Sign up to view this video
Join NowHashtags, Keywords and SEO
Watch time: 3 minutes and 40 seconds
The official limit for hashtags per post is still 30, but Instagram has recently recommended using only 3-5 hashtags per post for optimal engagement.This insight was shared in a recent update on the official Instagram @Creators account.
With the introduction of Keywords and SEO, the 3 key factors (Hashtags, Keywords & SEO) now work together to increase your post performance and profile discoverability.
Hashtags: Your Pathway to Audience Discovery
Think of hashtags as pathways that guide people to your content based on interests. They act like digital signposts that categorise your posts, making them searchable and helping you get discovered by people who are looking for content just like yours. When someone searches or follows a hashtag, they’re usually looking for specific, focused content related to that tag.
Best for: Expanding your reach to new followers and communities who are actively engaging with or following the hashtags you use.
How to use them: Select a mix of popular, niche, and branded hashtags that align with your content. This balance helps your post get seen by both broad and highly targeted audiences.
Keywords & SEO on Instagram: Building Long-Term Discoverability
Now, Instagram SEO is about using keywords strategically within your content to build long-term discoverability. Instagram’s algorithm has gotten a lot smarter and can now ‘read’ text in your bio, captions, and even the text within images or videos. This means the words you use help Instagram understand your account's focus, so it can recommend you to the right audience over time.
Best for: Establishing a consistent, searchable presence on Instagram so people find you through broader interests.
How to use them: Be intentional with the words you use in your bio, captions, and alt text. Think about the terms your ideal followers might type into the search bar. For example, if you’re a digital marketing coach, try to include “digital marketing” or “social media tips” naturally in your profile and captions.
Here is a previous post on how you can use Instagram’s Alt-Txt feature to boost your discoverability:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzVg3gTvO6Q/
You can also look to these two posts for further insight into Hashtags, Keywords & SEO:
Here is a free resource where you can put your hashtag sets into a generator to confirm that none of the hashtags you are using are banned:https://metahashtags.com/banned-hashtags/
Via the same resource, you can look up the up-to-date banned hashtags by clicking the [SHOW LIST] button on the right hand side. There are currently 1863 banned hashtags.
