Your Google Search Console Data Is Basically an Instagram Content Cheat Code

Coming up with Instagram content can feel way harder than it needs to be. What should we post? What are people actually interested in? What keywords should we use? What questions does our audience even have? Instead of guessing, there’s actually a pretty easy way to find out. Google Search Console. Yes, technically it’s an SEO tool for your website. But the data inside it can also give you a pretty solid look at what people are searching for, which means it can help you figure out what they might actually want to see on Instagram too. And considering everyone is fighting for attention online right now, that's pretty useful information to have.

What Even Is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that shows you how people are finding your website through Google Search.

You can see things like:

• What people searched before seeing your website

• How many times your website showed up in search

• How many people actually clicked

• Your click-through rate

• Where your website is showing up in search results

Basically, it's a giant list of clues about what your audience is interested in. And instead of looking at those keywords and thinking, cool, SEO stuff, you can use them to make your social content better.

Start With What People Are Actually Searching

Go into Google Search Console and head to: Performance → Search Results → Queries

This is where you'll find the actual searches people are using when your website appears on Google. And honestly, this can basically become your Instagram content calendar. Let's say you're a roofing company and you're seeing searches like:

"How much does a new roof cost?"

"How long does a commercial roof last?"

"Signs you need a new roof"

"Commercial roofing maintenance"

Those aren't just SEO keywords. They're Reel ideas. Carousel ideas. Caption ideas. FAQ ideas. You already know people are looking for answers to these questions, so why wouldn't you create content about them?

Pay Attention to High-Impression Searches

Clicks are obviously great, but don't ignore impressions. If you're getting a ton of impressions for a certain search, that means Google is showing your website when people search for that topic. Even if they aren't clicking yet, there's clearly interest there.

Let's say a solar company is getting a lot of impressions for: "How much do solar panels cost?" Boom. There's your next Reel: "Okay, but how much do solar panels ACTUALLY cost?" Or maybe you're a video production company getting impressions for: "Is professional video worth it for small businesses?" Make a Reel: "Is professional video actually worth paying for?" You don't need to reinvent the wheel every week. Sometimes your audience is literally telling you what they want to know.

Turn Google Searches Into Instagram Hooks

This might be my favorite way to use Search Console. Look through your queries and find anything that sounds like a question. Especially searches starting with: How, why, what, when, should, can, or does. Then turn those searches into hooks.

For example:

Google search:"How long does it take to install solar panels?"

Instagram hook:"How long does a solar install actually take?"

Or:

Google search:"What should I look for in a home inspector?"

Instagram hook:"3 things I'd look for before hiring a home inspector."

Or:

Google search:"How much does a brand video cost?"

Instagram hook:"So… how much does a professional brand video actually cost?"

You're answering the exact same question, just in a format people actually want to watch.

Use Those Keywords on Instagram Too

Once you start noticing certain words and phrases coming up in Search Console, use them in your Instagram content. Not in a weird, keyword-stuffing way. Please don't write a caption like: "Looking for a Rhode Island electrician? Our Rhode Island electricians provide Rhode Island electrical services for businesses looking for Rhode Island electricians." We can all agree that's painful. Instead, naturally work the phrase into your: Reel hook. On-screen text. Caption. Profile. Video topic.

So instead of awkwardly forcing the phrase "commercial electrician Rhode Island" into a caption 12 times, make a Reel called: "What actually goes into a commercial electrical project in Rhode Island?" You get the keyword in there without sounding like a robot wrote it.

Find the Topics Google Already Associates With Your Business

Here's another cool one. Look at the searches where your website is getting impressions but isn't necessarily ranking at the very top yet. These can show you topics Google is already starting to associate with your business. Let's say you're a video production company and you notice you're appearing for: "Video production for construction companies." Don't just write one blog about it and call it a day. Make content around it.

You could create:

• Behind-the-scenes videos from construction shoots

• "What filming on an active jobsite actually looks like"

• Before-and-after project videos

• Employee spotlights

• Customer testimonial examples

• Recruiting video ideas for construction companies

• Project recap videos

• Tips for making construction content less boring

Suddenly you're not making random posts every week. You're building authority around a topic you already know people are searching for.

Look at Non-Branded Searches

Another thing worth paying attention to is the difference between branded and non-branded searches. A branded search would be someone searching: "Told By Fire Media." They already know the company. A non-branded search would be: "video production company for construction businesses." That person might have absolutely no idea who you are. Yet. Those non-branded searches can be super helpful because they show you what potential customers are searching for before they know your business exists. That's exactly the kind of person you want your Instagram content getting in front of.

Please Don't Turn Your Instagram Into One Giant SEO Experiment

This part is important. Just because someone searches something doesn't automatically mean it'll make a good Reel. Search Console gives you the idea. You still have to make it interesting.

Instead of:

"5 Benefits of Commercial Solar Panels"

Maybe your video starts with:

"This business was sitting on a massive unused asset, their roof."

Same topic. Way better story. That's where good content strategy comes in. The keyword tells you what people care about. The creative decides whether they're actually going to stop scrolling.

Google and Instagram Shouldn't Be Two Completely Separate Strategies

SEO and social media used to feel like two totally different things. One person was worried about Google rankings while someone else was trying to figure out what to post on Instagram.

That doesn't make as much sense anymore. Your customers are searching everywhere. They're Googling questions. They're searching Instagram. They're watching TikToks. They're checking YouTube. Then they're probably going back to Google before they actually contact you.

So your content should work together. A keyword you discover in Search Console could become:

A blog → A Reel → A carousel → A YouTube video → A LinkedIn post → An FAQ on your website.

One good insight can turn into an entire month of content.

Stop Guessing What People Want to See

You don't need to blindly brainstorm 30 Instagram ideas every month. Your audience is already searching for things. Google Search Console just gives you a way to see what some of those things are. Find the questions they're asking. Find the topics getting impressions. Find the phrases connected to your business. Then turn that information into content that actually feels human, useful, and worth watching. Because good SEO isn't about cramming keywords everywhere. And good social media isn't about posting just to post. Both start with understanding what people actually care about.