The Data-Driven Guide to Driving Blog Traffic from Pinterest

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Pinterest is a content discovery powerhouse that far too many bloggers are overlooking. With over 450 million monthly users, 2 billion monthly searches, and 5% of all referral traffic on the internet, Pinterest has massive potential for bloggers who want to grow their audience and get more eyes on their content.

But the power of Pinterest goes beyond just the sheer numbers. What makes Pinterest uniquely valuable is how the platform enables content to be discovered over a much longer time horizon compared to most social networks. Thanks to a smart algorithm and search-based user experience, your pins can continue driving engaged traffic to your blog months or even years after originally posted – making Pinterest an unbeatable source of evergreen traffic.

Consider this – the half life of a pin (the amount of time it takes to get 50% of its engagement) is 3.5 months, compared to just 24 minutes for a tweet and 90 minutes for a Facebook post. Pins are also 100 times more spreadable than the average tweet, with 80% of pins being repins.

Convinced of Pinterest‘s potential yet? In this guide, we‘ll cover both the "what" and the "why" of using Pinterest to drive more traffic to your blog by diving into:

  • Key Pinterest stats all bloggers should know
  • How Pinterest‘s algorithm works and what it values
  • Actionable tips to optimize your Pinterest strategy
  • Avoiding common Pinterest mistakes
  • Analyzing results and iterating your approach

Pinterest by the Numbers

Let‘s take a closer look at some telling statistics that underscore why Pinterest needs to be a key part of your blog growth strategy:

  • Pinterest has over 450 million monthly active users worldwide
  • 83% of users have made a purchase based on branded pins
  • Half of millennials use Pinterest every month
  • 60% of Pinterest users are female
  • 40% of Pinterest users have a household income over $100k
  • 85% of pinners use the platform to plan new projects
  • Over 25 billion pins have been saved on 2 billion boards to date
  • Pinterest drives 33% more referral traffic to shopping sites than Facebook
  • Pins that include a price get 36% more engagement than those that don‘t
  • 73% of pinners say content from brands makes Pinterest more useful
  • 90% of weekly users use Pinterest to make purchase decisions
  • Over 5% of all referral traffic to websites comes from Pinterest

In particular, Pinterest tends to excel at driving traffic for bloggers in certain niches like food/recipes, home decor, fashion/beauty, travel, health/fitness, crafting/DIY, and parenting. However, even bloggers in B2B or technical niches can find success on the platform with the right strategy.

Understanding the Pinterest Smart Feed Algorithm

Like any search engine or social algorithm, understanding the key ranking factors can help you optimize your strategy and get your pins seen by more people. While Pinterest doesn‘t share the exact details of its algorithm (known as the Smart Feed), there are a few core elements we do know:

Domain Quality

Pinterest looks at the overall quality of the website/domain that a pin links to, considering factors like the site‘s reputation, relevance to the pin topic, and history of publishing high-quality content. Linking to sketchy or spammy sites can hurt your pin distribution.

Pin Quality

Not all pins are created equal in the eyes of the Pinterest algorithm. Pins with clear, high-resolution images, keyword-optimized descriptions, and compelling titles tend to get shown more frequently. Vertical pins (a 2:3 aspect ratio) also tend to perform better.

Pinner Quality

The algorithm considers the overall quality of the pinner, looking at signals like the pinner‘s history of engagement, the quality of their boards and other pins, and whether they seem to be an authority/trusted source on the pin topic.

Engagement

As with any platform, engagement is a key signal to the algorithm that a piece of content is resonating with users. Pins with more closeups, saves, clicks, and comments (especially within the first few days of posting) get a visibility boost.

Relevance

Pinterest is getting smarter all the time at understanding the content of pins and matching them to users‘ interests and past behavior. Using computer vision AI and natural language processing, the algorithm analyzes each pin image and description to categorize it and determine the most relevant audience.

Freshness

While older pins can continue getting steady engagement over time, the algorithm does prioritize showing users fresh content. Consistently saving new pins is important for getting your account seen as active and authoritative.

The key takeaway is that Pinterest rewards pinners who post high-quality, relevant content on a consistent basis and work to genuinely engage their audience. Spammy tactics like keyword stuffing, repinning the same pins over and over, or saving irrelevant content to your boards can actually hurt your reach in the long run.

Optimizing Your Pinterest Strategy

Now that we understand a bit about how Pinterest works under the hood, let‘s talk about how to use that information to build an effective strategy:

Create Eye-Catching, Clickable Pin Graphics

When it comes to creating "pinnable" images that drive clicks, certain characteristics tend to perform best:

  • Vertical orientation: Pins with a 2:3 aspect ratio take up more space in the feed and on boards. The ideal size is 1000×1500 pixels.
  • High-quality imagery: Clear, crisp, high-resolution photos grab users‘ attention. Avoid blurry or pixelated images.
  • Tasteful branding: Include your logo or website URL on the pin in a non-obtrusive way. This builds brand recognition and authority.
  • Text overlays: Adding text overlays to the image with the post title or intriguing excerpt can boost engagement. Choose clean, easy-to-read fonts.
  • Contrasting colors: Bright, bold colors tend to stand out in the feed more than muted tones. Consider your pin‘s color palette strategically.
  • Textured backgrounds: Pins with textured backgrounds like wood, marble, etc. tend to catch the eye more than flat backgrounds.
  • Captivating visuals: Pinners love aspirational imagery. Think mouthwatering food photos, awe-inspiring travel shots, and drool-worthy product pics.

Again, don‘t be afraid to create 2-4 different pin designs for each blog post to give yourself more opportunities for engagement and see what your audience responds to best.

Optimize for Pinterest SEO

Pinterest is very much a search and discovery engine, so aligning your pins with what users are searching for is key to getting them seen. This is where Pinterest SEO comes in:

Some key on-page optimizations include:

  • Using clear, descriptive keywords in your pin title and description
  • Mentioning the most important keyword early on in the description
  • Including 3-5 relevant hashtags in the description
  • Placing your primary keyword in the alt text of the pin image
  • Enabling rich pins on your website (more on this later)

However, avoid keyword stuffing or using irrelevant keywords just to try to gain visibility – this will backfire and make your content look spammy to both users and the algorithm.

In addition to on-page SEO, consider your board strategy carefully. Creating hyper-relevant boards allows you to segment your content by topic, style, or audience and create a strong keyword association for the pins saved to those boards.

For example, a food blogger might have a board called "Healthy Breakfast Recipes" with pins leading to various breakfast-focused blog posts and recipes, while a finance blogger might have a board called "Beginner Budgeting Tips." The goal is to create a cohesive board experience that will appeal to users searching for or browsing content on that topic.

Engage in Meaningful Group Board Collaboration

Joining high-quality, relevant group boards is one of the best ways to extend your reach on Pinterest, but it has to be done strategically. Look for group boards that are:

  • On-topic for your niche and target audience
  • Curated by a trusted blogger or brand in your industry
  • Have a significant number of followers
  • Aren‘t already inundated with hundreds of other pinners/pins

Before requesting to join a group board, be sure to carefully read the rules and guidelines. Most group boards have specific instructions for joining and acceptable pinning practices. Only request to join boards that you know you can consistently contribute quality, relevant content to.

Some group board best practices include:

  • Pinning a healthy mix of your own content and others‘ content (aim for a 50/50 split to start)
  • Not pinning the same pin to multiple group boards in quick succession
  • Repinning/engaging with other members‘ pins, not just your own
  • Sticking to the stated pinning frequency to avoid dominating the board or appearing spammy

Building strong collaborative relationships with other pinners via group boards is a powerful way to tap into new audiences and grow your own following. Just be sure to focus on providing value, not just self-promotion.

Use Rich Pins to Stand Out

Rich pins are a special type of organic pin that sync information from your website to your pins themselves. There are 3 types of rich pins:

  • Product pins: Feature the most up-to-date price, availability, and product info from your site
  • Recipe pins: Include a title, serving size, cook time, ratings, diet preference, and featured ingredients
  • Article pins: Shows the headline, author, and story description right on the pin

Essentially, rich pins provide pinners with more context about your content right on the pin itself, which can increase engagement and click-throughs. Rich pins also tend to rank higher in search results and are more likely to get featured in the home feed.

To enable rich pins on your site, you‘ll need to add some metadata to your site‘s code. This can be a bit technical, so you may need to enlist the help of a developer. However, the boost in visibility and engagement is well worth the effort.

Track and Analyze Your Results

One of the biggest mistakes bloggers make on Pinterest is not taking the time to regularly check their analytics and adjust their strategy based on what‘s working. Pinterest offers a robust analytics dashboard that provides valuable insights like:

  • Which pins are getting the most impressions, clicks, and saves
  • Which boards are driving the most engagement
  • What your typical pinner looks like (gender, location, device, etc.)
  • How much traffic Pinterest is sending to your site over time

Making a habit of checking your Pinterest analytics at least once a month can help you double down on content that‘s resonating while pivoting away from pins, boards, or topics that aren‘t getting traction.

Some key metrics to pay attention to are:

  • Impressions: How many times your pins showed up in users‘ feeds or search results. More impressions mean more potential for engagement and click-throughs.
  • Engagements: Closeups, repins, and clicks on your pins. A high engagement rate signals that your content is compelling to users.
  • Engagement rate: Engagements divided by impressions. Aim for an engagement rate of at least 2% (the average is around 2-5%).
  • Link clicks: How many users clicked through to your website from your pins. This is ultimately what grows your blog traffic!

In addition to native Pinterest analytics, you can gain even more insights by using UTM parameters on your pin links. This allows you to track which specific pins are driving traffic in Google Analytics or whichever web analytics tool you use. To set up UTM tracking for Pinterest, check out this guide.

Avoiding Common Pinterest Mistakes

Even with the best intentions and a solid strategy, there are a few common mistakes that can tank your Pinterest effectiveness:

1. Not Pinning Consistently

Pinterest‘s algorithm favors fresh content, so pinning sporadically or going long stretches without posting new pins can hurt your reach. Aim to pin at least 5-10 new pins per day, whether that‘s a mix of your own content and others‘ content.

2. Only Pinning Your Own Content

Being overly self-promotional is a quick way to turn off your audience on Pinterest. Aim for a 50/50 mix of your own pins and pins from other relevant, high-quality sources. This shows that you‘re interested in providing value, not just driving traffic.

3. Not Engaging with Other Pinners

Pinterest is still a social platform at its core, so being active and engaged with your audience and other creators goes a long way. Repin others‘ content, thoughtfully comment on pins that resonate with you, and send personal messages to those you admire or want to collaborate with.

4. Pinning Low-Quality or Irrelevant Content

Pinning blurry, poorly lit, or off-topic content is a fast way to damage your credibility on Pinterest. Remember, every pin you save reflects back on your brand and impacts whether users see you as a quality content source. Be selective about what you pin!

5. Not Leveraging Pinterest for E-Commerce

If you sell products or services through your blog, Pinterest can be a highly effective way to boost your e-commerce results. 66% of pinners have purchased something after seeing a brand‘s pins, so featuring your offerings in a tasteful, non-pushy way can translate to real revenue.

6. Ignoring Keywords and Pinterest SEO

With 2 billion searches happening on Pinterest every month, aligning your content with what users are looking for is key to getting discovered. Don‘t just save pins willy nilly – be intentional about incorporating relevant keywords in your pin descriptions, board titles, and profile.

7. Not Splitting Testing Your Pin Creative

One of the biggest opportunities bloggers miss on Pinterest is not testing out different pin designs and copy to see what performs best. Even small tweaks like a punchier title or brighter photo can make a big difference in engagement. Don‘t be afraid to experiment!

The Future of Pinterest for Bloggers

Far from being "just another social network", Pinterest has proven itself to be a powerful and uniquely positioned visual discovery engine. With a smart feed algorithm that surfaces relevant content to each user and a heavy emphasis on search, Pinterest is primed to continue being a major traffic driver for bloggers who know how to leverage it strategically.

Some exciting developments and features to keep an eye on as a blogger using Pinterest:

  • Story Pins: This new multi-page video format allows creators to publish dynamic, engaging content directly to Pinterest. Early beta tests have seen 9x more engagement than standard pins.
  • Pinterest Trends: This new tool within Pinterest Analytics shows the top US search terms within the past 12 months, allowing you to tailor your content to rising trends.
  • Pinterest Verified Merchant Program: This program adds a special "verified" checkmark to the profiles of high-quality merchants, boosting brand trust and conversion rates.
  • Catalogs: If you sell products through your blog, you can now upload your full catalog to Pinterest and turn your products into dynamic Product Pins.
  • Automatic Bidding for Ads: This new ads feature uses machine learning to optimize your ad bids in real time, stretching your ad budget further.

The bottom line? Pinterest is only continuing to grow more sophisticated in its ability to match relevant content to users. Bloggers who take the time to understand the latest Pinterest best practices and features will have a major leg up in driving more traffic and sales.

If you‘re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of managing yet another content channel, start small. Commit to creating one fresh pin per day and thoughtfully engaging with relevant content in your niche. As you start to gain traction and see results, you can scale up your efforts and invest in more advanced strategies like promoted pins and story pins.

Remember, succeeding on Pinterest is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistently showing up, providing value, and paying attention to the data is what will help you harness this powerful platform for your blog over the long term. So get out there and start pinning – your blog traffic will thank you!

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