Updated 18 September 2026. Originally published in 2025; revised to replace outdated advice and links.
Public social posts can appear in search results, but publishing a post does not guarantee a place in Google. Our July 2025 announcement overstated the change by suggesting that every professional account and every new post would appear automatically.
Check visibility before planning around it
Account privacy, platform eligibility and search-engine access all matter. Review the current search visibility settings in your social account. Do not assume that a private post, a Story or content behind a sign-in is available to a search engine simply because it is visible to followers.
Google also decides which accessible pages to index and show. Meeting its technical requirements is not a guarantee of indexing or traffic. Treat wider discovery as a possibility, rather than a promised increase in reach.
Make the content useful in its own right
Show your work, answer a customer question and explain what is happening in the image or video. Use accurate names and locations where relevant, without turning the caption into a list of search phrases.
A project post can introduce the story; your website can provide the full service details, case study and enquiry route. Keep both consistent so someone arriving from either place understands the offer.
Measure the right outcome
Review relevant website visits and enquiries alongside platform reach and engagement. A post appearing in a search result is not evidence that it generated a sale.
See how we approach social media management alongside SEO, or explore our Coton House Farm social media case study.
