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Forgetting someone’s Instagram username is as frustrating as losing your car keys.
You know they exist somewhere, but that doesn’t help you actually find them.
And if you’re pressed for time during an influencer marketing campaign (or while looking up your high school sweetheart), you need a fast solution.
You’re on the right page for that.
This step-by-step guide will reveal:
- The Google Dork technique
- The Instagram Search method
- The inBeat method
Bonus: If you’re a creator, we’ll show you how to optimize your business account so that others find you easily.
We also have many insider tips and hands-on examples, so keep reading below.
TL;DR - Instagram Bio Search
The Problem: Instagram doesn't allow for direct bio searches.
- Usernames and names can be searched, but bio keywords do not produce accurate results.
- For maximum discoverability, creators should use SEO keywords in their Instagram username or name. Try Canva’s Name Generator in choosing a catchy and SEO-friendly username.
The Solutions: The inBeat Technique
- inBeat is an influencer search database for various social media platforms.
- Although not exclusively a bio tool, you can input details like business category, content, and keywords from Instagram Stories.
- It helps compare influencer stats and allows for export of business contact info.
The Google Dork Technique
- Use Google Advanced to search for bio keywords on Instagram.
- Must remember the exact long-tail SEO keywords for precise results.
- It's possible to search by images or recognize certain links or contact options.
The Instagram Search Method
- Not an exact bio search, but useful if you remember a person’s hashtags.
- Many influencers use the same hashtags in their bios and posts for SEO.
- A more trial-and-error approach, patience required.
Conclusion
- There's no perfect method for Instagram bio searches currently.
- Google requires exact keyword memory, Instagram relies on hashtags, and inBeat is the most efficient for influencer searches.
- inBeat is recommended as it's free, fast, and offers a broad comparison of similar accounts.
- Hire an Instagram influencer agency to find the best content creators for your campaigns.
The Problem
One of the biggest problems with this social platform is that you can’t perform a bio search on it.
If you remember relevant keywords from someone’s description, looking for them doesn’t reveal accurate results.
Let’s take this profile screen:
- The username is the first line next to the circular profile photo.
- The name is also next to the profile image but written in bold text.
- The Instagram bio appears below that name. This 150-character description can also include external links.
If you remember part of Lindsay’s username, Instagram Search will reveal her account quickly:
Even remembering part of this influencer’s name, in this case, the keyword “brain,” is enough for Instagram to display her profile fast:
The problem is when you’re trying to find this profile by bios keywords, such as:
- Nervous system regulation
- Chronic symptom relief
Here’s what you find by doing an Instagram Bio Search by the target keyword “nervous system regulation:”
All these accounts have included this term in either their username or name.
That brings us to our:
Pro-tip for creators: If you want potential followers to find your business profile easily, determine your SEO keywords according to search intent. And then, use these target keywords in your Instagram username or name.
For example, if you are a music maker, don’t just optimize your bio for music. Write a catchy company description, but also include the primary keywords in your username and name.
That way, when your target audience performs an Instagram search, they’ll find your beautiful music faster.
The Solutions
Now that you know the problem, let’s dive into the solutions.
1. The inBeat Technique
inBeat is an influencer search database that will help you find influencers from different social media platforms.
And you can try it for free.
Side note: Unfortunately, there are no third-party tools to find creators by searching for their bio keywords.
This is as close to a bio tool as possible.
Here’s how it works:
- Open the app.
- Add all the details you can remember about the profile you’re looking for, such as business category, relevant content, keywords from their Instagram Stories activity, etc. You should also include their number of followers and location if you can remember them.
- Browse the results until you find the profile you’re looking for.
Pro tip: inBeat has a massive advantage over other AI-based tools or the Google Instagram bio search method. You can easily compare these influencers’ stats in terms of engagement and other impression metrics.
Even if you can’t find the profile you’re looking for, you can discover arguably better influencers in the same niche.
And you can then export their business contact information as CSV to start your outreach process.
2. The Google Dork Technique
Instagram Bio Search may not be possible on the platform, but Google saves the day. Of course, you’ll have to use Google Advanced, not just the standard search function.
Here’s how you do it.
- Open Google either on your desktop or on your mobile devices.
- Type site:instagram.com + “SEO keywords from the person’s bio text” in the search bar. This search query formula tells the search engine to only focus on this social platform.
- Browse the results.
Warning: The worst part is these are specialized, long-tail SEO keywords. That means you’ll have to remember them quite precisely for an accurate search.
Let’s explain:
Scenario 1. If you introduce the first SEO keyword, “nervous system regulation,” in Google’s search bar, you will get:
The profile we’re looking for is nowhere in sight.
Scenario 2: Let’s introduce the second SEO keyword but with a slight mistake.
Instead of “chronic symptom relief,” we’ll say “chronic pain relief,” which has a similar search intent for potential customers.
Again, Google doesn’t show any good results (at least not in the first seven pages that we looked at):
Scenario 3: You remember all SEO keywords precisely.
In this case, the results appear instantly.
Pro tip 1: Some influencers add a link in their bio or professional email address to direct people to their websites. If you remember part of that bio link or contact options, add them to your Google search.
Pro tip 2: Sometimes, it’s easier to search by images. Maybe you can recognize the account’s profile picture or other images from their user activity.
Let’s run an advanced profile search using a wrong second keyword: “site:instagram.com nervous system regulation chronic relief.”
- Google images show fewer profiles, so clicking on all the links is easier.
- The correct results appear at the bottom of the first results page.
3. The Instagram Search Method
This method is less precise and not technically an Instagram bio search.
However, if you can remember a person’s hashtags, you can be pretty sure they also included these relevant keywords in their bio.
In fact, many influencers do this as part of their search engine optimization strategy.
Pro tip: If you’re a creator, consider including the same target keywords in your email address as part of your social strategy.
Let’s look at one of Lindsay Mitchell’s posts:
Notice this post includes clickable hashtags such as #brainretraining, #rewireyourbrain, and #braintraining.
Side note: Influencers have activity patterns; including similar hashtags in their individual posts is one of them. This helps their potential followers to remember their unique selling points better.
Add a few hashtags you remember in the Instagram search bar and see what pops up.
The chances of finding the right profile depend on the keyword you type. In the case of “brain retraining,” you can find Lindsay fast because she also included this term in her Instagram name.
Remember: This is a trial-and-error method you must be patient with.
Which Instagram Search Method Will You Use?
As you can see, there’s no surefire way to perform an Instagram bio search – at least not until Instagram adds this functionality.
However, you can try the three methods above.
- Google is extremely easy to use, but you must remember fairly exact keywords. And the search-by-image function works better than the standard one.
- Instagram is best if you remember the bio keywords that the influencer also included in their name/username.
inBeat is your best bet.
This influencer discovery tool is free and fast. You can easily add all the keywords and filters you remember for a more precise search.
And if you can’t find the exact profile you’re looking for, all is not lost.
inBeat displays many other similar accounts you can easily compare and vet.
So, try inBeat now – it’s free, fast, and flexible.