How to Find Keywords for Instagram

Thinking of Instagram as just a photo-sharing app is a thing of the past. It’s now a powerful search engine, and understanding how to find and use the right keywords can be the difference between getting lost in the noise and getting discovered by your ideal audience. This guide will walk you through practical, step-by-step strategies for uncovering the keywords that will help your content - and your brand - show up when it counts.

Why Instagram Keywords Are More Important Than Ever

For years, hashtags were the only real discovery tool on Instagram. That's changed completely. Instagram's search capabilities have evolved to function much more like Google. Now, users can search for general terms like "healthy lunch ideas" or "NYC coffee shops," and Instagram serves up relevant profiles, Reels, and feed posts. This means a single searched keyword can now display more than just hashtags.

This means your keywords now have power far beyond a handful of hashtags. They should be integrated into your entire profile and content strategy. When used correctly, they signal to Instagram what your content is about, who it’s for, and help your account get surfaced in:

• Search Results Pages: When users type a query into the search bar.
• The Explore Page: Where Instagram recommends new content based on user interests.
• Reel and Story Suggestions: Where the algorithm pushes relevant videos to non-followers.

An effective keyword strategy is a direct path to organic growth, connecting you with users who are actively searching for the solutions, inspiration, or products you offer.

Step 1: Build Your Foundation with Core Topics and Content Pillars

Before you even open the Instagram app, you need a clear understanding of your brand and your audience. Great keywords are an extension of a strong foundation, not a replacement for one. Spend some time brainstorming and writing down your answers to these questions.

Who Are You and What Do You Offer?

Start broad and then get specific. Are you a virtual assistant, a ceramicist, a vegan recipe blog, or a local boutique? Write it down.

• Broad Niche: For example, "Fitness Coach."
• Specific Offering: Go deeper. What kind of fitness coach? "Online fitness coach for new moms." This distinction is where your most valuable keywords live.

Who Is Your Ideal Audience?

Think about the person you want to attract. What are their goals, pain points, and interests? What words would they use to find you?

• Goals: What are they trying to achieve? Ex: "lose baby weight," "get strong postpartum."
• Pain Points: What problems are they dealing with? Ex: "no time for the gym," "diastasis recti," "low energy."
• Interests: What else are they into? Ex: "healthy family recipes," "mindfulness for moms."

The language your audience uses is a gold mine for keywords. They probably aren't searching for "postnatal rectus abdominis recovery program", they're searching for "how to fix mommy tummy."

Define Your Content Pillars

Content pillars are 3-5 core themes you consistently talk about. They give your content structure and make keyword research much more focused. For our online fitness coach for new moms, the pillars might be:

1. At-Home Postpartum Workouts
2. Quick & Nutritious Meals
3. Mindset and Self-Care for Moms
4. Pelvic Floor Health

With these pillars, you can start hunting for specific keywords related to each one, creating dozens of content ideas in the process.

Step 2: Use Instagram's In-App Tools for Direct Research

Instagram itself is one of the best keyword research tools available, and it's completely free. The app provides direct insight into what users are actively searching for. Here’s how to tap into it.

Mine the Instagram Search Bar for Ideas

The search bar is your first stop. It functions just like Google's autocomplete, revealing popular search terms related to your initial query.

1. Open Instagram and tap the "Search" icon.
2. Type a broad keyword from one of your content pillars (e.g., "postpartum workout").
3. Do not hit enter. Pay close attention to the autofill suggestions that appear below.

You’ll likely see phrases like "postpartum workout at home," "postpartum workout plan," and "postpartum core workout." These are not just suggestions, they are phrases real users are typing into the search bar. Add every relevant suggestion to your keyword list.

Analyze Suggested and Related Hashtags

While hashtags are no longer the only game in town, they remain a fantastic way to uncover keyword clusters.

• Initial Search: Search for a primary hashtag, like #postpartumfitness. Note its usage numbers - a mix of high-volume (over 500k posts) and smaller, niche tags is ideal.
• Related Tags: At the top of the search results page, Instagram will show you a scrollable list of "Related" hashtags. Swipe through this list to discover more specific and niche keywords like #postpartumcore, #fourthtrimesterfitness, and #newmomworkout.

Study the Content on Your Explore Page

Your Explore page is algorithmically tailored to your interests and activity. If you consistently engage with content in your niche, your Explore page will become a mirror of what’s trending.

Sift through the posts that appear. What do you see?

• Check the captions: What keywords and phrases are being used by the posts that make it to the Explore page?
• Look at on-screen text: Instagram's technology can "read" the text in videos and graphics. Notice the headlines and callouts used in top-performing Reels. Are there common themes or phrases?
• Explore topic tabs: At the top of the Explore page, you can see specific topics like "Home Decor," "Food," or "Wellness." Tap into the ones relevant to your niche and see what language is being used.

Step 3: Conduct Smart Competitor Research

Your competitors and other successful creators in your space have already done much of the hard work for you. By analyzing what’s working for them, you can uncover proven keywords and content angles without starting from scratch.

Identify and Analyze Top Accounts

Make a list of 5-10 accounts in your niche. Include a mix of direct competitors, larger influencers, and smaller, highly-engaged creators.

For each account, look at these key areas:

• Profile Name & Bio: Go beyond their @handle. What does their "Name" field say? This field is weighted heavily in search. Good examples look like "Dr. Sarah | Postpartum PT" or "Healthy Eats with Chloe." Notice how they use keywords directly in their bio to quickly explain what they do and who they serve.
• Top-Performing Posts: Scroll through their feed and find the posts with the highest engagement (likes, comments, saves). Read the captions. Are there recurring themes, questions, or keyword phrases they use? If a post about "5-minute workouts for tired moms" went viral for them, that's a clear signal that the topic and its associated keywords resonate with your shared audience.

Read the Comments Section

The comment section of your competitors' posts is a raw, unfiltered focus group.

1. Find a high-engagement post on a competitor's profile.
2. Scroll through the comments and look for questions.
3. What are people asking? "How can I do this without equipment?" "Is this safe for c-section recovery?" "Can you share toddler-friendly meal ideas?"

These questions are long-tail keywords in disguise. Every question represents a need, a pain point, and an opportunity for you to create content that provides the answer.

Step 4: Weave Keywords into Your Entire Instagram Presence

Finding keywords is only half the battle. To truly leverage them for Instagram SEO, you need to place them strategically across your account. Think of your Instagram as a website, where every element contributes to how searchable you are.

Your Bio and Profile Name

This is your most valuable SEO real estate. As mentioned before, optimize your "Name" field (the bold text in your bio) with your primary keyword. This is entirely separate from your username/handle.

• Bad Name: Jenna Miller
• Good Name: Jenna | Brand Photos Boston

Your Captions

Write descriptive captions and use your target keywords naturally within the first two lines. The algorithm scans captions to understand the context of your post. Instead of just writing "Morning vibes," you could write, "My favorite healthy breakfast recipe to start the day. This quick oatmeal bowl has over 30g of protein..." The keywords add context and searchability.

Instagram Alt Text

Alt text is a little-known but powerful feature. It was designed for visually impaired users with screen readers, but it also serves as a direct way to tell the Instagram algorithm exactly what your photo contains.

How to add Alt Text:

1. Before publishing a new post, on the screen where you write your caption, scroll down and tap "Advanced Settings."
2. Under "Accessibility," find and tap "Write Alt Text."
3. Write a concise, descriptive sentence that includes your main keywords. For example: "A woman in a yellow shirt meal preps quinoa salad with fresh vegetables in her sunlit kitchen."

You can also go back and add alt text to existing photos by tapping the three dots on a post, selecting "Edit," and then tapping "Edit Alt Text" on the photo.

On-Screen Text in Reels and Stories

Don't forget that Instagram's algorithm increasingly analyzes visual content. Adding text overlays to your Reels and key parts of your Stories serves two purposes: it makes your content more accessible to people watching with the sound off, and it feeds searchable keywords directly to the algorithm.

A Reel with the on-screen headline "15-Min Postnatal Core Routine" is much more searchable than one with no text at all.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right keywords for Instagram is about shifting your mindset - seeing the platform not just as a place to post content, but as a search destination where your audience is actively looking for help. By building a strong foundation, using Instagram's own features, and strategically placing your keywords, you can dramatically improve your visibility and connect with the people who need you most.

Once you’ve found the right keywords, the next step is building them into a cohesive content plan that you can actually stick to. This is where we found having a clear, visual calendar totally changes the game. By using a tool like Postbase to map out our pillars and schedule content ahead of time, we can ensure we’re hitting our target keywords consistently without the pressure of brainstorming ideas on the fly.