Is Your Law Firm's Instagram Optimized for Google Search?

On July 10th, Instagram began allowing Google and other search engines to index content from posts and profiles. Your law firm’s social media content now has the opportunity to show up in search results in a way that it never did before. Your bio, reels, and posts all have the potential to rank. Read on to learn actionable steps for how your law firm can leverage this new development.

The Rise of Social Media in Search

Social content is becoming an integral piece of search. Users are highly likely to trust these sources as they are community-based, increasing social proof.

Attorneys should also be mindful of how social media relates to AI Overviews and Large Language Models (LLMs). AI indexes content at a much faster pace than traditional search engines. By optimizing your content for search, not only are you increasing your chances to rank in Google, but increasing your law firm’s discoverability in AI placements. Many of which deliver posts directly, so users do not have to click through to your profiles.

What Makes an Instagram Post SEO Friendly?

Keywords are the main source of making your posts searchable. It’s important to anticipate the topics potential clients may search for and to cover them thoroughly with relevant captions.

Over time, keyword targeting is becoming less about exact matches and more about user intent. This often means people are searching differently. For example, instead of searching for “car accident attorney”, many users search “who is the best car accident attorney in Chicago?”.

To show up as a top result for a query like that, your content should clearly demonstrate your knowledge. Answering multiple questions that people would potentially be searching for will help build your credibility and authority. Focus on “index-worthy chunks” of content—providing real answers to user questions.

Where should I put relevant keywords in my posts?

As titles: For audio and locations
In captions: Woven naturally into the post copy
As hashtags: Added to the caption (placement doesn’t matter)
As alt text: In the text used to describe visuals in your post (more on how to apply this later in this article)

How Can Your Law Firm Optimize Instagram to Rank in Search Engines?

When it comes to social media optimization, marketers should prioritize a few different areas. We outline them below.

Update Your Profile Bio

Treat your Instagram bio like a searchable landing page for potential clients. Include keywords that let people know who you are, what you do, and where you are located. Make sure that the account name itself is relevant to what you do. This isn’t an issue for most attorneys since the words law or attorneys are often in their business name.

For example:

For an attorney, you might want to use a bio like this:

Awesome Law Firm Name

📍Chicago Car Accident Attorney

⚖️FREE Consultations

If there is enough room to include it, you should also consider including information like your office hours.

Use Alt Text for Images

Instagram uses image context—including alt text—to understand what your content is about. This helps your posts show up in search results and Instagram’s Explore page more often, especially if the alt text includes relevant keywords.

Not only does it improve SEO, but by providing alt text, you are improving accessibility. Screen readers rely on alt text to accurately describe images to visually impaired users.

How to Add Alt Text on Instagram:

Go to “Advanced settings” before posting.
Tap “Write Alt Text” under Accessibility.
Add a short, descriptive sentence that conveys the content and context of the image.

Leverage a Link Page

You’ve probably seen many Instagram profiles utilizing websites like Linktree, LinkinBios, Beacons, or other similar pages.

So what are they?

They are a tool that allows you to create a landing page that contains multiple links, all accessible through a single URL. They are very common on social media platforms.

Why should your law firm be using one?

Multiple Links in One URL
- Many social media platforms only allow 1-3 links. With a URL landing page, you are free to host multiple links. So if one day your law firm runs a giveaway that requires someone to fill out a doc form, and the next day you post a blog, both of those links can be hosted at the same URL.
Easy to Update
- It’s much easier to add multiple links to a single link page instead of constantly changing the single link on your bio.
Simplified User Experience
- By creating the multi-link page it gives your audience a less overwhelming hub to sort through instead of having to hunt for the same information on your main website.
Repurpose Your Clicks
- Instead of using a third-party tool, we recommend building a page from your website that mimics the function of a tool like Linktree. With this method, you have more control over all of those valuable clicks. They can later be used for advertising and remarketing purposes.

Research

Research is key in understanding what types of posts are ranking well in search. Since social media changes so rapidly, staying up to date on platform best practices in a timely fashion is crucial. There are two main categories that should be considered during research.

Keyword Research

Tools that can be used for keyword research:

SEMRush for traditional keyword data
Google Trends + Glimpse Extension for real-time social trends
AlsoAsked.com for real user questions
TikTok Search Autocomplete for Gen Z insights

Pro tip: Phrasing matters when researching. Instead of searching “car accident,” search for more natural language types like “what to do after a car accident”.

Competitor Research

Search industry-specific phrases and take note of who shows up at the top of the list. What are they doing consistently across their posts that keeps landing them at the top? Reverse engineer those commonalities and apply them to your strategy. Next, take a look at their bios and see if they are using specific keywords on their profile.

Next Steps

We know this is a lot to take in! That’s why we’ve compiled a summary list of actionable steps to help optimize your Instagram.

🔍 Profile Optimization

Update your bio to include your practice area, location, and a keyword-rich descriptor (e.g., Chicago Car Accident Attorney).
Make your username and display name descriptive when possible (e.g., use “Smith Injury Law” instead of just “Smith Law”).

🖼️ Content Optimization

Plan your content around what users are already searching for.
Use keywords in captions that reflect how potential clients would naturally search (e.g., “What to do after a truck accident”).
Write descriptive alt text for all posts to improve accessibility and SEO. (Go to Advanced Settings > Accessibility > Write Alt Text)

📈 Posting Strategy

Ensure your posts provide value by answering common legal questions or explaining legal processes in plain language.
Use visually appealing, on-brand designs that are easy to understand at a glance.

🔗 Link Management

Set up a link hub using Linktree, LinkinBio, or a custom landing page on your own website. Include links to your contact form, blog, consultation scheduler, or FAQs.

🧠 Research & Competitor Analysis

Monitor what ranks well and continuously adapt your strategy.

Make Your Next Instagram Post One That Ranks

With Instagram posts now being indexed by Google and other search engines, implementing SEO best practices can give your content a competitive edge. From optimizing your bio and captions to using alt text and researching trending topics, every small tweak can help your firm get found by the right people at the right time. Stay proactive, stay visible, and let your Instagram become a true extension of your firm’s digital strategy.