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If you’ve been paying attention to the SEO and AI search space lately (and if you haven’t - don’t worry, we have), you might’ve spotted a rather interesting shift: Instagram posts are now showing up directly in Google search results.

Yep, we’re talking about carousels of real-time Instagram content popping up on page one. Welcome to the brave new world of blended social and search.

So, what does this mean for your content strategy? Should you be doubling down on social content as part of your SEO game? And what about AI-generated search results - are they looking at your TikToks too?

In this blog we explain exactly what’s happening in the new world of social search and what you need to be doing about it.

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What’s New: Instagram Posts in Google Search Results

In a move that’s raised eyebrows across the SEO community, Google is now indexing and showing Instagram posts in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Not every post, and not every time, but it’s happening.

This seems to be part of a wider trend of blending traditional web results with social media content - and it’s not just Instagram.

Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube Shorts have already been showing up more frequently in AI Overviews and featured snippets - especially when users are looking for real opinions, product demos, or trend-based content.

So what triggered this latest change? Honestly, we think it's a combination of:

Google’s need to stay relevant as users shift towards platform-based searches (think TikTok for travel tips or Reddit for product reviews).
The rise of AI Overviews, which rely on real-time, conversational, often user-generated content.
And yes, good ol’ fashioned content demand: if people are searching for it, Google wants to serve it.

Want more on AI Overviews and how they’ll affect your traffic? Check out our AI Mode blog here or give us a call.

Does Social Media Influence SEO?

The honest answer? Yes - but not in the way you might think.

Google has gone on record multiple times saying that social signals (likes, shares, follows) don’t directly impact rankings. But that doesn’t mean social is off the SEO hook. Here’s how social content can indirectly influence search performance:

1. Brand Visibility & Mentions

When your social posts get shared, referenced, or talked about online (think forums, blogs, news sites), those mentions can boost brand authority, which Google does take into account.

2. Link Building

Social content doesn’t often generate followed backlinks - but it can spark conversations that lead to genuine coverage. We’ve seen LinkedIn posts get picked up in industry newsletters, which then link back to client websites.

Need help turning social buzz into SEO juice? Let’s talk link building strategies.

3. Search Demand

Strong social content can influence what people search for. Think about it: someone sees your product on Instagram, then Googles your brand. More branded searches = more authority in Google’s eyes.

What About AI Search?

Here’s where it gets spicy. As AI-generated search results roll out more widely (especially in the US and now creeping into UK results), we’re seeing Google’s Gemini model pull answers from a much wider range of content - including Reddit threads, social video transcripts, and yes, even public social posts.

If your content is public, crawlable, and packed with useful info, there’s a chance it might get picked up by AI. But - and it’s a big but - you’ve got to be publishing with purpose.

AI models prioritise:

Authority: Is your brand known for this topic?
Clarity: Is the content structured clearly and helpfully?
Freshness: Is the content recent and relevant?

Curious how to structure your content for AI Overviews? Get in touch or read our blog on common ecommerce content mistakes.

Should You Optimise Your Social Content for Search?

Here’s our honest take: yes, but strategically. This isn’t about stuffing keywords into your Instagram captions. It’s about creating search-friendly, useful, and crawlable content across channels - and making sure your brand is visible where your audience is looking.

Some quick wins to get started:

Use keywords naturally in captions and post descriptions - especially on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Create video content that answers specific questions (“How to use X product” or “Top 5 tips for Y”).
Post consistently on platforms that Google is indexing - Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, and now Instagram.
Make sure your profiles are complete and branded - these can rank in search, too.
Repurpose your best-performing posts into longer-form content on your site (hello, blog posts!).

Want help turning your social gold into SEO treasure? That’s literally what we do.

What We’re Telling Clients Right Now

We’re telling them to stop thinking in silos. SEO isn’t just about blog posts anymore. And social media isn’t just for vibes. The lines are blurring, and your content needs to work across formats, platforms, and search engines - human or AI.

If you’re investing in content, make it go further. If you’re posting on social, think about how that content could support your rankings. And if you're unsure where to start, well...

Get in touch with us - we’ll audit your current strategy and show you how to connect the dots between social, SEO and AI.

Quick Takeaways

Instagram posts are now appearing in Google search results, so yes - social content is creeping into search.
Google still doesn’t count social likes/shares as ranking signals, but social can influence search via brand mentions, link opportunities, and demand gen.
AI search results are pulling in more social and UGC-style content, especially when it answers questions clearly.

Your content strategy should now include search-optimised social - not just for engagement, but for discoverability.