Are you looking to leverage Pinterest to grow your online presence and bring targeted traffic to your website?
Pinterest is more than just a social media platform, it’s a powerful search engine where users actively look for ideas, inspiration, and products. By understanding how to optimize your content using Pinterest SEO, you can tap into a vast audience that is already searching for what you offer.
In this guide, you’ll learn advanced Pinterest marketing techniques to drive traffic and increase followers, using both free and paid strategies.
If you think SEO is only for Google, you’re missing out! Pinterest SEO plays a crucial role in helping your pins rank in search results, making it easier for users to find your content. SEO isn’t limited to websites, it’s essential for optimizing content across platforms like Pinterest, YouTube, Quora, and even Facebook Ads.
So, if you’re ready to boost your visibility on Pinterest, this step-by-step guide will cover everything you need to know from optimizing your profile and boards to creating pins that rank higher in search results. Let’s dive into Pinterest SEO!
- What is Pinterest Marketing?
- How does Pinterest Algorithm work?
- How to Create a Profile?
- How to verify the profile?
- How to do SEO for Boards?
- What are the Sections?
- What is Pins ?
- Understand the purpose of Repins
- How to Rank your Pins?
- How to Rank your Pinterest boards in Google
Every day, more users are joining Pinterest, which means there’s an ever-growing potential to connect with your target audience. By following proven Pinterest marketing strategies, you’ll be able to build a strong presence and attract the right followers to your content.
What is Pinterest Marketing?
Pinterest is a social media website, which allows users to create profiles and allow them to share images and videos.
Because of increasing users, Pinterest has become the core marketing channel. Implementing the right Pinterest SEO strategy for boards, Pins and Sections will bring new wings to your Free traffic strategy.
Although It’s a social website, Pinterest is more popular as an image search engine. Pinterest Marketing provide high-quality traffic of customers who looking for new concepts, Ideas, and Information.
Before we start doing Pinterest SEO lets learn the core fundamentals of Pinterest marketing.
How Does Pinterest Algorithm work?
After your search on website it has its own algorithm to show results. Google uses more than 200+ ranking signals to bring results on first page, similarly Pinterest also uses it algorithm.
When you search on Pinterest, You will see the top engagement post. The quality of pins is determined by how many users save it, How many people repins it.
To check new pins you need to navigate to particular board or the profile.
Pinterest SEO Checklist
Create Pinterest Profile
To start taking advantages of free traffic from Pinterest, you need to create profile. Please note that there are two types of profile you can create with Pinterest.
- Personal Profile
- Business Profile
If your purpose is to only explore Pinterest to find new ideas then just create a simple profile. You don’t need to have a business profile. You can also create your simple pinterest account with your facebook or Google account.
But as you come here to learn Pinterest SEO, I am sure you are more interested in creating Business Profile to use paid Pinterest marketing features.
SEO For Pinterest Profile
Pinterest SEO starts with optimizing profiles. This is the first step that you need to look for optimization.
Some basic concept you need to understand from Pinterest Profile
- Profile Photo: Add your business logo or your pics, Select based on your popularity.
- Display Profile: Always use your brand name. For Pinterest SEO it serves as Title and appears in Google. Brand Name is always simple and unique that’s why It will also helpful for your users to search you in Pinterest.
- Username: It serves as your main URL and will be connected with every board or section you create. It allows you to choose your name, so make sure you use the same brand name.
- About your Profile: This section will serve two purposes. For SEO it is also used as a profile meta description. And, for the Pinterest profile, it provides detailed information.
Verify Website & Social Property
Once you have completed your profile setup it’s time to verify your account with websites, youtube, Instagram.
Verified Pinterest accounts have a higher impression and followers compared to unverified Pinterest business accounts.
Claim your website on Pinterest
It’s as simple as adding Google analytic code to your website. Follow the below steps to claim your website
Enter your domain name – Without HTTP, https or www format. ( For example, You need to add only vjseomarketing.com )
Now click on the Claim button
When you click on the claim button a Popup will open that provides you two options to verify your account.
Both Options are simple and easy. By following simple steps you can easily verify.
Either verified by adding HTML tag in your website <head> section or by adding HTML file in the root directory.
Claim Instagram Verification with Pinterest
To do that you need to click on the claim button. On clicking, you will redirect with the Instagram login page.
You need to provide some permission so that you can auto-publish your Instagram post to Pinterest.
Claim Verify Youtube with Pinterest
Similarly, if you want to link youtube with Pinterest then click on claim a google permission window will open.
On accepting a Pinterest request you will provide access to your youtube channel. Verified accounts have higher chances of getting traffic.
Therefore while creating Pinterest SEO Strategy always claim your website, social accounts with Pinterest
Understand Pinterest Feed
Before jumping on doing Pinterest SEO let’s understand the Pinterest feed or features. Understanding all features will be crucial for getting higher visibility on Pinterest.
- Activity
- Community
- Boards
- Pins
- Following
- Followers
- Monthly viewers
What is Activity in Pinterest?
This is a place where you and your members can see the recent conversions, New pins, any comments or messages you have. This place is used for checking the latest stuff on the profile.
What is Community in Pinterest?
Community is a new feature launched by Pinterest. This is similar to Facebook groups, Former Google+ communities.
Here you get a chance to present relevant ideas in most popular communities. If you have lower followers then I recommend you join communities to grow your profile.
It’s a group of like-minded people. To find relevant communities use the Pinterest community finder tool. https://in.pinterest.com/community/community-finder/
How to Create Pinterest Boards?
From Pinterest boards, your SEO works start. Boards play a major role to bring traffic to your board.
IF you have just started a new website or blog, and created boards on Pinterest following your website architecture, chances are that your board ranks higher in Google compared to your website.
The reason is simple, It ranks high in Google because Pinterest itself has high domain authority compared to your website.
- Before creating any board do some keyword Research. The first option will ask to add the Board Name. Create boards with search term that are trending in Pinterest.
- The Second option is related to visibility. Never click on the checkbox, otherwise, the board will not rank in Google. Also, board visibility is limited to private members only.
Once you create a board optimize it for SEO. Let’s look at the points that you need to optimize.
- Board Name: This plays a major role in SEO for the Pinterest board. It acts as Title, Page URL and H1 tag. So Search the right keywords for Pinterest and create boards that have high search volume. Add a keyword-rich title for the Pinterest board.
- Board Descriptions: This is a place for writing attractive meta descriptions. Whatever information you write, will be available in the Google search results. Add keywords in the Pinterest description.
- Board Visibility: This act as meta robots tag, shows if you set visibility as private the board will not appear in search results. So If your goal is to bring organic traffic to the Pinterest board then always uncheck the visibility.
Organize Your Boards
Remember the Golden SEO Rule – Relevance and engagement is king. Creating a board is not enough, you need to do constant practice to organize it. Below is the ongoing activity that you need to follow.
- Move relevant pins across your board
- Delete pins that are not performing
- Followers matter, More followers means more Internal links.
- Keep updating board cover pics.
SEO loves refreshment and fresh content, By organizing your boards you will keep maintaining it.
What are Pinterest Sections?
Pinterest Sections acts as sub-categories. It falls inside the board. If you have a big niche and want to segment with sub-categories then sections will be very useful.
To create segments click on + Icon inside boards. Write the name as per the keywords you have found. Understand that whatever name you have written will be used in URL and also acts as an H1 tag.
Here there is no provision for writing description.
What is Pin & Repin?
Till now we have just set up the perfect Pinterest SEO architecture. But just creating a profile, boards and sections will not bring traffic and followers. You need to Create awesome pins to increase followers and engagement.
While Creating pins you need to follow graphics guidelines. Make sure that our primary goal is to make it better than our competition. There are different sizes of images available on Pinterest, but adding a pin of size 600x900px or 2:3 ratio gives better exposure.
They look great compared to images that have improper dimensions. The Pinterest algorithm is designed to understand the text on images. So always, Add text on Image overlay.
SEO Guidelines for Creating Pin
Creating pins in pinterest is as simple as creating boards and sections . The best thing about Pinterest is that it gives you seamless experience throughout the website.
While creating a focus on the below points. Here our main Pinterest SEO goal should be to focus long-tail keywords. Always focus 1 keyword for one pin. Do not set over expectations.
- Before creating pins, find the most popular keywords related to that pin.
- Save the Image filename with targeted keywords. Do not write random image names.
- Write an Effective Pin title. Write it considering taking benefits for SEO.
- Write descriptive content including your main focus keyword.
- Add relevant landing pages so that whatever traffic you receive from Pinterest will have less bounce rate. Adding relevant pages helps you in improving your website conversion rate.
- Consistency is the key to get success in Pinterest marketing. Plan to do at least 3 pins in a day.
So always focus on creating high content for Pinterest so you can generate more traffic to your website.
How to Measure Pinterest Marketing Success?
I always force my students and clients to measure the success, whether it’s keyword rank tracking for SEO or tracking leads and conversion from paid traffic.
Understanding data will help anyone in knowing what is working for the company. It also helps you to create marketing strategies.
Measure Pinterest Followers
Keep eyes on measuring your Pinterest followers daily or weekly. If you don’t have a team I still recommend that you keep tracking your Pinterest followers on a monthly basis.
Followers indicate how many people like and are interested in your content. If the followers are not increasing or started falling then optimize your Pinterest content strategy.
Measure Pinterest Monthly Viewers
This shows your overall pins reach. Monthly views indicate how many times someone has engaged with your PINS.
If the Engagement and Impression ratio is high and still not getting followers then still you need to improve your content presentation. You need to organize your boards and pins.
Monitor Pinterest Traffic in Google Analytics
Pinterest is a source for bringing free traffic to websites. If your strategy is unique and creative then there are higher chances that you will get high traffic in a quick time.
Keep a record of tracking your Pinterest traffic daily, weekly and monthly from Google analytics.
If you find a pattern of sharp falling in traffic then check whether you have not deleted the pin that was generating higher traffic.
My Final Words on Pinterest SEO
Pinterest is only the marketing channel where all people work together. Its true marketing platform which check your SEO, Social Media, Analytical and Graphical Skills.
I have covered my proven Pinterest SEO strategy, apply it step by step and your boards start getting more traffic and new followers, If you still confused regarding SEO terminology, I suggest you to participate in our SEO training program, where we discuss SEO in depth.