social-seo

name	social-seo
description	Optimises Instagram content for search discovery — captions, bios, alt text, and content structure. Use when the user asks about Instagram SEO, keyword optimisation, making content discoverable, optimising a bio for search, writing captions that rank, "how do we get found on Instagram", "SEO for Instagram", "keyword research for Instagram", "optimise this caption for search", or "should we use hashtags or keywords". Also trigger when writing or reviewing a client's Instagram bio.
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Social SEO — Better Collective Agency

You are applying Instagram and TikTok search engine optimisation to a client's content and profile. In 2025/2026, Instagram functions as a search engine — users search for solutions, not just scroll feeds. Optimising for this means clients get found by people who are actively looking for what they offer.

This is not about hashtag stacking. It is about keyword strategy, content intent, and profile structure.

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Why Social SEO Matters for Trades and Service Businesses

A plumber in Brisbane, an air con installer on the Gold Coast, or a mortgage broker in Sydney — these businesses have people actively searching for them on Instagram right now. Searches like:

• "plumber gold coast"
• "air conditioning installation brisbane"
• "best mortgage broker gold coast"
• "vehicle wrap near me"

Instagram shows results based on: profile name, bio keywords, caption text, and alt text. The accounts that appear first are the ones using these words intentionally and consistently. Most of BC's clients are not doing this yet — this is a significant untapped advantage.

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The Four Levers of Instagram SEO

Lever 1 — Profile Name and Username

The profile name (the bold text under the photo) is one of the strongest SEO signals Instagram uses. It should contain the primary keyword, not just the business name.

Format: [Business Name] | [Primary Keyword] — [Location]

Examples:

• JCON Plumbing | Plumber Gold Coast
• KR Air | Air Conditioning Gold Coast
• Lending Hub | Mortgage Broker Gold Coast
• Prestige Wrap | Vehicle Wrapping Gold Coast

Username (@handle): Keep as the business name — do not stuff keywords here. Username changes affect discoverability for existing followers.

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Lever 2 — Bio Optimisation

The bio must contain the primary and secondary keywords naturally. It also needs to clearly state: what you do, who you do it for, and where you are.

Bio structure for service businesses:

Line 1: [Primary keyword + location] — e.g. "Gold Coast's trusted plumber"
Line 2: [What you do, specific] — e.g. "Hot water, drainage, commercial & residential"
Line 3: [Social proof or differentiator] — e.g. "10+ years | 500+ jobs completed"
Line 4: [CTA + link] — e.g. "Book a quote 👇"

Keywords to include in bio (pick 2-4 relevant ones):

• Primary service keyword (e.g. "plumber", "air conditioning installer", "vehicle wrap")
• Location (suburb or city — e.g. "Gold Coast", "Brisbane", "Burleigh Heads")
• Secondary service (if the business has one worth ranking for)
• Industry niche if specific (e.g. "commercial plumbing", "residential solar")

What NOT to do in the bio:

• Use vague phrases like "passionate about what we do" — not searchable
• Fill it with emojis instead of keywords
• Leave the location out — location is critical for service businesses
• Use the business name as the only descriptor

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Lever 3 — Caption Keyword Optimisation

Captions are indexed by Instagram's search algorithm. Writing captions with intentional keyword placement means that post can surface in search results long after it is published.

Keyword placement in captions:

1. First line (most important): Include the primary keyword naturally in the first 125 characters. This is what shows in the feed before "more" is clicked.

2. Body of caption: Use related keywords naturally 2-3 times. Do not force them — write naturally and ensure the keywords appear in the flow.

3. Location tag: Always tag the suburb or city in the post location. This is a separate SEO signal to the caption keywords.

Example — before and after:

Before (no SEO intent):

"Another job done for one of our legends. This one was a complex install but the team nailed it. DM for a quote."

After (with SEO):

"Hot water system replacement Gold Coast — this Rinnai 26L was throwing error code 12 after 8 years and needed a full swap out. Our team had it sorted in under 2 hours. If your hot water keeps cutting out or you're seeing error codes, don't wait for it to fail completely. DM us for a quote on the Gold Coast or surrounding areas."

The second caption contains: "hot water system replacement", "Gold Coast", "Rinnai", "error code 12", "2 hours", "Gold Coast" (twice) — all naturally written.

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Lever 4 — Alt Text on Images

Instagram allows you to add alt text to every post. Almost no small businesses do this. It is a direct keyword signal to the algorithm.

How to add alt text:

• When posting: tap Advanced Settings → Write Alt Text
• On existing posts: Edit post → three dots → Edit → Alt Text

How to write alt text: Describe the image in plain English and include the primary keyword and location.

Examples:

• "Plumber installing new hot water system in residential home, Gold Coast Queensland"
• "Vehicle wrap completed on white Hilux, full colour change wrap, Gold Coast"
• "Split system air conditioning installation completed in residential home, Brisbane"

Keep it factual and descriptive — this is not a caption, it is a visual description that also signals keywords to the algorithm.

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Keyword Research Process

Before optimising a client's profile or captions, research the right keywords.

Step 1 — Search Instagram directly

Open Instagram and search the primary service + location. Note:

• What accounts come up first
• What words appear in their profile names and bios
• What content appears in the top results

Step 2 — Search TikTok

TikTok's search function shows what people are actually typing. Search the service type and see suggested searches — these are real search queries.

Step 3 — Use Google as a proxy

Search "[service] [city] site:instagram.com" to see what Instagram pages are ranking for local services. The page titles often reveal the best keywords.

Step 4 — Build the keyword list

Structure: Primary keyword | Secondary keywords | Location keywords

CLIENT: [Name]
INDUSTRY: [Service type]

PRIMARY KEYWORD: [The one most important search term — e.g. "plumber gold coast"]
SECONDARY KEYWORDS: [3-5 supporting terms — e.g. "hot water installation", "blocked drain", "emergency plumber"]
LOCATION KEYWORDS: [Suburb, city, region — e.g. "Gold Coast", "Burleigh Heads", "Tweed Coast"]
CONTENT KEYWORDS: [Terms specific to content topics — e.g. "rinnai", "Caroma", "water hammer"]

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Hashtag Strategy in 2025

Hashtag strategy has changed. Instagram has shifted to semantic search, which means the algorithm reads the caption text — not just the hashtags.

Current best practice:

• 3-5 hashtags maximum per post
• Use hashtags as secondary keywords, not primary SEO strategy
• Mix: 1 broad (#plumber), 1 location (#goldcoastplumber), 1 niche (#hotwaterrepairs)
• Do not use hashtags with millions of posts — the content disappears immediately
• Do not use hashtag sets — vary them per post based on the content topic

Hashtag categories for trades:

• Broad service: #plumber #airconditioning #vehiclewrap #solarinstaller
• Location: #goldcoastplumber #goldcoastaircon #goldcoastbusiness
• Niche/specific: #hotwaterinstallation #splitsystem #windowtinting

What not to do:

• 20-30 hashtags — this was 2019 strategy
• Irrelevant hashtags to inflate reach (#fyp #viral on a plumbing post)
• The same 10 hashtags on every post (shadow ban risk)

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Content Structured for Search Intent

Beyond captions, certain content topics are inherently more searchable than others. Search-intent content answers the questions people are actively typing.

High search-intent content ideas for service businesses:

• "Why does my [specific product] keep doing [specific problem]" → Value Add Talking Head
• "The difference between [option A] and [option B]" → Carousel
• "How much does [service] cost in [city]" → Talking Head or Carousel
• "What to ask before hiring a [trade] in [city]" → Carousel
• "Signs you need a [service] now" → Carousel or Talking Head
• "[Brand name] vs [brand name] — which should you choose" → Talking Head

These topics have search volume behind them. When they are filmed and captioned with proper keyword placement, they surface in Instagram search results weeks and months after posting.

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Process — Running This Skill

1. Identify the client — confirm which client and their primary service/location
2. Audit the current profile — check name, bio, username, link
3. Pull current keyword gaps — what is missing from their profile and captions
4. Research keywords — use the process above
5. Rewrite the profile name — if it needs updating (confirm with Abbie first)
6. Rewrite the bio — using the bio structure template
7. Produce optimised caption examples — 3-5 captions showing before/after
8. Build the keyword reference list — for Courtney to use when writing captions
9. Add alt text guidance — to the client's content brief going forward

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Quality Check

• Profile name contains primary keyword and location
• Bio includes at least 2 searchable terms naturally
• Bio clearly states: what, who for, where
• Caption first line contains the primary keyword
• Location tag is used on every post
• Hashtags are 3-5, varied, and relevant to the specific post
• Alt text is written for image posts
• Content topics include at least 2 search-intent ideas per month
• Keywords are used naturally — not stuffed