Instagram’s improved search could help close the gap with TikTok

Instagram plans to highlight photos and videos more in search results in the future, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said on Wednesday. The change could show the grid of photos and videos that a keyword search can display alongside account and hashtag results, which is no different than how TikTok displays results.

The research setting is part of a “series of enhancements designed for inspiration and discovery,” according to Mosseri. The company has used keyword research as a way to deliver visual results – certain terms may bring up pages of suggested images – but Instagram’s new plan will give them more prominence. Mosseri writes that searching for a term like “space” will display suggested photo and video results as well as traditional accounts and hashtags, encouraging further exploration. Visual results will still live behind a keyword click, but they should be more visible and common. (Mosseri demonstrates the modified search experience around 3:30 p.m. in this video.)

However, Instagram’s current keyword research is pretty hit and miss; it doesn’t always show results universally or with relevant photo collections. That’s why Mosseri says the company is also increasing the number of terms that will deliver results, starting with English and then building from there. When asked, Instagram was unable to provide a specific launch date for the search improvements.

Image: Instagram

Even without more visuals or new keywords in the mix, Instagram’s main yardstick for the results it displays is relevance, according to Mosseri. The company has a series of ‘signals’ that it takes into account when posting results, listed below in order of importance:

Your text in the search. By far the most important search signal is the text you type in the search bar. We try to match what you type with relevant usernames, bios, captions, hashtags, and places.

Your activity. This includes which accounts you follow, which posts you’ve viewed, and how you’ve interacted with accounts in the past. We usually display the accounts and hashtags you follow or visit higher than those you don’t.

Information on search results. When there are a lot of potential results, we also look at popularity signals. These include the number of clicks, likes, shares, and follows for a particular account, hashtag, or location.

These same suggestions also apply to the way your content appears. The platform examines your Instagram handle and bio text, location, and individual post captions to determine if your content is relevant to a given search. The company also tries to filter out content that violates its recommendations, including sensitive topics like violence or semi-nudity. You don’t have to go far back to see how Instagram’s handling of these issues has caused concern in the past.

Both of the search improvements should make Instagram more usable and perhaps more engaging to keep clicking. The surface-level similarities to TikTok may not be a mistake either: Mosseri has openly discussed the post-photo-sharing era that Instagram is entering with a video embrace and more suggested content.