Speaker A
Let's continue with the profile name, meaning what should be in your name and sub-name—that's what I call it—so that a client can find you faster in the search engine or when someone recommends you to her. Type this or
Learn how to optimize your Instagram profile name and handle to improve discoverability by clients using targeted keywords and location.
Key Takeaways
- Use different but complementary keywords in your Instagram handle and profile name to maximize search indexing.
- Include location keywords in the profile name for local businesses to improve local discoverability.
- Keep the handle simple, memorable, and consistent across platforms for easier tagging and recognition.
- Profile name changes are limited, so plan keyword usage carefully to avoid frequent updates.
- Understanding client search behavior is essential to selecting effective keywords for your Instagram profile.
What the video covers
- The video explains the importance of using relevant keywords in the Instagram profile name and handle to improve searchability.
- Clients typically search using phrases or keywords related to their needs, such as product type and location.
- Instagram indexes keywords primarily in the handle and name fields, making these critical for profile visibility.
- The handle is the username used for tagging and mentions, limited to 30 characters, allowing letters, numbers, dots, and underscores.
- The profile name field allows 64 characters and should contain keywords that clients use to find services or products.
- Avoid duplicating the same keywords in both the handle and name; they should complement each other to maximize reach.
- Local businesses should include their city in the name field if not already in the handle.
- Six rules for a good handle include simplicity, memorability, inclusion of the company name, and avoiding complicated characters.
- Changing the profile name is limited to twice every 14 days, so choose keywords carefully.
- A practical exercise is suggested to identify client search phrases and optimize the profile name and handle accordingly.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to Instagram profile names and searchability
- 00:49How Instagram indexes profile names and handles
- 02:08Understanding client search behavior on Instagram
- 02:33Rules and best practices for creating an Instagram handle
- 05:44Optimizing the profile name with keywords and location
- 06:22Six rules for a good Instagram handle
- 09:24Practical examples and final recommendations
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
that on Instagram and see, follow them, because they have, for example, X, Y, Z.
Speaker A
In other words, how to name our profile so it’s readable and easy to find. In my opinion, a client types into the search engine exactly what she needs.
Speaker A
So, let's assume if she's looking for a cake, a cake in Gdańsk, she will type "Cake Gdańsk," she will type "online dietitian," "Detailing Wrocław," or your first and last name because someone recommended you, or she will type your company name. This is how
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Instagram searches for those words, primarily in the handle and the name field, and it shows the accounts that have those words entered there. If you don't have those words in your name, it will be hard for you to be found. And
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the bio is the first, the first place for indexing when it comes to your brand. The same goes for your first name, last name, and your profile name.
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And now, see what it can look like. It can look like someone is currently typing their keyword into Instagram, and the profiles that have those keywords entered there are displayed.
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So it is very important to have an awareness of what your potential clients are typing into the search engine to find you. What words do they type? Knowing your potential audience allows you to use the words here that
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they are actually typing. They don't type full sentences; they always type phrases, the same way they would type them into Google. Instagram is simply a new search engine, and those words help them find you. And now, look: a handle
Speaker A
and a profile name are not the same thing. We have two fields that serve two roles. The handle will be your username, like mine, Agata Koman. This is your address on Instagram, just like you have a website. On Instagram, you
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have a handle. People will use it to tag you in their stories, mention you in comments for replies, for example, and they will very often type it in manually. This is a place where you can use a maximum of 30 characters. You can
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use letters, numbers, dots, and underscores here. You cannot use any other special characters. And it’s often worth using that dot to make the profile easier to read.
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However, in the name section, when you go to edit your profile, that is where your keywords should be. Keywords that your client uses to search for you on the internet, on Instagram. That field has a maximum of 64 characters,
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and you can change it twice every 14 days. So before you change your name after this lesson, think carefully about what you’ll enter, because Instagram will block that option for 14 days. If you have a local business and
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operate within a specific area, this is exactly where you should include your city if it’s not already in your handle. Do not duplicate the same result you have in your name field. The same thing cannot be here and there.
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It’s a waste of characters. Often when I audit profiles, you have the same thing in the profile name and the handle. These must be completely different things that complement and help you get found, because the name field should be your brand plus a
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keyword—like your name or business and what the client is looking for plus the city—so instead of "Ania with a heart," we enter "Anna Kowal" here.
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Anna Kowal, online nutritionist. When we have "Sweet Studio," it’s good to add "sweet" here. "Wedding Cakes Gdańsk," meaning your top-tier product, the one you earn the most from. Your keywords only take a few seconds to look up, and these keywords should also
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appear in your posts, your comments, reels, and carousels, but we’ll talk about that another time so I don’t confuse you now. The most important thing now is that you understand to answer for yourself and write here using the language of benefits and the
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client's language, not industry jargon. So, what are you selling? A service or product, like hybrid manicures or soy candles—what problem does it solve?
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Let's assume weight loss or home budgeting; these are the words that define your brand, and you enter where these services are performed. If it is a local business, this is always the place for it. You don't enter your full
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address here, so in practice, you can enter whatever keywords you come up with at the moment based on what appears among your competition. So, we have six rules for a good handle: it should be simple, easy to remember,
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pronounce, and dictate to someone over the phone. We often go overboard with making these names too complicated.
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Your company name should also be in your handle. It will be easier to find and tag you that way. The name should be short. If the name is short, we add the city, like in the example on the
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slide. Don't make it weird—no numbers or flourishes, only a dot. Possibly an underscore if the name is taken. If the name is taken, it's worth writing to that person: "Hey, how much money do you need for me to buy this handle from
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you?" No. Often, people just sell those handles they aren't even using. Uh, add an industry keyword consistently and with the future in mind. Meaning the same handle on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok. Don't limit yourself to one city if you're planning an online store
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or expansion to many, many places. Handle and name. Here you have a practical look; there's a brand doing consultations, it's aniakowal.dietetyk, and for the name, you could put "online dietitian" and not even repeat Anna Kowal, just use keywords instead. I'm
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often in favor of the idea that if you have the chance, use completely different words in your handle and your name, because that way you have the chance to be indexed more broadly and better. Cheat sheet, take a screenshot,
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because it will be very important now that we actually have the rules for creating a good Instagram handle in one place. Maybe you don't need to change anything today, but if the name is the same as the handle, then you know it
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needs to be changed and thought through well. So let's move on to the task you'll do. Type three phrases your client would use into the Instagram search bar and write down what they would be. List one or two keywords.
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City, if you operate locally. If not, then names for SEO that will make people find you. And let's type them into the name field. You can separate them with a vertical bar or a middle dot. Let's type them into the name,
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title, or keyword field and check your handle against the six rules. Whether you're changing it or not. If you are changing it, it's worth warning your followers that from tomorrow we will be under this handle. And the change
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doesn't always have to appear immediately. Sometimes it appears right away, sometimes not. So let's get to work. We're changing our handles now so that everything is as clear as possible. So let's go.
Topics:Instagram SEOInstagram profile optimizationInstagram handle tipsInstagram name keywordssocial media marketinglocal business InstagramInstagram searchprofile discoverabilitybranding on InstagramInstagram marketing strategy
