If youโre reading this blog, you already know that search engine optimization (SEO) is key to getting your content in front of viewersโ eyes in organic search. But youโre busy, and you canโt devote hours per day trying to optimize your content for every platform out there.
Thankfully, there are a few places where investing a little time can reap enormous benefits for your site traffic โ and Pinterest is undeniably one of them.
If youโre interested in skyrocketing your site traffic, read on for a discussion of Pinterest SEO, what it is, why itโs important and how it works. Weโll then dive into the nitty-gritty of preparing your site for Pinterest SEO, plus 10 advanced tips to maximize your results.
SEO stands for โsearch engine optimization,โ which comes into play on any platform where your content might appear in search results, including social media, search engines and YouTube. Pinterest SEO, specifically, involves optimizing your profile and your Pins to generate more organic traffic back to your site.ย
Because Pinterest is a visual search engine, your Pins can reappear multiple times for months. You could argue that Pinterest is the most important social platform for SEO since itโs got a much longer shelf-life for content than platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.ย
A Pinโs lifespan is 100 times longer than Facebook and 400 times longer than Twitter!
So if you had to choose between a few social media platforms to focus on at first, it makes sense to go with Pinterest. Thatโs the place where youโre likely to get the most bang for your buck.
If youโve heard of Google SEO, Pinterest SEO is similar in that they both use targeted keywords that cause the content to appear when users search for a topic. But while Google uses technical SEO metrics like backlinks and sitemaps, ranking on Pinterest has more to do with social shares and engagement metrics.ย
You could say Pinterest is what happens when Google and Instagram have a baby.
When you search for a topic, Pinterestโs algorithm shows you search results based on SEO factors such as:
Before you start Pinning, you need to do a bit of housekeeping to ensure everything runs smoothly.ย ย
Before you do anything else, make sure you have a business account so that youโll have access to advanced analytics, the option to purchase ads and the ability to promote Pins.
To convert your personal account into a business Pinterest account, go to your profile menu and click Settings > Account settings > Account changes > Convert account.ย
If you donโt already have a Pinterest account (or youโd like a standalone version separate from your personal one), go to this page to create a new business account. Make sure youโre logged out of your personal Pinterest account on your browser before you begin.
Click Create account and follow the prompts to add your profile picture, business name, website and other information. The setup screen will also prompt you to choose your business type and focus and whether you plan to run ads (you can always select Iโm not sure yet and decide later).
Hereโs where it gets a bit technical, but claiming your website is essential for full access to analytics for Pins published from your site (by you or others) and for letting viewers on Pinterest know where to find your other content.
You can claim your website on Pinterest by adding one of three options to the back-end of your website:
Applying for Rich Pins is a great way to elevate your SEO content. Rich Pins add more details that affect both the discoverability and the eye-catching nature of your Pins.ย
Instead of a regular Pin, which only holds the information and detail you provide, a Rich Pin automatically pulls extra information from your website. Whether youโre linking back to a blog post, a product, an app, or a recipe, thereโs a Rich Pin for you.
Another way to quickly add Rich Pins to your site is to use a plugin like Yoast SEO (an excellent plugin for your site that you should get anyway). You can go into the plugin settings to validate your Pinterest connection and apply for Rich Pins directly from WordPress.
Once your site and Pinterest profile are both set up the way you want them, itโs time to start using Pinterest to its full, traffic-driving potential. Follow these tips to get yourself started on the right foot!
Keyword research for Pinterest is a bit different than doing standard keyword research for Google (especially since there are quite a few tools to help with Google keyword research, but none for Pinterest as of yet).ย
One of the best ways to get started is to type your topic into Pinterestโs search bar.
A bunch of colored boxes containing keywords will appear in a row along the top. Those are part of Pinterestโs guided search, where they suggest related modifier terms to narrow down your results. I typed โvegan,โ which is a broad topic, and Pinterest suggested terms based on recent most popular searches related to that topic, such as “recipes,” “breakfasts,” “meals” and “soup.”
You can use this knowledge to decide which topics to cover on your site and what popular keywords to include when creating Pins.
And be sure to look at other sites in your niche that are ranking and see what theyโre doing. A little competitor research is never a bad thing!
Yes, your Pinterest profile also needs to be optimized for search results.ย
Be sure to choose a username thatโs SEO-friendly (since itโll be part of your profileโs URL) and fill in the About section with your website URL, a short description of your specialty or niche (keep keywords in mind) and a high-quality profile picture or logo.
Pinterestโs algorithm considers your boards when determining your visibility and what types of content you specialize in, so be sure to organize your content in a way that matches popular keywords for your niche.ย
For instance, since I specialize in the lifestyle business niche, I titled my boards with popular keywords such as โLifestyle Business Ideas,โ โContent Marketing Strategyโ and โBusiness Ideas for Women.โ
Iโve also created custom board cover images to make my boards more visually appealing (and make it easier to know the contents at a glance).ย
Have I mentioned that keywords are essential? When giving your Pins titles and descriptions, be as specific as possible. Include relevant keywords, sensory words to make your Pins more enticing, and positive emotions where you can.ย
Pinterest is a visual medium, so make sure to use high-quality photos. Pinterest also favors vertical Pins, so try keeping your images to an aspect ratio of 2:3 or 1000x1500px.ย
As for the content of your images, use bright and high-contrast colors to make your Pins pop. And donโt forget to add text to your image using graphic design tools like Photoshop or Canva!
Did you know you can attach the same URL to multiple Pins with different images? Pinterest loves fresh content and allows you to target several keywords with the same post.
If youโre Pinning an article from your website, for example, create a few similar images by pulling the images from the article and overlaying text (and tweaking the image dimensions) with your favorite graphic design tool.ย
Then, turn each image into a Pin linking back to the same post. Use different keyword-rich headlines and descriptions for each Pin.
It sounds overwhelming to hear that you need to Pin several times every day. Still, if you batch-create your Pins and use an automated Pinterest scheduler, it doesnโt have to take you that long โ especially since youโll be Pinning the same link several times, using different images, or posting the Pin to various boards.ย
Also, not all of your Pins need to be your own. A good rule of thumb is to follow the 80/20 rule: 80 percent of your Pins should be re-Pinning othersโ material that you think will help your audience. Only 20 percent of your Pins need to be your original content.
As for your Pinning frequency, itโs more important to be consistent than Pin in infrequent flurries. If you can, try starting by Pinning between 5-30 pins per day.ย
The best times to Pin are when your audience is online, so the best bet is to check your own Pinterest analytics for specific data. For most niches, though, youโll do well to post on Saturday mornings and avoid Pinning during standard work hours.
And if youโre wondering how on Earth youโll find the time to Pin multiple times a day, the short answer is that you shouldnโt: Use an app (like Tailwind, Bufferย or Later) to schedule your pins for the week in one fell swoop.ย
While you should always engage on Pinterest by following others in your niche, commenting on Pins and responding to comments on your Pins, you can level-up your community engagement by joining a group board.
These are collaborative boards where multiple Pinners contribute content matching the topic of the board. Itโs a great way to find new audiences! Use search tools like PinGroupie to find community boards in your niche.
I use Tailwind Communities to find great content to share. Tailwind is a scheduling and analytics tool for Pinterest, and it offers the “Communities” as a separate function that allows Pinners to follow specific keywords or tags.ย
If youโre looking to schedule all of your curated Pins ahead of time, Tailwind Communities is a great way to find quality content in just a few minutes.ย
Visual search is becoming a significant factor for all search engines, including Google and especially Pinterest. Using high-quality, clear images related to your brand or content may help you get found faster.
Check out Pinterest Lens to discover popular related images you can use as an inspiration for your Pins.
Last but not least, engagement should always be your goal. As with any SEO landscape, more engagement increases your siteโs visibility. Be sure to:
While diving into the wide world of SEO can be headache-inducing, there are a few platforms where a little investment into SEO best practices can take you a long way.
Pinterest is one of those platforms. As a rapidly-growing visual search engine, Pinterest boasts both a massive audience and a long shelf-life for content โ which is excellent news for you!ย
Make sure youโve optimized your Pinterest profile and connected your website, then get to work creating keyword-rich pins and quality boards to appease the Pinterest algorithm. Use scheduling tools and Pinterest communities to make your life easier and find quality content to share.ย
Once youโve learned the ropes, Pinterest can be a veritable gold mine for your websiteโs traffic!