How to Find Keywords on Instagram for Business
When I started learning social media management I found that there were a lot of buzz words that content creators used. Most of them just straight up confused me.
“Keywords” was one of them. Everyone and their mom was talking about '“keywords” and “finding keywords” but not a single person would explain what a keyword was or breakdown exactly how to find one.
Thus I decided to solve the puzzle myself through many youtube tutorials, a handful of DMs to random content creators, and a little bit of trial and error.
I now present to you, the keyword tutorial I wished I had back when I started social media management.
Keyword? I don’t know her.
Keywords live everywhere. Any place on the internet, there will be keywords. Think of them like this:
When you want to find a new coffee shop near you, what do you type into Google (or Instagram)?
For me, I would type in “pretty coffee shop near me with good wifi”. My search engine would then give me coffee shops that fit that description.
If I am the owner of a coffee shop that fits that description, I want to make sure my shop comes up when that person searches.
The keywords in this example are “pretty coffee shop” and “coffee shop with good wifi”.
To make sure my shop appears when people search for me, I want to include these words everywhere I can (without making it spammy!)
What are Keywords for?
Keywords help categorize your content so that people searching for businesses like yours can find you.
They exist on Google and every single social media platform.
You can optimize your website and social media platforms so that people who are looking for businesses like yours can find you. This is called Search Engine Optimization, or SEO.
Where Do I Find Keywords on Instagram?
Contrary to what I thought when I first started, keywords aren’t hiding from you. They are quite literally everywhere you look. The easiest way to find keywords in your niche is through Instagram’s “Search” feature. To start your search:
Go to magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the app.
Type in a word or two that connects to your niche in the search bar.
Before pressing the blue search button, notice the recommendations it comes up with. These are common things people are searching for. These are keywords you can use!
Repeat this by typing other words that connect to your niche until you have a list of around 10 keywords.
Another place to find keywords is in hashtags. Hashtags themselves are just fancy keywords. We will go over hashtags more in depth tomorrow, but for now, just note that the hashtags that you place on your posts also help categorize it for people to find it.
Where Do I Put Keywords?
Keywords should be placed wherever you can place them, WITHOUT being spammy. Reading your content should still sound natural. Don’t throw keywords in just to throw them in. To categorize your content, Instagram scans:
Captions.
Hashtags.
Text added in Instagram’s in-app editing software.
Bio.
Social handle.
Account name.
Closed captions on reels.
Your Challenge: Find 10 keywords! 📸
It’s time to go on your own keyword hunt! Grab a notebook, a pen, and hop onto Instagram!
Make a list of your top 10 keywords that people may search to find a business like yours.
They can be as simple as a title (ex: social media manager) or location (ex: Minnesota), or more complex (ex: digital marketing strategy for small business).
Try to have an equal amount of simple and complex keywords. We will be using both types for our upcoming lessons!
Happy searching!
