For a couple of years, there was a big debate on whether Instagram hashtags should go in the comments or directly in the caption. The general consensus was that the comments were best and that was what everyone did. Until a couple of weeks ago when Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram switch up everything when he said they should go in the caption. Confession – This was my exact face when I heard that we should go back to putting them in the caption.
I’m not a huge fan of clutter so hashtags in the caption seem messy. But if Adam Mosseri is saying that’s where they should go, then that’s where they should go! But honestly, after hearing his explanation, it makes sense. What it really boils down to is how Instagram’s search function works. Instagram organizes search results by what’s most relevant to you — whether it be a close friend, a creator you love, or ideas for how to take care of those plants you love. In addition to the text typed into the search bar, they use information from accounts, hashtags, and places — called signals — to rank search results.
Including relevant keywords and HASHTAGS in your captions helps you show up in the search. Straight from Instagram itself “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.” ????
If you want to show up higher in Instagram’s search results, place hashtags in your caption. Other factors that determine where you show up in search results include:
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Have you started putting your hashtags in your caption? If so, have you noticed a difference?
