Instagram’s SEO Update + New Repost Feature: A Guide for Enrollment Marketing

If you missed Instagram’s July update, here’s the quick version: Instagram now indexes captions, alt text, profiles, and Reels, making your content more search optimized both inside the app and on Google.

And more recently Instagram rolled out another big change: a new Repost feature for feed posts and Reels. 

I broke down why the SEO update matters for enrollment marketing, in another recent MeetYourClass blog. This follow‑up guide builds on that and walks you through setting up your account and optimizing your content strategy to take full advantage of both search and reposts.

Making Sure Your Account is Set Up for Search and Reposts

Before diving into content strategy, let’s make sure your Instagram account settings are ready to take full advantage of the SEO update and new repost feature:

Step 1: Go to Settings & Activity From your institution’s Instagram account, tap the three lines in the top right corner → select Settings and activity.
Step 2: Check Account Privacy  Scroll down to Account Privacy. At this point you should double check that your account is set to public (but if it’s not can fix that on the next step!).  *Your account must be Public and a Professional (Creator or Business) account for content to be discoverable and eligible for reposts.
Step 3: Confirm Search Engine Visibility Within Account Privacy, you’ll notice a setting "Allow public photos and videos to appear in search engine results." This setting is turned on by default as a public professional account, but it’s worth confirming it’s active.
*If this setting is disabled, your content remains public on Instagram, but won’t be indexed by search engines, limiting organic discovery and missing out on the key features of the new update.

Instagram SEO Update Refresher

With Instagram’s July update, the platform now works more like Google’s search engine and has increased the potential for content to rank within search engines (see how Google Search works here). Captions, alt text, profile names, bios, and even Reels are now crawlable and can be indexed.

For Public Professional accounts, it means your content can appear in both Instagram search and Google results, like when someone searches “day in the life at XYZ University.” Although content appearing in search isn't new, this update significantly improves that visibility and expands the reach of your posts.

Why the New Repost Feature Is a Big Deal for Enrollment Marketers

As of yesterday (August 6th at the time of this post), Instagram’s new Repost feature expands that reach even further. Reposts allow feed posts and Reels to be reshared directly to other profiles, giving your content a longer life cycle and more chances to be discovered — both inside Instagram’s search and on Google. Reposts will also become a new profile tab, where your reshared content can be easily discovered and accessed by users.

For enrollment marketers, this feature has some huge benefits:

• Keeps strong content in circulation – Big moments like student takeovers, orientation highlights, or campus tours don’t have to disappear after the first post and can be brought back into circulation.

• Makes authentic voices more visible – Reposting student-generated content introduces more real perspectives into your feed.

• Adds a new hub for discovery – The dedicated “Reposts” profile tab creates a centralized space for reshared posts, making them easier to find and reshare.

• Amplifies reach without extra work – Partners, ambassadors, and even prospective students can reshare directly from your content.

This combination of improved search indexing and built-in amplification through reposts means your Instagram strategy should now focus on content that’s both optimized to be found and designed to be reshared.

Content Strategy Tips to Maximize Content for Search and Share

Once your settings are correct, here’s some tips for optimizing your posts:

1. Use Natural Language, Not Just Hashtags

Write captions that clearly explain your content instead of packing in hashtags.

• Describe what’s happening in the post or Reel

• Include locations, program names, majors or terms students search for organically

• Use phrases students might type in Google, like “What it’s like to live in a freshman dorm at [Your College]” or “What is the campus vibe at [Your College]“

2. Update Your Profile Name and Bio for Search

Your profile name and bio are now searchable fields on Instagram.

• Include your school’s full name and common nicknames

• Add clear keywords about who you are or what you post in your bio (e.g., Admissions, Dorm Life, Student Stories)

3. Don’t Skip the Alt Text

Alt text is primarily for accessibility, but Instagram also confirmed it’s used for SEO. Make sure your alt text:

• Clearly describes the image or video

• Includes relevant keywords naturally, without keyword stuffing

• Prioritizes accessibility first; SEO is a bonus

You can add alt text during the posting process under “Advanced Settings.” If you don’t add custom alt text, Instagram will auto-generate one, which may be vague or incomplete.

4. Maximize Future Reels SEO (and Take Advantage of Reposts)

Reels can be discovered through captions, voiceover, and on-screen text — and now, with Instagram’s new Repost feature, they can also gain extra reach when shared to other profiles.

• Write captions like headlines that answer questions

• Use voiceover or text overlays to highlight key topics

• Create content that is easy and valuable for campus partners or ambassadors to repost, each repost keeps your content circulating longer and boosts its chances of showing up in search results on Instagram and Google.

5. Update Older Posts

Go back and optimize the posts for better discoverability, and reshare when relevant.

• Edit captions to clarify what the content is about, using natural phrases and keywords

• Add custom alt text to top-performing posts

• Prioritize posts on evergreen topics like housing, financial aid, and student life

• Use the new "Repost" feature on Instagram to bring content back onto the feed

Bonus Tip: Encourage and Repost Authentic Student Content

Student-generated content adds real, trusted voices to your feed. Encourage students and ambassadors to create content your account can reshare.

• Monitor posts and stories from your student community

• Reach out to students whose content aligns with your brand for permission to repost and identifying potential ambassadors

• Encourage current ambassadors and partners to create content designed to be reshared

• Use reposts and the reposts tab to showcase genuine student experiences that prospective students want to see

Bottom Line: Make Your Social Content Searchable and Shareable

With this update, Instagram is no longer just a scroll platform, it’s a discovery engine with reach far beyond the app. Every caption, Reel, and profile detail now contributes to your institution’s SEO footprint and features like reposts expand that reach.

For enrollment marketers, this means your content strategy should focus on creating posts that are optimized to be found through search and designed to be reshared, maximizing visibility and engagement.

For more on why this matters for enrollment marketing and additional information, check out our recent blog: Instagram's SEO Update Just Changed the Game for Enrollment Marketing