A Market of 150 Million Users

Pinterest is the little Social Media Platform that could. When it was founded 7 years ago, it seemed unlikely that the community website would gain much traction. Yet, today the site boasts an impressive 150 million active monthly user base. Only now are we seeing marketers taking full advantage of the site and discovering the platform’s SEO rules. According to research firm L2, current estimates are expecting marketers to spend $12.82 billion dollars on video ads alone in 2018.

The market is there, you just need to reach it. Here’s a no-nonsense way of utilizing SEO to promote your agency on Pinterest.

The Pinterest SEO Essentials

Before we explain the lesser known Pinterest tactics, let’s first discuss the essentials. If you’re planning on having any Pinterest presence whatsoever, you’re going to need to know these basics.

Optimize your profile. Your SEO begins before you’ve even made your account. For instance, your username will actually be part of the URL. This means that it will serve as a keyword for other Pinterest users. Make the name clear, preferably referencing what your agency is all about. Adjust your profile to reflect the online presence your agency has already established. Make sure this is the way you want your account to present itself.

Organize your boards. Keep them neat, organized and visually appealing at all times. You’re not a DIY crafter posting their creations. You’re representing an agency looking for clients to put their faith in you. When you’re thinking of board titles, it’s better to be SEO-minded than witty. A quirky name will get you nowhere in the search engine, so don’t lose track of what your presence on Pinterest is for. Optimize your titles in the way that you expect people looking for your services to search. That’s not to say you should keep board names technical, but don’t sacrifice effectiveness for creativeness.

With your account set up, let’s take your Pinterest SEO to the next level.

The Tricks

1. Verify Your Account

As soon as possible. It is highly suspected that linking a verified website to your account prioritizes you in search results. It also increases your authority which will affect your ranking in searches. Being verified also opens up a whole new world of statistics thanks to Pinterest Analytics. Any agency worth their salt will use these performances stats to fine tune their account behavior. Statistics range from Audience Analysis to Pin Popularity.

2. Minimize Hashtags

Anyone familiar with social media marketing will be tempted to hashtag it up on Pinterest. However, it’s best to restrain yourself. Hashtags have certain negative connotations on Pinterest and the hashtagging itself isn’t as effective as it is on rival platforms (although there are exceptions). It’s best to focus on your descriptions and include all desired search words in there instead of creating a slew of hashtags on your post.

3. Focus On Keyword Research

The key to discovering the ins and outs of Pinterest’s search engine is to go on a searching spree yourself. Find out how its results work and how accounts, boards, and pins themselves are organized when searched for. Get a feel for how descriptive a pin has to be to rank. Try your luck with the automatic keywords Pinterest suggests, and browse the keywords relevant to your agency. Whatever ends up ranking is a good learning experience for you.

4. Use Rich Pins

Rich pins are supercharged pins that take a bit of extra effort to get right. But their benefits are worth the trouble. A rich pin rips structured data from your site (or whatever site you pin it from) and displays it in far more detail than a regular pin would. For instance, Rich Pinning a product from a website would not only include a description, but also the price and availability of the item. These types of pins are not just more descriptive. They also perform better in Pinterest search rankings and even other search engines such as Google. Rich pins can be the linchpins of your Pinterest presence, so be ready to experiment with their effectiveness.

Pinterest is an underappreciated platform that is begging to be taken advantage of. Make sure your SEO is locked down with an optimized profile and organized boards, and you’re well on your way to Pinterest greatness. Just be careful. Pinterest doesn’t work like every other social media platform. While you’ll still need lots of keyword research, it’s best to use as little (or no) hashtags as possible. Experiment with eye-catching content and SEO capabilities, and pin away.