Returning to Instagram: A New SEO Experiment

A little while back I wrote about why I was stepping away from Instagram (specifically Bookstagram) for the time being, citing the algorithm fatigue, the time & spoons cost as a spoonie, and the fact that my little website Busy Busy Learning was barely getting traffic from Instagram anyway (just 0.07%) even though I was putting in a lot of effort. You can find my exit blog post here. One thing I have truly missed is the wonderful community on Instagram.

Since then I’ve been quite content focusing on the blog, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook groups and letting my own rhythm guide the creative pieces. It’s been a tricky Autumn this year with lots of health issues and hospital trips which makes ensuring my limited time is put to worthwhile use even more important.

So why the change of heart?

In recent months I’ve been keeping an eye on the way social media platforms are shifting and a particular change has caught my attention: Instagram is no longer just a social feed inside the app. From around July 2025, Instagram has begun allowing public posts from professional (Creator/Business) accounts to be indexed by search engines like Google and Microsoft’s Bing.

In other words: a post you share on Instagram could show up in Google search results. Your caption, your image alt-text, your hashtags – they may now play a part in reaching people outside the Instagram app. This blur between “social” content and “search” content is a big shift.

For a blog like mine (that already depends a lot on search (SEO) and Pinterest) this opens up a new angle: treating Instagram not just as a “feed” to post into, but as a mini-landing page or evergreen asset that might contribute to discoverability. With there being so much change around SEO with AI more prevalent I think it’s important to test out new avenues.

So here’s the plan: a one-month return, with rules, clarity and a gentle approach

I’m going to revisit Instagram for one month from 19th November 2025 – 17th December 2025 and use it as an experiment. I’ll treat it as part of the bigger ecosystem of Busy Busy Learning rather than letting it dominate the rhythm of my life. I’ll monitor how it feels, what kind of traffic (if any) comes, what the effort vs reward is and then decide whether to stay, modify how I use it, or step away again.

Here are my boundaries & the “terms” of the experiment:

1. My account will remain a professional (creator/business) account so it’s eligible for indexing.
2. I will keep the profile public (so search engines can crawl it).
3. I’ll keep a realistic posting schedule: perhaps 2-3 posts per week (rather than chasing daily or reels every day).
4. I’ll prioritise content that aligns with what already works for me and not just stick to books.
5. I’ll optimise captions with keywords, alt-text, relevant hashtags – thinking SEO rather than only “Instagram algorithm”.
6. I’ll monitor from my blog analytics: how much traffic comes via Instagram (directly and indirectly), whether any posts show up in search engines, and how sustainable it feels for my health and time-supply.
7. At the end of the month I’ll journal how it felt: did I regain energy or lose more? Did I see any upside? Is the return meaningful? Then I’ll decide next steps.

What I’m hoping for (and what I’m cautious about)

Hoping for:

• A return to a caring community of lovely people.
• A new channel of discoverability. Because of indexing, a good post might live longer than 24-48 hours and could drive traffic weeks later. That appeals to me.
• That Instagram becomes less of a treadmill and more of a graceful part of my ecosystem.

Cautious about:

• The time/energy cost. My health (as a spoonie) means that anything must be sustainable, not draining.
• Falling back into “algorithm pleasing” mode – posting just because I feel I must, rather than with joy or strategy. I want this to serve me and serve my community, not drain me.
• Letting it disrupt the rhythm I currently value – prioritising health, blog, crafts, quiet, sustainable pace.

Why now is a good time

Because of the indexing change referenced above, I feel the “risk/reward” ratio has tilted. Previously, Instagram felt like a big investment for very little return (0.07% traffic!). But now there’s a potential upside – that a post might be found by someone Googling “iris folding for kids”, “early chapter book recommendations”, “home-learning craft ideas UK” and discovers me through Instagram. If I treat it as part of SEO rather than only “feed”, that seems worth a try.

What I’ll share with you after the experiment

At the end of the month I’ll write a follow-up blog post sharing:

• what I posted (themes, formats)
• analytics: visits, clicks, engagement, surprises
• how it felt (energy, time, sustainability)
• decision: stay/modify/leave again
• what I learned (for you, if you’re a creator/educator/homeschooler too)

If you’re thinking of something similar: three quick tips

• Make sure your account is set to professional and public if indexing matters.
• Think of your Instagram captions like mini-articles: include clear keywords, alt-text where possible, make them discoverable. I listened to this YouTube video which gave lots of interesting information.
• Be gentle with your schedule – especially if you have limited time, energy or juggling many channels (blog, YouTube, craft market etc). Strategy over hustle.

Thank you for reading, and for journeying with me at Busy Busy Learning. I’m excited (and a little nervous) to see what this next month brings and I hope it results in a more integrated, less frantic way of using Instagram that fits me, my daughter Floss, our home-learning world and our creative lives.

If you’d like to follow along on Instagram here’s my account. Here’s to being curious, strategic and kind to ourselves in the process.