Are you on Pinterest, but you’re not getting the proper results that you’re looking for? Or are you trying to figure out how you can rank better than your competitors?
Then you’ve landed on the right article.
Today, I’m going to explain how Pinterest works, the proper SEO strategies to implement, as well as factors that do (and don’t) help you rank.
So let’s get started!
How Does Pinterest Search Actually Work?
Pinterest, like any search engine, is going to rank pins primarily based on what the primary keyword you use in your titles and descriptions.
However, because Pinterest is a visual search engine, it also ranks different pins based on what image/video you used as your pin graphic.
Pinterest is a little different than other search engines since they have structured a lot of their site similar to that of a social media platform (even though it’s not).
Because of this, Pinterest will also use the amount of engagement (i.e. likes, shares, comments) you’ve gotten to your pin/brand as a way to boost your site up higher in the rankings.
All this, and more, ties into Pinterest SEO.
What is Pinterest SEO?
Pinterest SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is just a fancy term for knowing how to present your Pinterest account, boards, and pins in such a way that will be better optimized (i.e. rank) for Pinterest.
Pinterest SEO includes things like making sure you’re using a visually appealing image or video, adding your keywords in the right places, as well as optimizing your descriptions properly.
So, how do you do this the correct way?
How To Optimize Your Pinterest Profile
The first step that you want to take when you’re starting to work on Pinterest SEO is to optimize your actual Pinterest Profile. That means ensuring you’ve created a business account, claimed your domain (if you have one), and added the proper keywords you’re trying to rank for into your Profile Description.
For example, if you’re running a site around helping mothers of young children easily declutter, then you’d want to make sure that phrase is within your profile description.
This way, both Pinterest and your followers know exactly why you are on Pinterest and what they (should) get if they follow you and your pins.
How To Optimize Your Pin Graphic
When it comes to the actual pin graphics (the image or video) that you’ll use, make sure that it is visually appealing.
What that basically means is that you want to make sure that your pin image isn’t blurry or relevant to what you’re talking about. You want to make sure that it is something that someone would actually click on when it appears in the search results.
For example, if you’re talking about mothers decluttering, then you would want to show clear photos of an organized room. Or maybe a mother cleaning her house.
I want to briefly stress the importance of a relevant pin graphic.
We’ve seen far too often people use something eye-catching but not relevant.
Does that matter?
Yes, and in a big way.
Because Pinterest is a visual search engine, it will often-times recommend other pins to you, based on graphics that match the keyword you’re looking for.
For example, if you create a pin around mothers decluttering, but use a photo where the focal point is on a happy dog (and not on the clean room it’s in), Pinterest will generally rank and recommend that pin with dog keywords, as opposed to decluttering keywords.
How To Optimize Your Pin Titles
SEO for Pin Titles is pretty much similar to creating titles for other search engines, as well as for your website.
Make sure that your title is less than 100 characters, is engaging, has the keyword in it you are trying to target, is click-worthy, and sums up what your pin is going to talk or redirect to.
So, in sticking with this decluttering your house theme, if you were talking about decluttering while watching your kids, you wouldn’t just post your keyword in as the title: Declutter While You Watch Your Kids.
You would say something like this:
5 Quick Tips On How To Declutter While You Watch Your Kids (And Have Them Declutter With You!)
Notice how different those two titles are?
The first is just providing the keyword, while the second is showing the reader what they’re going to learn (5 quick tips), and what the benefit will be (have your children help you declutter).
How To Optimize Your Pin Descriptions
After you’ve optimized your pin graphic as well as your pin title, the next thing you’ll want to optimize is the pin description.
The description is just that – a description of what they’re going to get when they click through the link, watch the video, or whatever your CTA is for your pins.
Make sure that you keep it to less than 500 characters, have your target keyword naturally fit within it, and have a good CTA at the end.
For example, if the keyword you were targeting was Declutter While You Watch Your Kids, a good pin description would be something like:
Tired of not knowing how to declutter while you watch your kids? Inside my article, I go into 7 simple and quick ways that you’ll be able to easily use to keep your kids entertained AND busy decluttering with you. I also threw in a free downloadable PDF of actionable chores each of your kids to take part of too. Check out the full scoop inside the article today!
Notice how the keyword was added naturally into the example, as well as explaining about what the article is about and a CTA?
The reason behind wanting a good description is because the description is usually the make or break of whether you’re going to get someone to click through your link or engage in your pin (i.e. following you, saving them for future use, or commenting).
3 Reasons Why Your Pins Are Losing Their Rankings
Generally, you’re going to lose rankings for several reasons.
1. Your Seasonal Content Has Stopped Ranking
The most common reason for people to see a loss of traffic (and what they equate to not ranking) is because they’re ranking for something seasonal.
For example, if you get a lot of traffic with some pins you created around decluttering and cleaning, but it all happened around the springtime, well, chances are that you just got a lot of traffic from the spring cleaning audience.
So it’s not so much that your pins aren’t ranking anymore, but it’s because they’re not relevant within the season.
2. You Need To Change Up Your SEO Game-plan
Just like any search engine, Pinterest will regularly have updates to its algorithm. And because of that, you’ll need to change up how you optimize your pins.
For example, way back in the day, hashtags on Pinterest were a thing. And then Pinterest got rid of them. And, recently (as of writing this), they’re a thing again. In another year or so, they may not be a thing.
No matter what happens, always look and see what Pinterest is recommending to do and follow it.
3. Someone Is Copying Your Pins
Sometimes you can lose rankings because someone else has pretty much straight up copied your pins, and started posting them to get traffic to their account.
When this happens, all you need to do is just prove that you’re the original owner of the pins, and get Pinterest to remove the malicious account.
If this has happened to you, read more about having the account removed here.
While this isn’t the most common reason to lose rankings on Pinterest, it is worth mentioning so that you can double-check that no one is plagiarizing your work. If someone is, follow this article from Pinterest to report the user.
Optimize Your Pinterest Account Today!
Learning the ropes on how to make the most out of your Pinterest account (or any social media account for that matter) in the hopes of ranking your content takes a lot of time and energy.
So, just because you’re not seeing the results that you want initially doesn’t mean that you’re going to give up on it!
Just follow the methods that we mentioned above and keep at it, and soon enough, your content is going to skyrocket in those ratings!
And if you found these tips helpful, consider joining my email list for free for more business-related content and receive updates on real-life experiences and expert advice to enhance your business knowledge and operations!
FAQs
Are videos or images better on Pinterest?
While it is dependent on your specific niche, generally videos will perform better on Pinterest. They’ll get more visibility and engagement than image pins.
What is the best size for Pinterest pins?
Pinterest recommends using 1000 x 1500 pixels when creating your pins. However, they do offer several other sizes to use – 600 x 900 pixels, 1200 x 1800 pixels or 2000 x 3000 pixels.
How many times a day should you pin on Pinterest?
While there is no set limit on how many pins you can pin a day, it is generally recommended to pin between 3-25 pins per day. We personally like to stick to around 10-15 per day as a good average.
What colors do best on Pinterest?
Bright and colorful colors will usually rank better on Pinterest. However, this is very dependent on your niche. Also, look and see what colors Pinterest is ranking currently for the keywords you’re targeting, and try to incorporate some of those colors.