE0
Published on 29.10.2025 by Chizoba T
According to a 2020 Instagram update, users can now search for general keywords. This is unlike the past when they could only search for hashtags, profiles, and locations. This is why incorporating Instagram SEO into your strategy is now essential.
Just like SEO is important for Google ranking, social media platforms also have search functionality. That means optimizing your posts and profile to grow your reach on the platform is as important as optimizing Instagram posts for Google Search. This guide will walk you through the steps of utilizing Instagram content to improve local SEO rankings.
What is Instagram Local SEO?
Instagram local SEO involves optimizing your Instagram profiles and posts to make them easier for people to discover when searching for local products or services on Instagram and other platforms. This involves incorporating your target keywords into the bio, captions, and posts. It also consists of using local hashtags and ensuring that your details are accurately captured so they appear in location-based searches.
When you follow the best Instagram SEO practices, you increase your chances of getting discovered by people searching for keywords related to your business in your locality. This can translate into more followers, likes, and views.
Why Ranking For Instagram Local SEO Matters
Whether on Instagram or Google, Local SEO is considered the key traffic driver. This can be attributed to people searching for local keywords, such as "near me," often having a higher purchase intent. The SEO subset has proven useful because it can transform online searches into local store visitors. This means it can have one of the highest ROIs and, therefore, be an essential long-term social media growth strategy.
With Google and social media platforms continually refining their algorithms to deliver more relevant results to users, they now treat “near me” keywords as an indicator of proximity. By capitalizing on the search trend, different optimization methods are needed. When you properly execute Instagram local SEO, you can optimize your visibility in the search rankings, making it possible to attract more attention and clicks from your local area.
Instagram Local SEO Tips
When optimizing for local SEO, consider the following tips:
Identify Your Keywords
You should know the keywords you want to target on Instagram. Remember that if you target the wrong keyword, you may receive poor-quality traffic. You can determine the right keyword to target by using keyword research tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, and Wordstream.
Ensure you distinguish between broad and long-tail keywords. While broad keywords, also known as head terms, are searched for more often, they can be harder to rank for and usually lack clear search intent. For instance, when someone searches for keywords like "chiropractor," they may be seeking information on what a chiropractor does, whether their services are effective, and more.
On the other hand, the long-tail keyword is particular. For instance, when someone searches for a phrase like "walk-in chiropractor near me," it is clear they are looking for the service; therefore, the term has high search intent, as you want to convert your visitors. It's a better option for driving more conversions.
While it may be tempting to optimize for both traffic to the broader term, remember that your followers' Instagram search differs from Google. You may even need to use hashtag research tools like keyword.io and Ingramers.app. These can be great tools for getting the right hashtags for your service-based business.
Instagram Profile Optimization
The Instagram profile field is usually searchable, so be sure to include the name of your city in your bio and add the business category. For instance, if you are a chiropractor in Sedona, this is where you highlight that.
Ensure that you use keywords that customers may use to search for businesses in your industry, such as “chiropractor services in Sedona”. Your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) should be consistent. Ask your customers to leave reviews on Instagram, as they help establish your business's credibility and reputation.
Tag Location
Adding the business or city location is one way to ensure that your content is shown to people in your area. When you tag a location, you increase visibility in geographical searches, helping you connect with people in your local area. To do this in your Instagram post, tap “Add location” after opening the new post screen. You can also add the area to a story through the location sticker.
Use Local Hashtags
Hashtags are important because they help in the discoverability of content on Instagram. Using local hashtags makes it easier for people in your area to discover the content, increasing visibility and engagement as your posts appear in location-based searches.
This is why, when you search for #YourCityName on hashtags, you might see some local businesses, community leaders, and even politicians with a large following. You can also appear in these searches by including the relevant hashtags in your posts and comments.
Follow Instagram Accounts in Your City
Following accounts within your locality may make it easier for new audiences to discover you through the algorithm suggestions. This can provide you with ideas for the content that resonates with people in your location.
You can use the Instagram search bar to find the name of your city and discover the posts with a location tag. Then, you can select “Recent” to view the most recent posts. With the "Explore Places" tab, you can use local hashtags or find local businesses, community groups, or influencers.
Like and Comment on Local Accounts
Once you find other accounts in your area, be sure to follow them as well. You can contribute to the posts by offering a word of encouragement, congratulations, or a simple “thank you”. While Instagram is a virtual community, there is nothing wrong with supporting your local community and giving them a shoutout.
Reshare Local Content
People in your local community may find the information helpful. Whether it's events or a news story, they will find the information to help build a community. Therefore, incorporate this information into your story and share the love.
Host a Contest
Freebies are one of the best ways of driving engagement on your Instagram posts. Once Instagram notices that your posts are receiving a lot of likes, comments, and shares, it's more likely to recommend them to others. However, when hosting a contest, you must ensure that you follow Instagram's promotion guidelines. Ensure that you ask your community to spread the news about the content.
Final Thoughts
Instagram local SEO can help businesses increase their regional visibility and generate high-intent local leads that are readily convertible. It's also a great way of building authority and credibility within your community. Local SEO enables you to easily connect with customers searching for products or services within your niche. This is why Instagram local SEO should be part of your strategy. If you get stuck, you can follow the steps above.