Pinterest is a secret goldmine for driving traffic to your website. It’s a free platform that when used correctly can be your #1 organic traffic driver. If you know how to optimize your pins for search engines, you can get a ton of free traffic to your site. In this article, I’m going to share the secrets to Pinterest SEO for better search results.
If you’ve ever wondered how some people’s pins on Pinterest get so much attention while others languish in obscurity, there’s finally an answer. The secret to creating pins that are found on Pinterest is simple: make sure your pins are high quality, contain keywords found on Pinterest, and are visually appealing while also making sure the topic is relevant. By following these simple tips, you’ll be on your way to Pinterest success in no time!
Why you should optimize your pins
You know ranking high in search results is key to driving traffic to your website. It takes time to work with the Google algorithm plus it’s so huge! Pinterest is also a search engine but it’s visually based and it’s much smaller. That means you have a better chance of ranking faster and getting results while still working on your ranking with Google. Plus people come to Pinterest to be inspired. Yes, they are looking for solutions but they also want to connect and get a boost of that feel-good feeling. Keep this all in mind when creating Pinterest pins.
Here are three reasons why you should make sure your pins are optimized for SEO:
REASON #1
Keywords are so important. That’s the #1 way people use Pinterest. They head straight to the search bar and type in search terms that spell out what they are looking for. These are the keywords you want to use on your pins. When you use the words they are typing into the search bar, your pins will show up in the search results.
REASON #2
Optimized pins stand out. Keywords are just one part of optimizing your pins. Pinterest is a visual search engine so the way your pins look is just as important. The keywords get your pins in the search results but it’s the way your pins look and how your audience resonates with them that gets them to click on your pin.
REASON #3
Pinterest is a powerful marketing tool. When your pins are optimized correctly they work for you over and over and over again, all year long 24/7. Once you publish your pins to Pinterest they start circulating, gaining traction over time. That can be weeks, months, and even years from now. That’s one of the beauties of Pinterest, you create one thing and it never expires, it just keeps going and going. The trick is to stay consistent and keep creating high-quality, fully optimized pins so you continue to build credibility with the Pinterest algorithm thus creating a sustainable account that can withstand seasonal changes and even recessions.
To quickly get started with a Pinterest business account, grab my FREE Pinterest Starter Guide and Checklist
What are Pinterest pins?
A Pinterest pin is a high-quality vertical image or video that users on Pinterest click on to see or learn more, based on why they are there and what they are searching for. Pins are clickable and can be used to promote products, services, or website content. The pin image usually contains relevant images to the brand and topic of the pin, text that explains the pin and tells the user what they can expect if they click on it, and colors and branding that match the business promoting the pin.
Pinterest pins are an excellent way to market your business or website. It’s free, it’s creative, and it’s evergreen.
How to optimize your pins for better search results
Preferred pin dimensions: Follow the recommended pin dimensions set forth by Pinterest. For standard pins, that’s 1000×1500 px and for idea pins it’s 1080×1920 px. I use Canva to create all of my pins and the pins for my clients. They have Pinterest templates already set up with the right dimensions making it super easy to create high-quality pins quickly.
Relevant Captivating Content: Make sure you are creating content that resonates with your audience. This means finding out what they are already searching for and creating content around that question, topic, or solution to their problem. But don’t stop there. Make sure you are writing your blog posts and creating idea pins around ideas that others want to save for later. It’s imperative you create content that’s worth saving. That’s the whole point of Pinterest, to search, find, and save content to boards.
High-Quality Images: Always use high-quality images that resonate with your brand and make sure you are using royalty-free images or you have permission to use the images for your business. There are lots of free image platforms. My favorite is within Canva. My favorite paid site for the most amazing and beautiful images specifically for spiritual businesses is Inspired Stock Shop.
(This is my affiliate link. Should you decide to purchase, I might earn a small referral fee at no extra charge to you. I ONLY have affiliate links to businesses I use myself and couldn’t build my business without.)
Keywords: Using the right keywords on the pin, in the pin title, and in the pin description is how your pins are found in the search results. It’s not enough to just make sure they are used, you need to make sure you are using them in a way that appeals to your audience that gets them interested and wanting more.
For more help with keywords, check out this blog post:
Always change the file name to include keywords: After downloading the file from Canva or whichever other platform you use to create your graphics, always make sure you change the file name to an optimized name. Oftentimes naming the file what the main text overlay on the graphic says works perfectly, so long as the text overlay is keyword optimized for Pinterest. The reason for this is Pinterest will use whatever data it can to index the image. Pinterest is able to read the words on the image, pictures, video, and audio, as well as file names.
Experiment with design: Don’t get stuck on just one design type, background, or way of creating your pins. You need to experiment a lot to find what works. This is where branching out of your comfort zone is going to be necessary. No, you do not have to do some song and dance like on TikTok or Instagram but you do need to try out the features Pinterest offers within the app when creating Idea Pins. Pay attention to what others are doing so you can find what you are comfortable doing and then learn how to do it.
Nothing stays the same. It’s so important we stay curious and be open to learning new marketing trends and tools. It doesn’t mean you have to try every new thing exactly when it comes out. That can get overwhelming, I get that. The goal is to find what works for you, not do all the things because everyone else is doing it. One of the best things about Pinterest is you have the ability to really be you but you still have to find what resonates with your audience.
Clear CTA in several areas of your pin: For standard pins, you need a call to action as text overlay, in the pin title, and in the pin description. For idea pins, you need a call to action on the first slide and on the final slide as a bare minimum. You also need to include a CTA in the pin title and the notes section that shows up as the pin description when published. There are lots of different calls to action. These should stand out so make sure they are in a different font than the rest of the text and even a different color. Moving text works great as a way to help initiate action, too. You can also speak your call to action. Often times I have a “Save this!” text while also telling my audience to save my pin.
Examples of Call to Action:
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Save this
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Save for later
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Link in comments
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Click to see more
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Follow me
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Leave a comment
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Save to….(name a board they should save the pin to)
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Hi beautiful. If you are looking for Pinterest training, 1:1 coaching, Canva templates, cheatsheets and how-tos, and online courses that are created with you in mind that will help you build, grow, and scale your online soul led business + the love and support of other female soloreneurs, you have to check out the Hand In Hand Pinning membership.
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Tips for creating high-quality pins
You don’t have to be an expert graphic designer to create scroll-stopping pins for Pinterest. Here are a couple of rules to guide you when creating pins that people want to click on:
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High-quality images that speak to your brand and your audience
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Make sure the text is readable. Your audience needs to be able to read it in a flash, like a billboard but also Pinterest needs to be able to read it in order for them to index your pins.
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Use up to 3 different font types and colors and make sure they don’t blend together or clash with each other
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For idea pins, use animated text
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Keep things within the margins so the text doesn’t get cut off or run to the edge of the pin
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Leave lots of white space (that’s open space without text.) This allows for better reading and is appealing to the eyes
Check out my Pinterest page for examples of how to create scroll-stopping standard pins and idea pins
The benefits of optimized pins
Pinterest is a search engine that works off of keywords. When you optimize your pins you have a better chance of showing up higher in the search results and getting in front of your audience. It’s a work in progress, though. There is no one way to do it because every business, brand, person behind the brand, and audience is different. You have to experiment a lot to find what works and what doesn’t but once you find that sweet spot, the Pinterest system works like a charm. Keep trying out different ways to better optimize your pins. Stretch your creativity and pay attention to what’s showing up in your Home Feed on your Pinterest business account. If you are optimizing your profile and pins properly, you should be seeing related pins and topics within your own feed. This is a great place to start seeing what else is out there and take notes. You want to show up in pinners’ feeds, too. That means you need to do the work to learn how to best optimize your pins for your business and your particular audience.
with gratitude,
Britni Wige
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