How to do keyword research for Instagram

Keyword research for Instagram is fundamentally different from traditional search engines because Instagram is a discovery platform primarily driven by visuals, hashtags, and engagement, rather than direct text-based search.

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While Instagram does have a search bar, users often search for broad themes, interests, people, or places.

Effective keyword research here involves understanding how users discover content through hashtags, location tags, user profiles, and the Explore page, focusing on terms that categorize and connect your visual content with interested audiences.

Understanding Instagram Search Behavior and Discovery

Paragraphs: Instagram users typically discover content through several avenues: the Explore page (personalized content recommendations), hashtags, location tags, direct profile searches, and via Reels/Stories. Unlike Google, where users search for solutions, Instagram users often search for inspiration, entertainment, specific aesthetics, products, or community. Therefore, keyword research focuses on identifying highly relevant hashtags, descriptive terms for captions, and popular location tags that align with visual content and user interests. The intent is often observational, aspirational, or social.

• A user might search for “#travelphotography” to find beautiful images, not necessarily “best travel camera reviews.”
• Someone looking for fitness inspiration might search “fitness motivation,” “gym life,” or browse profiles tagged “#personaltrainer.”
• Visual-first discovery: Content must be visually appealing.
• Hashtag discovery: Primary way to categorize and find content.
• Explore Page: Driven by user interests and engagement.
• Location-based search: For local businesses or events.
• User/Profile search: Direct search for accounts.
• Brand/Product Search: Increasingly common for shopping.
• Aspirational/Inspirational Intent: “dream home,” “healthy lifestyle.”
  Bold Text: Instagram is driven by visuals and community discovery, making hashtag and descriptive keyword relevance paramount.

Leveraging Instagram’s Internal Search Bar

Paragraphs: Instagram’s internal search bar is the starting point for free keyword research. As you type a broad term, Instagram will suggest popular accounts, hashtags, places, and audio related to that query. The suggestions under the “Tags” tab (hashtags) are particularly valuable as they show terms with significant numbers of posts. This helps you identify popular hashtags within your niche and gauge their relative popularity. It also provides insights into trending topics and related themes that users are actively exploring on the platform.

• Type “vegan food” into Instagram search. You’ll see suggestions for accounts, places, but under “Tags,” you might see “#veganfoodie” (50M+ posts), “#veganrecipes” (30M+ posts), “#vegandinner” (10M+ posts).
• Search for “watercolor art.” You’ll find “#watercolorpainting,” “#watercolorartist,” “#watercolorflowers.”
• Initial broad search: Start with a general topic related to your content.
• Explore “Tags” tab: Note down popular hashtags and their post counts.
• Explore “Places” tab: If relevant, find popular location tags.
• Explore “Accounts” tab: Identify influential accounts using similar keywords in their bios or content.
• Iterate: Take a popular suggested hashtag and search for it again to find more niche-specific hashtags.
• Observe trending searches: Instagram occasionally highlights trending terms, which are excellent opportunities.
  Data/Stats: Instagram’s search bar provides the number of posts associated with each hashtag, giving a direct measure of its popularity and potential reach.

Analyzing Competitor Hashtags and Content

Paragraphs: A powerful method for Instagram keyword research is to analyze what your competitors or popular accounts in your niche are doing. Look at their top-performing posts (those with high likes, comments, and shares). What hashtags are they consistently using? How do they describe their photos and videos in their captions? What themes are they covering? This helps you identify effective hashtags, understand the language that resonates with your shared audience, and discover content ideas that are already proven to engage. Don’t just copy. understand the strategy behind their successful content.

• If you’re a fitness influencer, examine top fitness accounts. Do they consistently use “#fitnessjourney,” “#workoutmotivation,” “#healthyhabits,” or specific equipment hashtags like “#kettlebellworkout”?
• For a fashion brand, observe how competitor brands or fashion bloggers hashtag their outfits: “#ootd,” “#streetstyle,” “#fashionblogger,” “#sustainablefashion.”
• Identify 3-5 successful accounts in your niche.
• Scroll through their recent posts and identify frequently used hashtags.
• Analyze their caption style and the descriptive words they use for their visuals.
• Look at their “Highlights” and “Reels” to see their content pillars and associated keywords.
• Check their follower-to-engagement ratio to identify truly engaged communities.
• Pay attention to user comments – what questions are asked, and what language do followers use?
  Bold Text: Competitor analysis reveals effective hashtag strategies and content themes that resonate with your target audience.

Using Third-Party Hashtag Tools (Limited Free Options)

Paragraphs: While many robust Instagram analytics and hashtag tools are paid, some offer limited free trials or basic functionality that can be helpful. Tools like Flick.tech (paid, but can illustrate concepts), All Hashtag (free for basic generation), and Best-Hashtags.com can provide lists of related hashtags, sometimes categorized by popularity. These tools often leverage Instagram’s API or public data to suggest terms beyond what the native search bar might show in a single query. They can help you discover less competitive, niche hashtags that might drive more targeted engagement.

• Use All Hashtag to generate a list of related hashtags for “vegan desserts.” It might provide “veganbaking,” “plantbasedsweets,” “dairyfreedesserts.”
• Explore a tool that shows you “medium-volume” hashtags (e.g., 50K-200K posts), which often have better engagement rates than massive, highly competitive hashtags.
• All Hashtag: Basic hashtag generator for related terms.
• Best-Hashtags.com: Offers categorized hashtag lists.
• Display Purposes: Helps filter out irrelevant hashtags and suggests similar ones.
• Manual spreadsheet: Track chosen hashtags, their post counts, and potential categories (e.g., broad, niche, trending).
• Experimentation: Test different sets of hashtags on your posts to see what performs best.
  Data/Stats: Some tools provide rough estimates of hashtag popularity or categorize them by “small,” “medium,” “large” volume, helping you mix high-reach and high-engagement tags.

Optimizing Content with Instagram Keywords and Hashtags

Paragraphs: Once you’ve gathered your keywords and hashtags, strategic integration is key. Your Instagram “keywords” are primarily hashtags and the descriptive text in your captions, comments, and even your profile bio. For discoverability, use a mix of broad, niche, and trending hashtags (e.g., 5-10 per post, but research suggests optimal is around 5-10, though you can use up to 30). Your caption should organically incorporate descriptive words that relate to your image or video, helping Instagram’s AI understand your content. Also, consider using relevant keywords in your profile name and bio to appear in direct searches. How to do keyword research with Google Keyword Planner

• For a post about a newly designed living room:
  • Caption: “Thrilled with our new minimalist living room design! We focused on sustainable decor and cozy textures to create a relaxing home aesthetic. What’s your favorite part? #minimalistdecor #sustainablehome #livingroomgoals #interiordesignideas #cozyhome”
  • Profile Name: “Sarah | Sustainable Home Design”
• For a recipe reel:
  • Caption: “Quick and easy vegan lentil soup recipe – perfect for a healthy weeknight meal! Get the full steps in the caption. #vegansoup #easyveganrecipes #plantbasedmeals #healthydinner #lentilrecipe”
• Profile Name & Bio: Include keywords describing what you do or your niche.
• Captions: Write descriptive captions that naturally incorporate keywords about your visual content.
• Hashtags: Use a mix of:
  • Broad/High Volume: e.g., #travel, #food
  • Niche/Medium Volume: e.g., #solotraveler, #plantbasedfoodie
  • Specific/Long-Tail: e.g., #travelingwithdogs, #glutenfreeveganrecipes
  • Branded: e.g., #yourbrandname
  • Community: e.g., #instafood, #photooftheday
• Location Tags: Always add relevant location tags for local discoverability.
• Alt Text: Add descriptive alt text to your images (in advanced settings when uploading).
• Reels/Stories: Use trending audio, relevant text overlays, and hashtags.
  Data/Stats: While direct stats aren’t always public, Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes content that is relevant to user interests and historical engagement. Using a diverse and relevant set of hashtags significantly increases a post’s reach and discoverability on the Explore page and in search results.