Pinterest is still going strong in 2023 — in fact, 89% of people in the US use pins as purchase inspiration. There is a tendency to assume Pinterest is just for wedding planning or home inspiration — and while it is great for these uses, marketers might miss out if they don't include it in their social campaigns — especially if their products or services are visually appealing.
It is estimated that by 2023, e-commerce will account for nearly 18% of all purchases in the US. Online shopping will continue to grow, and Pinterest plans to keep pace with it, introducing features like Pinterest shopping, which uses tags to pull up a page of related products users can purchase.
What Is the Pinterest Algorithm?
The Pinterest algorithm is a set of rules and conditions that impacts which pins users see. If you’re interested in beauty, you’re more likely to see beauty content geared toward your recent pins, searches, and boards. You’re also bound to see pins related to your past pins, along with more recent searches.
How Does the Pinterest Algorithm Work?
Pinterest is relatively transparent regarding its algorithm, eliminating some of the guesswork. Despite this, they are constantly tweaking it, which is great for users to see more relevant content and have a better overall user experience, but it clearly can complicate social marketers' jobs.
Interestingly, Pinterest uses many of the same tenants as Google to deem what's most relevant. Its algorithm looks at domain authority (DA) or domain quality, pin engagement, user quality, and general relevance.
Ranking Factors for the Pinterest Algorithm
Whether you want to showcase the latest beauty product or your brand’s newest feature, you’ll want your content to be seen by people who will engage with your content but, hopefully, also make a purchase at some point.
Ranking factors include the following:
Domain Quality
What’s your website’s domain authority? While many content marketers have different opinions on what constitutes a ‘good’ authority score, domain authority scores between 50-60 are generally considered good, while scores above 60 are the best. Pinterest looks at the domain authority of the links you share and factor this into the ranking.
Engagement
Pinterest is more likely to feature your pins on relevant users' Home' feed based on past levels of engagement. Pinterest analytics are integral to monitoring and recording engagement so you can keep doing what works, change what's not, and better understand your audience's likes and interests and how they interact with your account.
User Quality
User quality, in this case, refers to your account. Do you have a significant amount of followers? Some of the most popular Pinterest accounts have upwards of 5 million followers. In comparison, established brands like Vogue have around 2 million followers. Look for industry benchmarks to see how your account compares to others in your market.
Another significant aspect of user or account quality that is taken into account for ranking is the type of content you pin. Pinning popular and trending content is another sign of a quality Pinterest account, so it’s important to share popular, trending pins (that relate to your audience and brand) along with your own branded content. If you only focus on producing content, you may decrease your chances of ranking in the Pinterest search.
Relevance
There are boards for recipes, fashion, tattoos, tools, tech, makeup, and more — chances are your brand is relevant to someone. The best brands on Pinterest create a great narrative with their pins using eye-capturing images and concise while relating to their target demographic.
Tips To Hack the Pinterest Algorithm in 2023
Get into Pinterest SEO
What are users looking for on Pinterest, and how can your new and existing content be rephrased and optimized to reach them?
While many consider Pinterest a social platform, it’s also a visual discovery or search engine. Use keywords, search the platform using phrases you’d like to rank for, and see how the top-ranking pins use copy, keywords, and tags in their pins, titles, and descriptions.
You can also ensure you’re optimizing your Pinterest account by using keywords that relate to your brand and audience in your account description or bio.
Utilize Pinterest Features
Pinterest cuts off descriptions at around 75 characters, so don’t just link your website in the description — use the Story Pin feature if you have more than one grouping of products or images you want to promote and use call-to-action tags (swipe-up links for ads) to encourage people to visit your landing page.
Its Catalog feature is also valuable for marketers — this automatically takes stock of the products on your website feed and features them on the Shop tab so users can view products and visit your site from a single pin or board.
Use High-Quality Images
Do you want to click on a grainy, low-resolution image? No, you don’t, and your audience doesn’t either. Use high-quality images with the best pin size to ensure your visuals attract and entice.
Use a Pinterest Business Account
Mistake no. 1 is not using a Pinterest business account. If you’re a brand or organization, this tells Pinterest you have a reputable website and are likely a trustworthy source for the content you are pinning — especially if it’s original content.
Have Conversations
Engagement is a major ranking factor for Pinterest content — while it’s not a platform known most for two-way conversation, many users comment to ask where a product is from, where it can be purchased, or to say, “I love this.” When you get these comments, reply back!
Measuring Pinterest Performance with Dash Hudson
Pinterest account frequency and quality, pin quality, and engagement are crucial when performing well on Pinterest — and getting your brand in front of people who will love it. Dash Hudson’s Pinterest Insights are essential to pull your Pinterest metrics into one convenient platform (along with other social insights).
The more granular you can get, the better you can understand where your Pinterest marketing strategy is most effective. Dash Hudson’s segmentation tool is valuable for marketers as you can analyze data by boards and categories, see how many people clicked your links, and more — very helpful if you’re using e-commerce features on Pinterest.
If you want to harness Pinterest’s potential but are spread out among different platforms, Dash Hudson’s AI insights will help curate photos and videos that will have an impact on your audience.
FAQs
Is there an algorithm for Pinterest?
Yes, there’s an algorithm for Pinterest. This algorithm impacts the pins you see in your ‘Home’ feed based on your boards, pins, and searches; and aims to show your content to users who are more likely to engage.
Why is the Pinterest algorithm so good?
The Pinterest algorithm is so good because it’s constantly being tweaked to align with the user's activity and interests.
How does Pinterest decide what to show you?
Pinterest determines the pins you see in your ‘Home’ feed based on your boards, pins, and searches.
