Adam Mosseri Discusses the Ins and Outs of Instagram Search

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri broke down how search works on the Facebook-owned photo- and video-sharing network and detailed upcoming improvements in a blog post last month. He wrote, “Let’s say you’re interested in finding pictures of space after seeing the blue moon. When you tap the search bar on the Explore page, the first thing you see is your recent searches. As you begin typing ‘space,’ we show you accounts, audio, hashtags and places that match the text of your search. In this case, results like @space and #space show up because ‘space’ appears in their name.” Mosseri said the most important signals Instagram factors into search results, in order, are: the text users type in the search bar; user activity, including accounts they follow, posts they have viewed and whether they have interacted with accounts in the past; and popularity signals for search results, such as clicks, likes, shares and follows for a particular account, hashtag or place. He then turned to what Instagrammers can do to ensure that they show up in search results, sharing the following best practices: Use a fitting handle and profile name: Search results are matched by text. Using an Instagram handle or profile name that’s related to the content of your posts is your best bet for showing up in relevant searches. If your friends or fans know you by a certain name, include that name in your username or profile so that you can show up when they search for you.Include relevant keywords and locations in your biography: Same principle here—make sure your bio includes keywords about who you are and what your profile is about. If your account is location-specific, like for a small business, sharing your location in your bio can make it easier for people in your area to find you.Use relevant keywords and hashtags in captions: For a post to be found in search, put keywords and hashtags in the caption, not the comments. Mosseri said Instagram tries to keep search safe by avoiding the inclusion of accounts, hashtags and posts that go against its recommendations guidelines. The platform also ensures that accounts posting spam or violating guidelines appear lower in search results. Additional safety measures, such as information popups, were put in place for searches for sensitive topics, and those prompts provide links to verified resources. Enhancements to search that Instagram is working on include searching for content via more keywords, with support for more languages besides English, as well as adding related photos and videos to search results. Mosseri wrote, “We design all of our features to help you find the things you love. We are constantly working on improvements to help you discover entertaining things to share with your friends, and we look forward to showing you more about how Instagram works in upcoming posts.”

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Adam Mosseri Discusses the Ins and Outs of Instagram Search

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David Cohen

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