Keyword search: A word you heard from Google SEO experts only.
But now, Instagram is adding keyword search content rather than hashtags. Now users can search for posts without hashtags through Keywords.
The Facebook-owned photo-sharing app "Instagram" updates two new features. Instagram makes its feature "Guides" available for all users. Instagram introduced "Guides" in May this year, which allowed creators to share tips, resources, and other longer-form content in a dedicated tab on their user profiles.
Earlier, this feature is limited to a selected group of creators who were publishing content focused on mental health and well-being. Today, the company says it's making the format available to all users and expanding Guides to include other types of content and Products, Places, and Posts.
You can find Guides on your Profile and share them across Stories and in DM's. Product Guides may be featured in Instagram Shop, on its new shopping destination within the Instagram app, so you can discover new products from people you may not already follow.
Instagram said in a blog post, "We hope that Guides provide another way for you to connect with your favorite accounts and get inspired by what content people are loving on Instagram."
Keyword Search
Along with that, Instagram also announced an update to its Search functionality and letting users find content by keywords for the first time.
Until, users could search for names, usernames, hashtags, and locations. With this update, users will also now be able to use keywords that will surface content relevant to their interests.
Users can now search for posts using keywords that may appear in photo & video captions. Instagram says the search update is available in English to all users in Canada, the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
How Keyword Search Works On Instagram
Instagram keyword search works by allowing users to type in a keyword rather than being limited to a hashtag. Search results should then surface posts about that keyword even if they're not specifically tagged as such.
It is not exactly known how Instagram determines what a post is about without relying on hashtags. A company spokesperson says that Instagram considers "a number of factors" when returning search results. This includes the type of content, captions, when it was posted, and more.
The spokesperson confirms Instagram uses machine learning to "find the highest quality content that's relevant to you." There's no mention of whether that also involves image recognition.
It's known that Instagram will use captions to surface posts for keyword searches, but there are still many questions.