How to Use Pinterest for SEO

Most people wouldn’t equate social media as a part of their SEO. But did you know that social media can play a huge role in increasing your ranking? Search engine optimization (SEO) can play an effective part in getting your content in front of consumers in organic search. So how do you effectively implement SEO as a part of your strategy in the midst of the rest of your marketing?

There are a few places where investing a little time can reap enormous benefits for your site traffic – and Pinterest is undeniably one of them.

If you’re interested in increasing your traffic, read on to learn more about Pinterest SEO, why it’s important, and how you can optimize and prepare your site and content.?

Why Is Pinterest Powerful for SEO??

It’s no secret that with over 150 million monthly users and well over 2 billion searches, Pinterest has evolved to become one of the more popular social media platforms. On average, the platform’s users spend $58.95 whenever they head out shopping online. This number surpasses Twitter and even beats the spending power of Facebook users.

Even without e-commerce, Pinterest is an added platform for Google to crawl and find valuable information that will only serve to boost your presence online. This platform is especially unique as it gives consumers a peek into what topics, content, and products interest you as a thought leader.?

Let’s not forget the fact that this platform is arguably one of the most important as content has a longer shelf-life and can reappear in searches for months, even years. A pin’s life is 100 times longer than Facebook and 400 times longer than Twitter.?

Wondering where to begin? Here are 4 steps to get the most SEO value from your Pinterest marketing campaign.

4 Steps to Obtaining Pinterest SEO Value

#1 Do Your Keyword Research

Don’t let the flashiness and visualization distract you from optimizing content where it counts: keywords. So many marketers forget to do their part for proper SEO on Pinterest, and those that do won’t see the results they’d hoped for.?

The best approach is to first use the guided search feature to determine what your key audiences are searching for. Similar to Google, it recommends relevant topics based on past search history, common pins to your board, and words related to what you’re typing in.?

After that, check what keywords are used in promoted pins from your industry. This will also give you a good idea of what your competitors are using (or not using!).?

Finally, look through topic categories provided by Pinterest that you can use in your posts. The easier you make it for Pinterest to crawl your content, the easier prospects can find you.?

#2 Optimize Your Website

As a marketer, it’s important to remember to make it simple for people to both navigate to your website and share content from your website. The best place to start is by first adding Pinterest-rich pins so that you can segment your audience, set up conversion events, and report on overall performance.?

Second, go ahead and add a “save” button to your website. This feature is, again, important because it allows people to save images, products, and content to their Pinterest board.?

Lastly, be sure and verify your website with Pinterest. A verified site (similar to Google) makes your content prioritized in search results which, as we all know, is key to effective SEO.?

#3 Optimize Your Pinterest Profile

If you haven’t taken this step, be sure to create a Pinterest business account. While you have the ability to create a generic account, a business account will allow you to take advantage of verifying your website, push consistent content, report on performance, and incorporate advertising.?

To optimize for SEO, be sure your business account has a relevant “about you” section, an SEO-friendly username so consumers can find you, and high-res branding that stands out. Keep it professional and keep it interesting.?

#4 Target Engagement

Once you have all the other components installed, be sure you actually use the social platform. Your goal is to drive engagement to your Pinterest boards and, ultimately, to your website. Unlike Google which uses SEO metrics like backlinks and sitemaps, ranking in Pinterest has more to do with social shares and engagement.?

To help accomplish increased engagement (especially if your profile is new), link your page to your other social channels so people can find and follow along.?

In addition, take part in what’s happening on Pinterest. Follow other relevant brands you admire and partner with and engage with their content. Be sure to also set up boards that your consumers will partake in. For example, if you’re a coffee shop, you might have a board for your bags of coffee to sell, but you should also have boards for roasting tips and tricks, brewing products, ideas for relaxing winter get-togethers, news features on baristas in your circle, ethical bean harvesting, and so much more.?

While SEO can feel overwhelming, there are a few platforms where a little investment into SEO best practices can take you a long way. Make sure you’ve optimized your Pinterest profile and connected your website, then get to work creating keyword-rich pins and quality boards to appease the Pinterest algorithm. Once you’ve learned the ropes, Pinterest can be a veritable gold mine for your website’s traffic!

Need additional strategy on SEO and content sharing? Reach out to our team today to learn more!