13 Pinterest SEO Tips to Explode Your Traffic
Last Updated on December 6, 2023
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To see results with Pinterest in 2023, you need to have learned about Pinterest SEO and how to apply it to your account and strategy.
SEO stands for search engine optimization and since Pinterest is a search engine and not a social media, learning SEO for Pinterest is essential.
Knowing how to optimize content for Pinterest, from your profile to your boards and your pins, should be the #1 priority.
This Pinterest SEO guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to optimize Pinterest for business and drive Pinterest traffic by using SEO on Pinterest.
So, what is Pinterest SEO and does Pinterest help SEO Google, as well? Read on to find out all about how to do SEO on Pinterest and just how it helps your business.
P.S. More of an audio listener? Check out my podcast episode on everything you need to know about Pinterest and SEO!
Table of Contents
Why is a Pinterest SEO strategy important?
If you’re taking the time to create content, you want to make sure that it’s getting in front of your target audience, right?
Applying a Pinterest SEO strategy to your pins helps your pins get in front of your dream readers, customers, and clients.
This is because you’re actively using the Pinterest same search terms as they are using, thus directing them directly to your content.
How does the Pinterest search algorithm work?
When the pinners type in a search term in the top bar and they hit enter, they receive pins on the page that are relevant to the search term they have used.
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The pins at the top of Pinterest’s smart feed are:
- Relevant to the topic of the search term
- Quality pins
- Domain quality (meaning the destination URL is not spam and is a quality website)
- Quality and trusted pinner (The account is not spam, is trusted & producing high-quality content consistently)
Pinterest SEO vs Google SEO
Although Pinterest and Google are both search engines, they do have different search intents.
That means that users of these search engines use a different way of wording things and working with the platforms,
With Pinterest, you won’t find long phrases or ‘How to’ very often. You will mainly see short and broader keywords like ‘Writing tips’ or ‘Egypt travel’
With Google, you may see more searches like ‘best places to visit in Egypt’ or writing tips for bloggers’ instead.
Users are typically going to Google to solve their very specific problem but with Pinterest, pinners are looking for inspiration.
So when they see a beautiful striking pin that sparks that inspiration, they take action!
It’s important to understand the difference between Google SEO and Pinterest SEO because it will affect how you create content and what keywords you will use.
If you optimize your pins for Google SEO that’s great but don’t expect to see those juicy results in Pinterest because you would have optimized for a different kind of user.
However, it is worth noting that learning how to do Pinterest SEO can actually help your Google SEO and Google rankings!
This is because if your pins are popular on Pinterest, this tells Google that people like your content regarding the relevant topic.
So, let’s get into my best Pinterest SEO tips to help you rank at the top of Pinterest’s smart feed.
Top 13 Pinterest SEO tips you need to know
This is exactly how to optimize Pinterest pins and make them searchable in the first place so you gain lots of juicy traffic, sales and email subscribers through Pinterest!
1. Do keyword research
One of the biggest mistakes I see within Pinterest marketing is businesses not doing proper keyword research. To use terms that your ideal audience uses on Pinterest, you need to do research!
There are several different ways to do this. You can have a search around Pinterest and look for the coloured tiles that appear when you search. Those are popular key terms.
If you want the keyword research done for you, I have a Pinterest keyword tool that gives you thousands of highly searched keywords that covers hundreds of categories.
The best part is that if you don’t see a category in the vault that you’re creating a bit of content on, you can request for it to be added!
Within the vault, we also have the monthly average searches for every keyword so that you know which keywords to use within your niche for the most traction.
2. Apply keywords to your profile description
When you know the keywords your target audience is using on Pinterest you can then go ahead and optimize your profile.
Make sure you describe who you help and what you help them with + add 1-3 keywords within there too.
3. Make sure your Profile name is searchable
It isn’t just about Pinterest pin SEO, your profile name should also include a keyword from your niche, not just your business name.
Try and use your business name + 1 keyword that you know your ideal audience is using on Pinterest so that if they are looking for a profile on your niche, you come up as one of the first.
Also, this helps Pinterest know which topics and the niche you’re an expert in.
Whenever you do a Pinterest audit, you should be doing a Pinterest profile search to ensure that your profile pops up for the relevant keywords.
4. Make your boards searchable
One of the Pinterest search tips that people ofter overlook is to also make sure your boards are searchable.
When you’re creating or giving your boards a re-do, make sure they are optimized in the board title themselves.
Your titles should be clear and keyword friendly. Do not use symbols or fancy names that no one is searching for within your titles because then they are not searchable.
Make your titles simple and to the point.
5. Do your board descriptions!
Make sure you have a board description for every board you have. It can take some time but it’s worth it 100%.
This is one of the best Pinterest SEO tips because you’ll be surprised how many people do not do this.
Use the full character length and describe the board with lots of juicy keywords. I would say a minimum of 5.
6. Use your keywords within your actual pin
When you’re creating your pins within Canva, make sure you’re using your main keyword and it’s more likely to show up at the top of the feed because it matches the exact search term.
Pinterest uses visual cues to also know which keywords it should rank under! Using relevant headers and pictures helps Pinterest categorize your pin.
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7. Optimize your pin titles
One of the most important SEO tips for Pinterest is to now optimize your pin titles to make them stand out.
Pin titles Should be clear, short, to the point and have 1-2 keywords. They need to stop the scroll and urge the pinner to click on your bit of content.
Now one thing you can do on Pinterest is using a different title from your blog post or landing page header.
Your header may not use a good Pinterest keyword so you’re able to change the title for Pinterest if that works better.
Just make sure the header is still relevant to the pin and the content it leads to otherwise you’re trying to lead people to a bit of content they haven’t asked for and that can be bad for SEO.
8. Create incredible pin descriptions
You get up to 500 characters to describe the pin and explain why the pinners need to take action.
If you would like to know how to create pin descriptions super easy, then download my 3-step formula to create pin descriptions in under 3 minutes!
9. Be patient
Yes, I know, it’s something that no one wants to hear but with Pinterest, you do have to be patient.
Don’t expect to see results instantly because it’s not a social media platform. Search engines can take a while to crawl.
I would make sure you’re posting consistently for a minimum of 3 – 6months before you expect to see big results.
Sometimes you may be lucky and see results sooner than that like Chi who took my Pinterest course – Passive profit with Pinterest and doubled her results in just 6 weeks!
Within Pinterest be patient – create, publish and leave Pinterest to circulate your pin to the right audience.
10. Have a business account
Before you even apply the above tips, you need to make sure you have a business account otherwise you will be out of luck when it comes to ranking higher and gathering data from your Pinterest account.
If you already have an account on Pinterest but it’s personal, don’t worry. You can go to the setting and convert to a business account there.
When you do this Pinterest starts to take your account seriously and you gain access to more Pinterest analytics and the ads section which can be super helpful for finding Pinterest keywords.
11. Claim your website
If you’re linking your website on Pinterest, you need to make sure you claim it with Pinterest. All you have to do is go into your settings and click verify the website.
You will be given a code which you then have to insert into the HEAD section of your website. I use this plugin to insert it into the HEAD section.
Once you have done that then you can ask Pinterest to look for that code and if successful your website will be verified and good to go.
If you have an Etsy store, make sure you connect that with Pinterest. You can connect your socials to your account as well if you would like.
12. Enable rich pins
Speaking of verification, make sure you have enabled rich pins too. Rich pins enable extra information on your pins.
If you would like to know how to do that then read my tutorial on how to set up rich pins here.
There are three types of rich pins: article rich pins, product rich pins and recipe rich pins.
13. Be consistent
I know this is a boring tip, but with Pinterest, it is one of the most important! You NEED to be consistent with posting. Popping up one day and not the next is not going to do well on Pinterest.
One of my top Pinterest business tips is to make it easier for yourself, and schedule pins in advance with Tailwind. You can get $30 Tailwind credit here.
Scheduling pins is going to save you so much time and as busy business owners, we know time is money!
How do you rank higher on Pinterest?
Use the tips below and make sure that the pin you create has these five things:
Visually appealing
Pinterest is a visual platform, so visuals are everything. Make sure your pin’s image is clear, bright and inspiring.
Dark, dull and blurry photos do not do well on Pinterest. Also, make sure your pins are easy to read. Use big text and do not write a whole paragraph on your pins!
Relevant
Your pins need to be relevant for what the pinner is searching for. Make sure the pin you create matches the destination where you want people to visit.
Also, use relevant keywords so that it is categorized correctly on Pinterest!
Positive
Pinners are looking for inspiration, not for you to make them feel bad. Agitating headlines don’t do well on Pinterest so when thinking of a title, make sure it has a positive spin.
Original
Your content should be original, and not just reposted. Now, I’m not saying don’t repurpose on Pinterest because you absolutely should.
What I mean is to make sure the content is original for Pinterest. Just slapping an Instagram photo to your Pinterest is not going to work.
. Do some research and see what your target audience is searching for on Pinterest and create (or repurpose) content with a PURPOSE.
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Actionable
Why should a pinner take action on your pin right now? Why is there a sense of urgency that they NEED to know the information you have?
Tell the pinner to take action within your pin and pin description. Sometimes people need to be told what to do next, and that should be to take action on your bit of content.
Pinterest SEO checklist
Here’s your Pinterest SEO checklist so you can explode your traffic using Pinterest.
- Do keyword research
- Apply keywords to your profile description
- Make sure your Profile name is searchable
- Make your boards searchable
- Do your board descriptions!
- Use your keywords within your actual pin
- Optimize your pin titles
- Create incredible pin descriptions
- Be patient
- Have a business account
- Verify your website
- Enable rich pins
- Be consistent
How can you see if you’re ranking on Pinterest?
For now, there is no rank tracking system like there is with Google. Although Pinterest is a search and discovery platform, it’s not as complex as Google.
If you want to see how your pins are ranking, you will have to do some keyword research on Pinterest and type a keyword you know you were trying to rank and see when and if it comes up when you search.
My biggest hope for Pinterest is that we will be able to see this kind of information in the future because it would be so helpful!
As a Google SEO nerd, one of my favourite things to do is to check up on my Google SEO rankings and see what content resonated and which didn’t. It helps with content creation and knowing where to improve.
How long does it take to rank on Pinterest?
Even once you have mastered Pinterest optimization, a pin can take weeks, months or years to rank.
There is no secret method for how to rank on Pinterest quickly. That is why you should NEVER delete a pin!
Since it can take some time for pins to rank (if they do at all), you will never want to delete a pin. I’ve had random pins ranked to the top 2 years after I published them.
My top tip is to put the pin out there and forget about it. Don’t stress if it’s bringing no pageviews (you can observe that data over time). Just keep creating content and be consistent.
The more content you put out the better at Pinterest marketing you will become and the better your pins will get too.
3 factors for best performing pins
The pins that are the most relevant and engaged with are the ones that sit at the top of the Pinterest smart feed. If you can create pins that the pinners are
- Looking for
- Visually appealing
- Spark inspiration
That’s when they will take action on your piece of content. Now I know I have given you a lot of information, but I do want to leave the post on this very important tip.
You don’t know until you try.
That may seem obvious, but I’ve worked with hundreds of bloggers and business owners and one thing that stops them from getting started is overwhelming.
They want to learn and learn but when it comes time to take action, they are gone.
And I understand that as a content creator this is something I’ve had to deal with. I put off creating and publishing my first Facebook ad for months because I was scared of the outcome.
What if I fail?
What if I waste all my money?
What if my Facebook ads are bad?
There’s so many what if’s when you’re doing something new or adjusting how you used to do something and learning the new way of doing it.
I know Pinterest SEO can get overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. My simple solution is to take action. Nothing will be perfect the first time!
Your first pins will probably suck and won’t rank, but they might, and you should take that and ride with it.
You’ll never get better at it if you don’t take action in the first place because you’ll need to practice the skill of SEO.
I spent years and years not applying SEO to my blog because I was so overwhelmed and confused and now it’s my #1 traffic driver before Pinterest!
I hope those Pinterest SEO tips were helpful and gave you an audience on how to apply Pinterest SEO to your account.
If you would like to dive in deeper then enrol in my Pinterest course – Passive profit with Pinterest, where you’ll learn the A-Z of Pinterest marketing for your business.
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Pinterest is one of the most underrated platforms for business owners, so you have a real chance of making big moves with getting your business on Pinterest this year!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, using Pinterest for SEO purposes is not only possible but likely. Once you have mastered SEO for Pinterest and learned how to rank high on Pinterest doing so, this can actually start to affect your Google SEO. This is because Google can see the likes and shares you get through Pinterest and if it is popular on Pinterest, this is likely to boost your Google rankings, as well!
This is the common shorthand for Pinterest search engine optimization, which is essentially a method of using keywords and phrases to make your content more searchable and visible on the Pinterest database. The more visible your content, the more likely it is someone will see it and click on it, and thus wind up seeing your content on your own website, shop, or business page.
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