While you were busy chasing likes on Instagram, Google quietly turned your Reels into a powerful new front door for your business. The wall between social media and search has crumbled.
As of August 2025, Google is actively indexing Instagram Reels, pulling them directly into its search results.This means your next customer could find you while searching on Google, not just scrolling on Instagram. This is a massive opportunity to expand your reach, but only if you stop treating your Reels like disposable social posts and start treating them like strategic, long-term assets.
How to Make your Reels Searchable
In the past, some Instagram content could surface on Google, but this update is a more formal move from Instagram. Now, when someone searches on Google, relevant Instagram Reels can show up right alongside traditional web pages and videos.
The update applies to public photos, videos, and Reels from Instagram accounts set to “professional,” which covers both business and creator profiles. If your account is personal or private, your content won’t make it into Google’s search results.
Treat Every Reel Like a New Front Page
The fleeting nature of Reels is a thing of the past. The content you post today won’t disappear into the Instagram algorithm in 24 hours. It will live on Google, competing for attention against traditional websites and blogs.
The goal is to create Reels so valuable and well-optimized that they not only entertain your followers but also answer the questions of Google searchers. You should view every Reel as a new chance to be discovered by a high-intent audience actively looking for what you’re offering.
The Three Pillars of Reel SEO: Our Tactical Briefing
Optimizing your Reels for search doesn’t require a complete overhaul, but it does require a new way of thinking. Here are the three pillars our social team uses to make content discoverable on Google.
Pillar I: The Caption Is Your New Meta Description
You might be using one-word captions and a string of emojis. That’s a massive waste of SEO potential. Google’s crawlers read your text to understand what your content is about.
Our process treats the caption with the same importance as a blog post. The first two lines should act as a headline and a hook to grab attention. Use the rest of the caption to provide context, answer questions, and naturally weave in the keywords your audience is searching for. Stop thinking like a social media manager and start thinking like an SEO.
Pillar II: Your On-Screen Text is Your New H1 Tag
Maybe you’re using no text on screen, or your text is hard to read and poorly timed. This is a huge missed opportunity. Beyond scanning captions, Google’s AI watches your videos and reads the text within them.
Clear, descriptive on-screen text gives Google signals about your video’s topic. Use a bold title hook in the first three seconds. Use text overlays to label key steps or highlight important takeaways. Your visuals need to tell a story even with the sound off. Clear text makes your video scannable for both humans and search engine AI.
Pillar III: Your Content Must Solve a Problem
Is your content focused solely on your brand, products, or updates? The reality is that’s not what people are searching for on Google. They’re looking for solutions to their problems. Instagram is a great place to build your community and engage with your followers, but content meant to rank on Google needs a different approach.
Your Reels need to solve problems. Think like your audience and create tutorials, guides, and tips that address real needs. Instead of spotlighting your latest product, create a Reel that shows three ways to use it to make life easier. Become the solution your customers are actively looking for, and Google will reward you by putting your content in front of them.
Bonus tip: If you’re serious about making intentional content that resonates, try the hub and spoke model we use at Moniker. Start with a hero piece—an in-depth guide or video—and break it into focused posts or Reels that branch out from your main topic. It’s how we turn big ideas into a steady feed of relevant, impactful content.
Turn Your Reels into Results
If you want your Reels to rank, they need to solve problems, engage your audience, and align with search intent. The line between social content and search engine optimization has been erased, and the brands that act now will dominate the conversation.
Ready to turn your Reels into a lead-generating machine on Google? Let’s talk.