The main goal of search engines, such as Google or Microsoft Bing, is to show content that is as relevant as possible to what the user is looking for.
For this very reason, SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) are often composed of websites, YouTube videos, local business listings, and much more.
One of the advantages of social networks is that a post can be shown among search results while the user is browsing.
In this case, the content is said to have been indexed! Indexing is the process by which a search engine analyzes and stores a web page in its database, making it available in the SERPs.
Let’s focus on Instagram because big news is coming starting July 10, 2025!
Until today, Instagram requested search engines NOT TO INDEX user content. However, since Meta does not own or control third-party search engines, it allowed an exception for accounts that met all of these requirements:
- The account holder is over 18 years old
- The account is public
- The account is a professional profile (creator or business)
In these cases, public posts and reels published since January 1, 2020, could be indexed by search engines, although it was not an automatic rule.
It was still at the discretion of search engines to decide if and what to show in the results.
But what changes from July 10, 2025?
While still respecting the three criteria listed above, Instagram will automatically activate permission for search engines to show public photos and videos in search results.
It will no longer be just “possible”: it will be explicitly allowed and promoted by Instagram.
Before it was an exception, now it will be the rule: all public content will be able to appear in search engines!
Obviously, Instagram allows users to disable the indexing of their content at any time. Simply change the privacy settings in your account.
In conclusion, when creating content for social media, it is always advisable to include relevant keywords or concepts that can help search engines like Google surface that post among SERP results. This way, you increase brand visibility and better reach your target audience!
