How to Get More Organic Traffic with Pinterest

Every search engine has its algorithm, Pinterest is no different. Pinterest Smart Feed algorithm allows every user to find the best pins for a specific search phrase. What makes Pinterest different is that it doesn’t put up the latest pins first. Pinterest will choose those pins that are appropriately optimized. This is why marketers are keeping their eyes on the algorithm to find the best way in getting more organic Pinterest traffic.

In this article, we will explore deeper the Pinterest algorithm. We will also see how the knowledge we learned can be applied to get more organic Pinterest traffic.

Pinterest Smart Feed: An Overview

The Smart Feed works very simply, which is the most efficient. There are three main ‘pools’ based on types of pins:

• Repins have put in front of the people of the Following Pool
• Related Pins are put in the ‘Related Pool’
• Interest Pins are put in the ‘Interest Pool’

How Pinterest Search Works

Pinterest search has a few slight differences from the average search engine. According to the CEO of Pinterest, Ben Silberman, the Pinterest search engine can be portrayed as a human indexing machine. Using the most modern technologies, the Pinterest algorithm implements machine learning to provide the best, most human-like content, predicting spam, recommendations, and Pinnabillity of a pin.

Machine learning and data science are used for building technologies that maximize the personalized product recommendations and an expansive system of product connections. 

In simple terms, it means that the best way for marketers and small businesses to organize their Pins should be easy for other people to find what they are looking for.

For example, if you lived in a small apartment, and have a tiny bathroom you will be looking for ‘small bathroom storage ideas.’ Try to go over to Pinterest and start typing in the keywords. The algorithm estimates your last keyword 90% and ranks it as the first or second suggestion, while with lesser words it will be included in the first 6-8 options. 

The key difference between Pinterest and Google is that the first one will be more oriented towards specific and different examples of DIY projects and visual solutions to your search. Take a look at How Pinterest Search Works in detail here to get a better understanding.

Overview of the Analytics Dashboard

Pinterest Analytics aims to provide insight on the overall performance of Pinterest’s profile through paid and organic published content. You can view the overall performance from the Overview button in your Pinterest business account Analytics. Here you can:

• Filter the results on the left-hand side. It is the section where the content can be viewed by date, published Pin analytics, claim accounts, device, source, and format
• View your top Pins are down on the page, given by the order of impressions and engagements
• Export data in the top-right corner in a CSV file.

This information can greatly benefit your organic Pinterest traffic strategy. Through Insight, you may see that the majority of the impressions are mobile. It implies that your website should be optimized for mobile views, and will probably result in driving traffic both ways. Staying on top of the availability, information updates, and smooth transactions is key for any type of business. 

Important Metrics to Track 

Metrics are important to provide content-specific insight about your type of audience, interaction, and reach. Here is a list of the most important metrics to pay attention to. 

a. Top Pins

Top content is the filtered data that has made the most engagement with viewers, either organic or paid. The Top Pins will be sorted by the most impressions. If you need other insight, just go to the Top Pins filter and update it accordingly. All of this applies to the Top Board insight as well. 

b. Impressions

These metrics will provide insight into the number of times your Pins or sponsored content were on screen. 

c. Click Links

Based on The newest Pinterest updates from January 2021 these metrics’ names have been changed. ‘Pinned click’ for paid content’ and ‘Outbound click’ for organic. Pinned click will provide insight on the behavior and the user clicked into a Pin from the grid. Finally, the Outbound click refers to the click toward the URL destination of a Pin. 

d. Saves

Insight on the number of people who saved a specific Pin or Board to their profile. 

e. Click Rate

This refers to the total number of clicks on Pin or ad to content on or off Pinterest, then divided by the total number of times the Pins or ads were on the users’ screen. 

Effective Ways to Increase Organic Pinterest Traffic

Increasing organic Pinterest traffic is great for brand exposure and new followers and clients. Also, careful planning can greatly benefit your website and even increase revenue. There are many ways to increase Pinterest Traffic that are simple, and will not add more expenses to your budget, and will enhance your presence significantly. 

1. Optimize Profile

The first step of optimization is to ensure you have set up a Business account, and successfully and accurately provided all of the information about your business. Keep in mind to provide a backlink URL for every pin you published. Keep track of the content, arrange boards, run ads, and try out Rich pins. 

Make sure your profile is optimized by verification, most important keywords, and links to other sources such as a website or other social media platforms. 

2. Use High-Quality Optimized Photo

High-quality images have been important from the beginning of Pinterest. But today, with a dense competition, posting images for their aesthetics, and without proper optimization, you will not achieve the expected results and increase in traffic. 

Even if you lack high-quality photographs for promotional content, try going to websites that provide royalty-free images, search for some that are appealing to your business and use them, adding a backlink as well as a proper description. 

3. Optimize Pins

Every pin posted should represent your profile. Get your writing caps on and give the best possible description. Using proper keywords, that flow naturally in the description will make it easier for the search engine to identify and sort out the posted pins. 

4. Be Social and Interact with Other Users

Communication with users is most important if you want to have a quality and organic conversation with your audience. You will see how real and good engagement can increase your organic Pinterest traffic since people are looking to interact with real humans. Engage with them, replying to comments and questions, as well as interacting on their profiles, pins, and boards from time to time. 

5. Join a Group Board

Even though these actions were more effective in the past, new profiles can definitely benefit from joining new boards. They have more than one contributor that is able to add pins. Some group boards may have a specific set of rules, guidelines, and moderators. so be sure to pay close attention to them, before posting any type of promotional content. 

A great way to learn of lists of group boards we recommend going to PinGroupie.com or take a look at How to Find the Best Pinterest Group Boards as your guide.

6. Pin Consistently

All social media platforms require persistence. Post consistently so the users will get used to your brand’s presence. Inspire your audiences to engage in the content and make the conversation happens around your Pins.

7. Be Patient

Everything takes time, so don’t expect magic results of organic Pinterest traffic overnight. Monitor your publications, interaction, and demographic data. Experiment with the type of posts, time of publication, and where the people are following you. 

For example, if you have a small local business, you will not aim to engage more with people who love your content but are located across the globe. Make local activities visible to people in your vicinity, engage and watch the numbers grow over time. 

8. Pins that Direct to Valuable Resources

Important content can greatly benefit users (like DIY or infographic content). Try to consider the type of message, information, and content your target audience requires. 

Place quality over quantity, and plan out a posting strategy in advance, depending on the number of materials you have (or say daily Pins and new boards), and coordinate accordingly. 

9. Use Rich Pins

This enhanced version of regular pins provides more information about it, but in a cleaner and more organized way. There are six types of Rich pins which are: app, movie, recipe, article, product, and place. Rich pins perform better in the search ranking and they are advised to use it if you can relate the type of content with your online presence in any way. 

10. Pin Vertical Images

Depending on your target audience and their mobility, you should consider using vertical images. Vertical images will occupy more space in the feed and the audience will notice them easier than the horizontal ones.

The ideal size of a vertical pin should be approximately 736px by 2000 px, so it is large enough to take up the necessary space in the feed and provide all the required information. 

Pinterest Tools and Resources to Grow Traffic

There are quite a few different types of tools and resources that can help you with your strategy to increase Pinterest traffic. In this segment, we focused on those that are already present on the platform and that can increase revenue, traffic, and engagement for the company’s brand. 

1. Buyable Pins

As their name implies, buyable pins allow businesses to sell products directly within Pinterest. You can easily see the buyable pins since they have a blue color and an “Add to Bag” button.

The greatest benefit of this feature is that it works across, mobile and the web, and it allows sales whenever someone is ready to buy. Your audience can make an order easily and pay using a credit card or Apply pay. They will also get an automatic message about their orders once their payment is successful.

2. Promoted Pins

Promoted pins provide a possibility to reach a specific audience using demographics and other contextual factors. Learning more about the specifics on promoted pins can give you a head start with the competition.

Marketers gain the most value from promoted pins by extending the reach to people who might otherwise not be able to see the pins posted by your brand. Promoted content can get their attention, and convert it afterward in social engagement, leads, and sales. 

3. Rich Pins

This type of organic Pins automatically syncs information from the website to your Pins. You can identify them from the additional information above or below the image on closeup; as well as by the bold title in the feed. Having automated pins that are more noticed by the Pinterest algorithm can be a good benefit. It can update any potential changes without requiring you to convert them manually all the time.

Final Thoughts

Depending on your goals, there are different social media platforms to consider. You can achieve your goal to increase organic traffic on Pinterest with a Pinterest growth agency, content marketing plan and the tools mentioned before. They will save time, and incorporate efficiency in your marketing. Keep in mind that everything takes time and practice. Consistency and quality content is a formula for success.