This post will enlighten you on what Pinterest SEO is all about, how you can use Pinterest’s search engine to draw traffic to your content, and most importantly the SEO tips content writers need to promote their content in 2020.
Pinterest is such an underrated app. However, it is only because a lot of content creators have not tapped into the benefit it provides. Many still see it as a cute app to save images of ideas they have like hairstyles, Aso-Ebi, or photoshoot. Pinterest is more than a mood board, you just need to learn how to use it to your brand’s advantage.
WHAT IS PINTEREST SEO ALL ABOUT?
Now, I will be silly to assume everyone out there knows what Pinterest is all about. Or how it can serve them.
So let me ask you – how well do you know Pinterest?
I discovered Pinterest in 2017 but I did not become an active user until 2019 until July 2020. I did not utilize the app properly as someone who calls herself a content creator should. Yes, I am dragging myself too.
It is silly to realize how much knowledge we still have not acquired even when it is staring right at us. But like I always say, it is better late than never because there is always a chance to learn every given day.
This post will teach you a thing or more about Pinterest SEO and how it can help you reach that target audience you have been searching for all these while.
Pinterest is basically a visual discovery engine used to find ideas or ‘’inspiration’’ on a wide range of things. Seriously, Pinterest has it all. It is an online bank for ideas.
But what makes it so unique is the organizational structure of those ideas and how easy it is to find exactly what you are looking for. These structures are called PINS & BOARDS. All you need do is to type in the words and the app will pull up tons of visuals related to your search.
This is where Pinterest search engine comes in. It is basically a google for ideas/inspirations.
So how does Pinterest SEO apply to content creators?
Think about it, you have an app where people can just search for anything specifically content within your niche for free and there is a chance for your own content to be seen by them. Tell me why you are not yet jumping on that chance yet?
What you should be thinking of right now is how you can increase your chance of your content being ranked on top. This is where Pinterest SEO comes in.
Pinterest SEO means you taking the right steps to optimise your content using the right tools. I am going to be talking about these right tools in a minute.
First, I need to inform you as a content writer/creator who has a Pinterest account to go download the app on your phone ASAP. And once you do, log in (or sign up if you don’t have an account yet) and go to the settings and switch from a personal account to a business account.
Why?
This is because Pinterest will recognize your account as one aimed at selling a product or to providing a service. Then, they can provide you with analytics reports and insights to help you understand your audience and what kind of content is gaining the most traffic.
PINTEREST SEO TIPS
With these SEO tips, you will not only get the most out of your Pinterest ‘’business’’ account. You will also increase your traffic and eventually be able to add value to your target audience. So let’s get right into it!
UPDATE YOUR PROFILE
Your name might seem like a tiny part of this whole huge thing but it really is important. The name on your profile can set you on a path of gaining more traffic to your account. Here’s how.
Think about what you offer as a content creator, are you a writer or a designer? To be specific now, are you travel blogger or a web content writer? It does not matter what your niche is, I want you to include to that space where your name should be. Let your name have a SEO keyword relevant to your niche. E.g. mine is simply Blackprowriter | Creativity + Writing Tips.
I used this because all my Pinterest Boards offer content, particularly within creativity & writing niches. So the first thing someone sees when they view my profile is what exactly I am offering them. This will ensure that your content is reaching the exact people you NEED it to reach.
As a content creator, you should accept the fact that you are not going to serve everybody.
So the earlier you focus on reaching your target audience the higher your chance of gaining your audience’s trust.
So think about what you can offer right now and add that to your name.
EDIT YOUR BIO
For every Pinterest account, there is a little description box where a user can share a tiny bit about themselves. For a content creator, that little box is more than enough to sell your brand. Do not underestimate it. You only need to be strategic about what exactly you are going to write in that box. How? By writing exactly what you do and how you can help someone.
The thing is people do not really care about you, they only care about what you can offer them.
So tap into that mentality right now and make the most out of it. Let people know from your bio how exactly you can help them as a content creator. Below is an image of my Bio. See how straightforward it is. But most importantly, I added the relevant SEO keywords within my niche.
Why? Because those keywords within my niche such as freelancing tips monetize creativity will definitely optimise my bio and stand a chance to appear when someone searches for any of those words mentioned above. That is basically how Pinterest SEO works, just optimising your content for better traffic.
DELETE IRRELEVANT PINTEREST BOARDS
I was also guilty of this. Before I switched to a business account I had all sorts of boards. They were for my guilty pleasures that were not relevant to my niche. They were not getting me closer to my target audience. This was because they contained pins that were not related to my content. Switching to a business account made me delete those irrelevant clutters. However, Pinterest gives you the options of hiding boards you don’t want to delete forever. They will not be seen by anyone but you. So you can still have your mood boards – only hidden. Awesome, right?
So what happens after deleting (or hiding) those irrelevant boards?
CREATE RELEVANT BOARDS AND TITLE THEM SEPARATELY
After realizing what kinds of content you want to be creating (beauty, travel, lifestyle, writing tips, photography, music) create specific boards for each category and add pins that are related to that board ONLY.
First, title each board you create. It could be one or two depending on how much content you want to share within your niche. Title each one with SEO keywords. I keep saying SEO keywords but I feel you get the point already. Adding keywords within your niche to your boards will optimize your pins and gain traffic compared to the ones without them. Here is mine for example.
My boards are named FREELANCE WRITING CREATIVITY BLOGGING TIPS SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY TIPS. So think about your niche, google search the top topics people search for the most within it. Those should be the title of your Pinterest boards.
PIN YOUR CONTENT TO THE RELEVANT BOARD
I cannot stress this enough. With every Pinterest board you are creating, make sure you ONLY include the pins that are relevant to that title. This will help Pinterest show your pins to the right people when they search for those keywords. Don’t pin an image about blogging under a PHOTOGRAPHY board. They obviously do not correlate and it will hurt your pin reach in the long run.
For each pin whether it is about your own blog post or social media post. You should fill in the description box i.e. caption. But do not make it too long. Make sure your caption contains the right keyword on the particular topic that your pin is talking about. E.g. if you are pinning an image about a trip to Dubai (for travel bloggers); make sure your description contains keywords like Dubai & Travel. Do you get it?
You should utilise the use of hashtags as well. They help optimise your content on Pinterest as well. 4-5 hashtags related to your niche is okay for each pin. Do not over do it. Use Keyword Planner to discover the top keywords in your niche and use those keywords as hashtags in your captions.
FOLLOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE
As a content writer, do not just follow blindly. Just like Instagram, be intentional about the people you are following. Follow those who are related to what you do within your niche. This is helpful because when I engage with their pins, the Pinterest algorithm will streamline my homepage to the pins I am engaging with regularly. Type in your niche and follow those people whose boards you find relevant and worthwhile. That is how you find like-minded people and you learn from them.
CHECK THIS OUT!
http://blackprowriter.com/posts/5-reasons-why-your-small-business-needs-an-online-presence/
PIN REGULARLY
This might seem like an obvious but people often forget to open their Pinterest app for days. Start pinning those content today! Pin your blog post by copying the URL link, so when you open Pinterest app, Pinterest asks if you would like to pin the copied link. It is that easy.
So when you choose to pin the copied link, the image on your blog post/social media post pops up and you can edit the description if you like. But for content writers whose blog posts are already optimized for Google, you won’t need to edit that caption because it already contains the relevant keywords.
Be consistent by pinning at least 5 pins a day. It does not matter if you do not have new personal pins of your own, you can pin someone else’s Pin to the relevant boards. 5 pins daily is a consistent pattern that will grow your traffic. Be consistent.
STUDY YOUR ANALYTICS
Your business Pinterest account gives you a chance to see which of your content is gaining more traffic and those not doing so well. By using your analytics to study your audience and their tastes, you can re-strategize by posting content that gains the highest traffic.
HAVE A CONSISTENT DESIGN
This is particularly for content writers and bloggers, your featured images on your blog posts have to be informational. Yes, your face can show but include texts as well. So when people see your image, it tells them exactly what your content is all about. You can use Canva or Over to design an infographic and to make it easier for you, use the same font all the time for each post. This is called branding. It lets you stand out in the midst of the crowd because people already attach a particular aesthetic to your content. For others, it could be using a particular filter.
Grab your readers’ attention QUICKLY with your pin image and your description.
copy to tweet!
ADD YOUR WEBSITE URL LINK TO EACH POST
Finally, we want to make sure that after grabbing a reader’s attention that we convert it into something useful four us. Your image and description already caught their eye, now your URL link will drive them towards your website, store, or social media page. So if they are interested in your content, they can simply click on the link and ‘’learn more’’.
FINAL NOTE
- Do not overdo the keyword stuffing in your descriptions to avoid Pinterest regarding your pins as spam. Less is more, Fam. Just make sure you use the most relevant keywords in a reasonable structure.
- Use Pinterest to schedule your Post or use an external app like Hootesuite to create your pins ahead of time so as manage your time
- Do not forget to share this post with someone who really needs it.
These tips will definitely help you master Pinterest SEO and make it work for your content. I believe I covered everything but if you have any questions, drop a comment below and I will be happy to answer.
The fact that you made it this far means you really need this information. I am glad I could help, I hope these tips will work for you just as it is doing for me. Do not forget to share this post using the social media button below!
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