Instagram Backlinks: Unlock the Link Building Potential Of Instagram

Before diving deep into the topic of Instagram backlinks, let’s have a look at some statistics. Statista’s monthly active user research shows that Instagram is the third-largest social media platform. With these statistics in mind, you probably picture the size of the potential audience you can engage and attract through Instagram links. 

That is to say, overlooking Instagram’s power for link building can turn out to be a costly mistake. You might already have a basic understanding of what Instagram backlinks are, but let’s do a quick recap to get on the same page.

If you’ve skimmed through our blog, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve published posts on Facebook backlinks and TikTok link building. The essence of Instagram link building is quite similar. You place your website link in your bio or share engaging stories with a link that connects to a relevant blog post or store. 

The main difference lies in the technical aspects. Compared with Facebook, where you can simply add clickable links in comments and posts, Instagram doesn’t offer such capabilities. Yet, you’re all good: Instagram offers other ways to share links effectively.

Now, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty details and discover all the possible ways, as of today, to leverage Instagram for link building. Just a quick side note, though you can access Instagram on the web and upload content, many functions are not supported on the web version. So, consider using the mobile app to reap all the benefits Instagram offers for link building.

• Fill in Link-in-Bio Section 

Whether you manage a business or private account, Instagram supports the link-in-bio feature, which is definitely worth filling in. Generally speaking, for businesses, it’s preferable to have business accounts to access the comprehensive insights Instagram offers. With private accounts, you won’t have the opportunity to check your Instagram activity or adjust your marketing campaigns. 

You’re probably now asking what kind of link to include in the bio section. Sure thing, it should be either your blog or website. However, there’s another alternative worth considering: using link-in-bio tools to share multiple links.

This method will work best if you want to craft short photo stories and add an active link to them. For example, if you manage an account about eLearning, you’ll most likely post plenty of content to announce your new courses or simply share tips on education. So, it’s preferable to put one link in your bio. As such, by clicking on it, people can choose the exact content they want to explore.

Tools like Later, Linktree, or Beacons can assist you along the way. You can also use them to schedule your content. Plus, everything works pretty simply. All you need to do is publish your content and encourage people to check the link to your bio for more details. 

• Put Links on Stories 

Another way to add Instagram backlinks is by using a crowd-favorite story. Before, your page should have 10,000 followers to support the “link” function on stories. But later on, Instagram made it available to all accounts. 

So, no matter how many followers your Instagram business or personal account has, you can effortlessly use Instagram stories for link building.

Well, you might say it’s just a 24-hour pleasure. Technically, yes, Instagram stories are only active for a day. But you can archive them on your profile by creating highlights. For example, if you’re promoting different courses, you can use a highlight for each one and save all related stories under the relevant title.

Moreover, since highlights are shown at the top of your profile, right after the bio, they won’t go unnoticed.

• Add Links in Posts 

Unlike the previous two options, posts on Instagram do not support active links. While you can technically place them in the caption, they won’t be clickable. But you’ve probably noticed that some businesses still include links this way. You now wonder why. 

Well, let’s admit it, most people won’t feel inclined to copy a link, switch apps, and paste it into their browser. However, you can make your links more appealing to copy and paste, or even type manually into the browser.

To get there, make sure to create intriguing content to encourage people to interact with the link you put for more details. Ultimately, shorten your links to make interaction with it more simple.

• Leverage Direct Messages 

Direct messages are not considered to be a place for link building, but that is a missed opportunity. Overall, messages are a perfect place to elevate your Instagram backlinks. Fortunately, unlike posts, messages support links, so you can share useful content with your audience through direct messages.

Ideally, it’s worth having automated replies. They help you instantly connect with your audience. Keep it simple and just emphasize your gratitude to people for showing interest in your product or services. Additionally, include a useful link to your website that helps people learn more about your products or brand, or provide some contact information while you can answer their inquiries.

This is a great option both for engaging people and improving reply time, thus signaling to the algorithm that you have a fast response time.

• Use Instagram Ads

Next up on our list of Instagram backlink methods is Instagram ads. You can use ads to boost your content’s visibility and share links effectively.

In the first case, ads help you reach the right audience (with proper targeting, of course). Once people discover your content and find it interesting, they’ll likely visit your profile, check the link in your bio, or scroll through stores and check links you put there. Finding your content useful, they will feel inclined to share it, therefore supporting your link-building efforts.  

In the second scenario, you can use ads to encourage people to take action. For example, you might promote a discount on your annual subscription and include a “Subscribe Now” call-to-action. With Instagram’s “Click to Message” feature, anyone who clicks the ad can be directed into a DM conversation, where you can automatically send a clickable link to your landing page. 

• Set Instagram Shop 

And the last step we suggest you take for Instagram link building is setting up a shop. Let’s say you have a small business selling handmade accessories. You organize all your sales through your website and Instagram account. Setting up a shop on Instagram can not only boost your sales but also assist in link building.

That is specifically because, technically, Instagram allows you to add clickable links under each product description. Just imagine how many links you can include in your Instagram Shop! This offers huge potential for Insta link building.

Before wrapping up, let’s also shed light on one last crucial question you probably have: What should you expect from Instagram backlinks? Are they going to pass SEO value to your website or not?

By their very nature, Instagram backlinks don’t pass link juice. That is to say, they are nofollow. However, that’s not a reason to give up on nofollow links, right? Though you may have a basic understanding of the core opportunities nofollow links offer, let’s quickly skim through them again to see why they are crucial:

• Encourage people to discover your business website and learn more about your products.

• Drive organic traffic to your platform.

• Engage people with your content, encouraging them to share it, thus turning your nofollow links into dofollow ones.

As you can see, there are different options to use on Instagram for backlinks. Plus, everything is pretty simple and can be done effortlessly. Just follow the steps in our guide, and you’ll get there.

Alternatively, you may choose to leave the effort to professionals. If so, Gopeak can become your helping hand. Contact us for a backlink consultation.