How to link your Instagram account to Google Search Console
And why you should
Your Instagram content can show up in Google search results (which is fantastic in my opinion!). And now, Google Search Console will actually show you when it does, which posts are doing showing up, and what people typed to find you. The setup takes about five minutes, and you don’t even need a website connected to do it.
This is a great new tool to help you understand what folks are looking for when they find you. Use it to see what content people like, what drives them to your website, and what to make more of!
How to link your Instagram to Search Console:
Step 1: Open Google Search Console.
Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with your Google account. If you’ve never used Search Console before, that’s fine. This works even without a website property set up.
Step 2: Click the property selector.
That’s the dropdown in the upper left corner, the one showing your website name if you have one connected. Scroll to the bottom and click “Add property.”
Step 3: Choose Instagram.
You’ll see platform options for Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube. Click “Add” next to Instagram.
Step 4: Sign in and authorize.
A window pops up asking you to log in to your Instagram account. Have your phone nearby, because you’ll likely get a verification code to enter. Once you approve the connection, you’re done.
Step 5: Give it a few days.
Data doesn’t show up instantly. Check back in about a week and you’ll start seeing how many Google searches your Instagram content appeared in, which posts showed up, and the actual search terms people used.
When I linked mine, my Instagram content had shown up in 113 Google searches in the first seven days I could see. I had no idea that was happening until I looked.
Two quick notes: each account is its own property, so if you manage multiple Instagram accounts, repeat this for each one. And while you’re in there, check out the new Generative AI report too. I wrote up how to find it here.