Pinterest is my jam, so I’m excited to dive into this topic for you, but you might be wondering… What is Pinterest SEO? Does Pinterest help with SEO? Is Pinterest good for SEO? Wait, what is SEO again? Pump the brakes, sister. I’m going to walk you through all of those questions (and how Pinterest helps SEO)… one at a time!

As a refresher, SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s basically a fancy way of saying you make it easy for your ideal clients to find you online! The question is if using Pinterest to market your business can also help you get found on Google? And if so, how?

(Spoiler alert… it definitely can.)

Pinterest Keywords & SEO

When I talk about Pinterest SEO specifically, I’m referring to using keywords and strategies to help new people find you on that platform specifically!

I’ve talked in depth about Pinterest keywords and marketing in other blogs, so I’m not going to go into that in detail here. But I want you to remember that Pinterest is a search engine with its own uniquely popular queries and keywords. That said, some behaviors / strategies on the Pinterest app can leak over to Google.

So, is Pinterest good for SEO? In a nutshell, yes! Here’s what I mean…

Pinterest SEO Can Help You Be Found on Google

One of the biggest ways Pinterest helps with your overall SEO is by making you more searchable across platforms. Did you know that keywords in Pinterest boards and descriptions specifically show up in Google search results?

When you’re creating your boards over on Pinterest, be mindful of what queries (searches) are popular on both search engines! Work smarter, not harder, my friend!

Pinterest Can Increase Your Web Traffic

I’ve said it before, but Pinterest is like the love-child of Google and Instagram. It’s searchable, like Google, but promotes easy sharing of content, like Instagram. Linking your valuable content with good pin designs on Pinterest is a sure-fire way to get your content seen by more people.

Getting more people to your site shows Google there’s something worth seeing there, which builds your reputation. Like any platform or company online, they want to protect their own reputation by providing the best user experience. Just like in real life, Google is relying on social proof to give weight to your site.

In general, the better your reputation with Google, the higher you’ll rank! So put super simply, more traffic from Pinterest is likely to lead to a better ranking… with one caveat!

Time Spent on Your Site Matters

While the volume of traffic is important, this metric matters just as much. Here’s why… Imagine you’re standing in line for a restaurant, but continue to see people walk out frustrated or looking ill. Are you still excited to eat there? Probably not.

A lot of visitors that go to your site for only two seconds before bouncing off tells Google that the content isn’t what the user was expecting. It was either click-bait (a catchy title on your pin that didn’t actually match the content) or just crappy content. Either way, your reputation is hurt because of it.

So, just like two people that visit your site for three hours won’t get you on the first page of Google… three hundred people that spend two seconds on your site won’t either. There’s a balance at play here.

Here are a few ways you could increase the time people spend on your site…

• Space out text with line breaks and photos, making it seem less intimidating to read.
• Provide calls to action that make them want to explore your site.
• Be clear with titles and pins so users get what they expect when they click.
• Make sure your design is fun to look at.
• Watch out for slow page loading speeds.

Pinterest SEO Tips

If you already use Pinterest, but feel like you could use some help making it more efficient or strategic, check out my Pin to Win course. This is basically my entire brain on Pinterest marketing for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs.

If you’re just getting started with Pinterest for business, snag one of my Pinterest marketing freebies such as the business account setup guide or pin designs for photographers!

Either way, I need you to hear me… If you’re a busy solopreneur wearing 100 hats in your biz, you should know that Pinterest is one of the least time consuming ways to drive traffic to your website and boost your SEO. It’s one of my absolutely favorite marketing strategies because it only takes me one day per month to plan!