Google Can Now Show You How People Find Your Art on Instagram
If you're a visual artist, you've probably wondered how people actually discover your work. Instagram tells you how many accounts saw a post, but not what someone typed into Google before landing on your profile.
That's changing. Since July 2026, Google Search Console has let you connect your Instagram account directly. It's a free tool, and you don't need a website to use it.
What you'll see
Once your account is connected, Search Console shows the search queries leading people to your posts, which posts appear in Google Search and Discover, and the countries and devices your audience is coming from.
For artists, that's useful information. You might learn that people find your work by searching "abstract landscape painting" rather than the terms you've been using in your captions. You might see which series reaches people outside your followers. You can use all of it when you write captions, alt text, and your bio.
One honest note: this is an analytics tool, not a shortcut up the rankings. It shows you how you're being found so you can make better decisions. It doesn't boost your visibility by itself.
How to connect Instagram
Open Google Search Console and go to the property selector.
Click Add property.
Select Instagram from the platform options.
Sign in to the correct Instagram profile and approve the permissions.
Click Go to property to open your new Instagram property.
Give it up to 48 hours for data to appear.
If you run more than one account, such as a personal art account and a shop account, add each one separately.
Making it useful
Check in every few weeks. Look at which queries bring people to you, then work those words into your captions and bio where they fit naturally. Over time you'll get a clearer picture of how your audience describes what you make.
