As you look to climb the ranks of search results organically, there is one tool you might not be utilizing to its full potential: Pinterest. That’s right. The same place you search for recipes and DIY craft inspiration, is one of the best places to start utilizing search engine optimization for your business.

Pinterest is a Search Engine

Right after Google and YouTube, Pinterest is one of the largest search engines online. It’s more than just a social media platform. Often referred to as a ‘visual discovery engine,’ the Pinterest algorithm sends each user content in categories based on previous "pins" they have searched for, linked, and repinned for themselves. So, how do you optimize your pins to attract customers?

Pinterest SEO Best Practices

New Content Performs Better

While the shelf-life of Pinterest content is often way longer than that of Instagram or Twitter, it’s important to continue to add new pins rather than focusing on spending your time resharing or saving existing pins. At the 2020 Pinterest Creators Festival, Pinterest informed its creators that new pins will be prioritized over already-pinned content. Pinterest encourages creators to publish new, original content on a regular basis.

Pin Videos

According to Pinterest Newsroom, views continue to increase on organic video pins. Video pins perform better and help create a larger audience for brands. To increase visibility with video pins, videos should be between 45 seconds and 3 minutes long. Video content should be evergreen and published consistently. 

Optimize the Account with Keywords

After you’ve done keyword research for your brand, you can start to include them within different elements of a Pinterest account, including the name, bio, and boards. Adding relevant keywords to your name and bio are ways to help users find your Pinterest page quickly when they’re searching. Including keywords within your board names and descriptions will allow users to discover pins more easily.

Follow Other Accounts

Here is the part where the “social” of this social media platform comes into play. Following other accounts will help increase your visibility. You should follow other accounts that are relevant to your brand. Pinterest uses your following list to determine where you’ll appear in suggested boards and accounts to follow, as well as where your pins will be shown.

Optimizing Pins for Search

While all of the tips above can help improve your account visibility, the root of Pinterest SEO is optimizing the pins themselves. When creating a new, original pin:

• Add keywords within the title and description. This is the most important part of creating an optimized pin. Tell your audience what the pin is, while including keywords and keyword phrases within the title and description. Descriptions for pins can be up to 500 characters, however, users will only see the first 50-60 characters on their feed.
• Use optimal ratios for images and videos. Correct ratios will ensure your pins display fully in search results and perform better.
• Include links. The pin itself is a link to your content, however, you should also include a link within the description. Make sure the destination of the link matches your pin imagery and description.
• Use Rich Pins. Rich Pins are a type of organic pin that automatically sync information from your website to your pins. They add more detail to your pins and amplify the SEO value, as well as help drive more traffic to your website.

Don't Forget to Analyze the Data

Pinterest Analytics helps brands understand their overall presence on Pinterest. It shows what content, both paid and organic, produces the most interactions and click-throughs on Pinterest. By reviewing the data in Pinterest Analytics, brands can tweak and make needed changes to their SEO strategy.

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