Ranking on Instagram: the secrets of high positions

How does search engine ranking work? No one knows. How does Instagram ranking work? Secret behind seven seals. However, the lack of specific information from developers does not prevent analysts from making assumptions and developing theories. And certain patterns by which Instagram forms a feed of publications are still known.

The search algorithms of Facebook and Instagram are very similar. In addition, technical support engineers sometimes speak in public, revealing a few tricks. Therefore, it is possible to draw conclusions about the ranking rules and find recommendations on how to make content that will be high in the feed.

Classic ranking algorithm

The EdgeRank algorithm can be called a classic. It was first used for the Facebook feed in 2009. He helped clear the feed of ubiquitous cats and advertising headlines and used three parameters in his work:

• proximity of interaction, User Affinity: the more your accounts overlap, the more often you will see the news feed of this user;
• significance, publication weight, Content Weight: number of comments, reposts, content quality (standard text format is ranked with video or photo);
• relevance in time, chronology, Time-Based Decay Parameter: the faster a new publication receives a response from users, the higher it is ranked subsequently.

Four years have passed since the introduction of this three-step algorithm, and already in 2013, the CTO of Facebook was talking about 100,000 ranking parameters, balanced and equivalent. In particular, the ability to show old publications with their high relevance has been added, and the algorithm for searching for interactions between users has become more complicated (it has become dynamic, tracking only the last 50 interactions).

Also, the ranking of a publication in the social network feed can be influenced by:

• likes under the post;
• comments (the more, the better): live communication, discussion are important, because they give out interest;
• comments mentioning friends or groups;
• fast and frequent user interaction with content;
• a well-filled content "source" profile.

However, if there are too many likes compared to the usual number of likes in the feed, then the ranking indicators will decrease. They also fall if the content has a bright winning and entertaining, that is, advertising nature (like “win rolls for a repost”). Also keep in mind that messages are evaluated by the algorithm and visually as well. Low ranking awaits those publications where images-memes are used in the title picture, and the words “like” and “repost” are used in the text.

And what about Instagram?

All the algorithms described above have been actively used for Facebook for a long time. And Instagram is similar “technically” in many ways. Popularity, novelty, and timeliness are key factors in determining the value of content. That is, the content should attract the interest of users, be something new, and not a long-shared meme, and be of real-time value, highlight what is happening "here and now."

One of the specialists of the Instagram ranking team noted that a new algorithm for finding interesting content was recently introduced. If earlier ¾ of the publications were invisible to most users, now the program highlights the most interesting content and shows it to you so that you didn’t miss anything important.

The criteria for determining the relevance of publications on Instagram affect the degree of your interest in communicating with a particular user. You will be shown content from those whom you searched for in the feed, with whom you communicate in private messages or via comments, from your real friends (according to the Facebook social graph).

Is there a solution or how to please the algorithm

Of course, all of the above is just speculation. But no one bothers to use them to improve ranking positions. Here are the top recommendations for promoting content on Instagram:

1. Link your account to Facebook . This will help to use wider social connections.
2. Improve content . High quality content is a guarantee that it will be commented and discussed. Comments as an indicator of audience engagement have more weight than likes.
3. Stimulate the audience to communicate . Be sure to respond to comments and ask clarifying questions. But with provocations, be more careful: what works once, may repel you the second time.
4. Experiment . The more unusual and original your message, the faster it will be found in the feed.
5. Run native ads - promotional messages "well disguised" as user recommendations.
6. Remove the likebait - all these calls like "like, who remembers, let's see how many of us."
7. Delete inactive followers , because only active users help your posts to move forward.
8. Fill in all information about yourself . In your profile, use keywords that will help find you in the search.

And high positions in Instagram!