Pinterest is a social media gold mine for businesses, whether your goals are driving traffic or attracting new customers to increase sales, optimizing your Pinterest account for SEO brings you one step closer to reaching those targets.
For consumers, Pinterest is a multi-use tool; from image book marking to search engine, more and more people are taking to Pinterest to shop, find inspiration, and discover new trends and products. According to a survey by Biz Rate Journals, one in four consumers make a purchase directly from image bookmarking sites like Pinterest, by simply clicking through on an image. Make your brand and services easily found in search results by optimizing your Pinterest account for SEO with these tips.
1. Thoughtfully fill out your about section – You can put up to 500 words in your about section. Don’t neglect this section; it is the first thing someone will see when he or she lands on your profile. In a clear and concise message explain your offering to the consumer. Don’t forget to use your keywords! Search engines will pick up this section of your profile and keywords help search engines identify board topics.
2. Verify your website – A simple and essential feature that Pinterest offers any site owner is the site verification option. By verifying your website on Pinterest your profile will earn the “verified†badge and your site information will auto-populate on pins pinned directly from your website. Verification is simple; you or your Webmaster can simply choose to verify your website by editing your profile. You then have the option to download the verification file and add it to your site or simply add the provided meta-tag. Give it about 24 hours and your site verification will be complete. Don’t forget to connect your Facebook, Twitter and other social accounts!
3. Use Rich Pins – We’ve talked about this before, so if you already know all about rich pins, move on to the next! To learn more, check out our article on how to add rich pins to your website.
4. Create many “focused†boards – Many times brands begin their Pinterest account with a half-hearted attempt and end up leaving them looking disheveled and inconsistent. We recommend creating boards with focus that contain many related pins directing back to your site as well as others. Be sure to showcase your brand’s personality and the lifestyle that surrounds your brand by putting together boards that answer questions, solve problems, and speak to your followers needs. Don’t forget the catchy title! Search engines often display highly trafficked boards so choose a relevant title to draw people in.
5. Strategically organize and place your boards – Heat maps show that the first two rows of your Pinterest profile are the most viewed. Be sure to display your best boards (out of the 25+ you should have!) there. Your best boards are going to contain the most popular and relevant content to your brand. So track your repins, likes and comments. Don’t forget your complete boards! Your best boards not only have the most engagement, but they also have many pins all within the same category.
6. Mix It up with outside interest – be sure to include pins in popular areas like food, weddings and home décor. Sure they may not be directly related to your business, but people like to see a variety and this allows you to draw in a diverse crowd. Don’t forget to pin from other websites in your industry as well! Referring back to your Pinterest strategy, pinning content from relevant sources show people that you want to provide quality content and not just your own.
