How to optimize Pinterest boards for bloggers and business owners

In my previous post, I explained how to create a Pinterest Business Account and the steps you need to take to optimize your Pinterest profile. Don’t have a Business account yet? Then I’d recommend you to start with setting up a Pinterest Business Account by following the steps in my last post.

Already have a Business Account?

In this awesome blog post, I’m gonna spill the beans on how to optimize your Pinterest boards that can seriously amp up your Pinterest game. I’m also going to let you in on how to weave these boards into your big-picture Pinterest strategy.

Plus, I’ve got some easy-to-use Pinterest tips that you can immediately put into action across all your boards.

Sneak peek at the Pinterest board insights you’ll pick up from this article

• Nailing the art of crafting Pinterest boards;
• Unlocking the mystery of applying SEO to your boards;
• Getting your Pinterest boards organized like a pro;
• Secret tips on creating, well, secret boards;
• The ins and outs of archiving boards.

So, are you ready to dive in? Let’s roll!

Pinterest board optimization?! Why does it matter?

Optimizing your Pinterest boards can significantly enhance your blog’s visibility and drive more blog traffic from Pinterest. While it may seem like a daunting task, it’s actually quite straightforward once you understand the process.

This article provides a step-by-step guide that, with a bit of time and effort, can have your boards fully optimized in just a few hours.

How to optimize Pinterest boards for Bloggers to rank higher

At first glance, Pinterest might appear deceptively simple: create a few boards, save some relevant pins, follow some like-minded users, and you’re all set.

This approach works perfectly fine for personal use. However, if your goal is to leverage Pinterest to boost your blog traffic, a more strategic approach is required. By optimizing your profile, you can ensure that Pinterest users are not only able to find you, but also enticed to click through to your blog from your Pinterest profile.

Stay tuned as we delve into the specifics of turning your Pinterest boards into blog traffic generators for your blog.

Pinterest as a visual search engine

If you’re aiming to rank high in search engines like Google, you’ll need to focus on your website’s SEO. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is all about refining your content to make it more discoverable by search engines.

The same principle applies when you want to optimize your Pinterest presence. It’s more accurately described as a visual search engine, which impacts your strategy.

Although many people consider Pinterest a form of social media, it’s more accurately described as a visual search engine. Much like Google, Pinterest is about entering a search query and receiving generated results.

However, instead of presenting a list of search results in the form of brief texts with links, Pinterest provides search results in the form of Pins. This visually enticing format is part of what makes Pinterest such a unique and powerful platform for driving traffic to your blog. This is important knowledge when you start to optimize your Pinterest account and Pinterest boards correctly.

Board Optimization for Pinterest SEO

By properly setting up your profile, pins, and Pinterest boards, you can help Pinterest’s algorithm understand where your pins should appear in search results.

Let’s say you create a Pinterest board titled ‘Birthday Tips’ and then pin content related to gardening. There’s a good chance that Pinterest won’t understand the purpose of your pins, causing them to be overlooked by the algorithm.

By thoroughly optimizing each Pinterest board, you ensure that you’re using the right keywords. This helps Pinterest understand what your pins are about, which allows it to display your pins to the appropriate users. As a result, you increase the likelihood of clicks, driving more traffic to your blog.

Use the Right Keywords for Each Pinterest Board

The same SEO principles apply here if you want to rank high on Pinterest. While having followers is beneficial, they are less important than Pinterest SEO.

Of course, having a large number of followers can help since more followers equate to more impressions and a higher chance of re-pins. However, the beauty of Pinterest lies in the fact that your pin images can rank high by using the right keywords in the right places.

This means you don’t need a massive follower count to be successful on Pinterest. Your focus should be on optimizing each Pinterest board with relevant, strategic keywords to maximize visibility and engagement.

Four Steps Towards Optimizing Your Pinterest Boards

Previously, I explained why optimizing your Pinterest for business use is crucial. Now, let’s delve into the specific steps you need to follow to optimize your Pinterest boards effectively. The steps include:

• Create new Pinterest boards
• Choose Pinterest board names
• Write SEO-worthy Pinterest board descriptions
• Declutter and organize

Now let’s delve into the specific steps you need to take to optimize your Pinterest boards!

Also worth reading: How to create click-worthy Pinterest pins in Canva. This will give you a more comprehensive understanding of how to maximize your success on Pinterest.

Creating New Pinterest Boards: Handy Tricks

Pinterest offers a range of opportunities for business users to showcase their content using keywords.

These keywords can be incorporated into your board names and descriptions, which not only helps Pinterest’s algorithm but also enhances user experience. People on Pinterest don’t just search for pin images; they also look for Pinterest boards to follow. Naturally, you’d want your boards to appear at the top of these board search results.

Hence, your first step should be to research Pinterest keywords and use these as your board names. By doing so, you’ll increase the visibility of your boards and attract more users, driving more traffic to your blog.

What are Pinterest-Specific Keywords?

You might be wondering, how do you know which terms people are searching for on Pinterest?

When you enter a search query on Pinterest, automatic suggestions will appear below. These are the terms that users frequently search for.

For your board names, consider using terms that appear as auto-suggestions. This will ensure that your boards are aligned with popular search terms, increasing their visibility and helping to drive more traffic to your blog.

Identifying Pinterest-Specific Keywords

Perhaps you’re asking yourself, “How can I figure out what terms people commonly search for on Pinterest?”

Well, it’s simpler than you might think.

When you start typing a search term into Pinterest, you’ll notice auto-suggestions popping up below. These suggested keywords are frequently sought after by users.

Take advantage of this feature when naming your boards. Use terms from these auto-suggestions to ensure your boards align with popular search trends. This way, your boards become more discoverable, maximizing their potential to drive traffic to your blog.

Other Key Considerations for Creating Board Names

• Leverage auto-suggested terms: These are the keywords that Pinterest users frequently search for, and using them can help increase your board’s visibility.
• Consider your content: Before creating a new board, think about whether it aligns with your own content. There’s little benefit in creating a new board if you can’t pin your own content to it.
• Keep it concise: Aim for board names of two to three words maximum. Avoid long names as they get truncated and can be unclear to other Pinterest users. The goal is to be as clear and direct as possible while still utilizing effective keywords.

How to create new boards

By the way, first things first. Let me begin with a brief explanation of how to create a board. Maybe you already have some boards and know how to do it. But in case you’re just starting out on Pinterest, and don’t have any boards, yet, you might want to know how to create them: 

• Click on your profile picture
• Go to ‘Boards‘
• Click ‘Create Board’
• Choose a board name
• Click ‘Create‘

Congratulations, you just created your first Pinterest Board! Pretty simple, huh? 🙂 

Also read: how to browse Pinterest without an account

You can also click on the blocks that appear below the search bar, which appear when you press Enter after typing your keyword. These blocks are displayed in order of their popularity.

Providing SEO-Worthy Descriptions to Your Boards

To edit your board, click on the three dots located at the top left of the screen above the first pin. This is where you’ll input your board descriptions.

Aim to draft a natural, easy-to-read text that succinctly conveys what users can anticipate finding on this particular board. Utilizing Pinterest SEO strategies here will further optimize your Pinterest board’s visibility and appeal.

Crafting SEO-Optimized Descriptions for Your Boards

By “organizing your boards”, I mean the order in which your Pinterest boards are placed and shown to visitors. There are different ways to organize your Pinterest boards. For instance, you can choose to sort them automatically from A to Z or to display the newest boards first. 

However, the best way to organize your boards is by using the drag-and-drop feature. With this feature, you can choose where each board should be positioned by dragging and dropping them to the right place. I recommend the following order: the first board is your “Best of” board, where you only place your own content. Like my She Can Blog board (see the picture below). Position this board at the top, because the goal is for users to see and engage with your content.

Pinterest Board Ideas for Profile Organization

When I refer to organizing your Pinterest boards, I’m talking about the order in which your boards appear. Maintaining an organized Pinterest profile helps users navigate your boards easily and find the content that interests them.

There are several ways to organize your Pinterest boards. You could choose to sort them automatically, for example, from A to Z, or display the newest boards first.

However, the best option is the Drag and Drop feature. With this function, you have the freedom to decide where each board should be positioned by dragging them to your desired spot.

Here’s how you can organize your boards:

1. Navigate to your profile.
2. Click on the ‘Saved‘ tab.
3. Click on the settings icon at the top left.
4. Choose ‘Custom‘ from the dropdown menu.
5. Drag and rearrange the boards according to your preference.

This will help you maintain a well-organized, user-friendly profile that enhances your Pinterest presence.

What Order Should You Follow for Your Pinterest Boards?

When you begin to rearrange your boards, I recommend the following sequence:

1. Start with your company’s or blog’s main board. This should be a board where you only pin your own content. You could name it something like ‘All Pins [Your Company Name]’ or ‘Pin Collection [Your Company Name]’.
2. Next, review your Statistics to see which boards are already performing well if you’ve been actively pinning. Position these top-performing boards near the top.
3. If you have your own group board, also place this near the top.
4. Follow with less important boards or boards that are not yet heavily populated with your own content.
5. At the bottom, place all the group boards you are a member of but do not own.

By following this sequence, you’ll be ensuring that the most important and impactful content is seen first, improving your overall Pinterest strategy.

This is what it looks like on my own profile. First my brand boards (I have one in Dutch and in English), then my top ranking boards.

Other tips to keep your boards organized and tidy:

• Organize your boards regularly.
• Create board covers with Canva. You can really brand your business on Pinterest when you match the color and design of the board covers to your brand/blog. And board covers give a professional and organized look to your account.
• Archive old or irrelevant boards: check from time to time if all of your boards are still relevant and fit within your niche. If they are no longer relevant, archive them. DON’T DELETE THEM.
• Only pin relevant Pins to your boards.
• Pin gorgeous, vertical Pins with clear, readable text overlays.
• Join Group Boards on Pinterest. You can share your own content there, and in exchange, you can re-pin the pins of other group members on your own boards.

Create a Hidden Board

It’s possible to create boards where you can save pin images that are personally interesting to you but may not be relevant to your specific niche. These boards can be marked as ‘secret’, allowing you to save everything you like without impacting the discoverability of your specific content.

Here’s how you can create a hidden board:

1. Navigate to your profiel;
2. Go to the Saved Tab;
3. Click on a board to open it and click on the … next to your board title;
4. Click on Edit Board;
5. Select the Keep this Board Secret Option;
6. Click Done.

How Many Pinterest Boards Should I Have?

There’s no fixed rule for this, but I typically recommend having at least 20 to 30 well-filled boards for achieving success on Pinterest.

You’ll also want to be able to repin your pin images to relevant boards frequently, which implies that you should have at least 3 or 4 relevant boards per topic.

For instance, if you pin a post titled ’30x Vegetarian Recipes’, it’s likely that your pins would fit well on these boards:

1. Vegetarian Recipes
2. Recipe Ideas
3. Asian Recipes
4. Dutch Recipes

Take some time to calculate approximately how many categories your pin images will cover and how many boards you think you’ll need for them.

However, don’t start by creating 100 boards right away. Begin with a maximum of 20-30 boards, so you can focus on filling these up properly. Then, you can gradually start creating new boards.

How long should a Pinterest Board Description be?

When optimizing your Pinterest boards, you may wonder about the ideal length for board descriptions. While there is a character limit of 500 characters, it’s recommended to keep your board descriptions concise and focused.

Aim for descriptive sentences or phrases that effectively convey the theme or topic of your board. Generally, a board description of 1-2 sentence, including a few Pinterest related search terms, is sufficient to provide enough context and keywords for Pinterest’s algorithm to understand the content.

Avoid lengthy paragraphs or excessive keyword stuffing, as it can make the description appear cluttered and less appealing to users. Remember, the goal is to make your board descriptions informative, engaging, and easy to read. By striking the right balance, you can optimize your Pinterest boards effectively and attract the attention of your target audience.

Other tips to boost your success on Pinterest

Utilize Rich Pins for Enhanced Engagement

Pinterest offers a fantastic feature called Rich Pins that can take your pinning game to the next level. Rich Pins provide extra information and details about the content you share, whether it’s a product, an article, or a recipe. By enabling Rich Pins on your website or blog, you can provide a richer user experience and boost engagement with your pins.

This feature is particularly valuable for businesses aiming to drive more blog traffic and conversions. If you want to optimize your Pinterest boards, it’s essential to learn how to set up Rich Pins and leverage this powerful tool.

By doing so, you’ll enhance your pins, captivate your audience, and maximize the potential of your Pinterest marketing strategy.

Harness the Power of Pinterest Analytics

Pinterest Analytics provides valuable data and insights into the performance of your pins, boards, and your profile. By regularly analyzing these metrics, you can gain a deeper understanding of what content resonates with your audience, which boards are performing well, and how users engage with your pins.

Use this data to refine your Pinterest strategy, identify popular trends, and optimize your boards accordingly. Pinterest Analytics is a powerful tool that can help you make informed decisions to maximize the impact of your Pinterest presence.

Collaborating with Influencers and Group Boards

One effective strategy to expand your reach and increase the visibility of your Pinterest boards is through collaboration with influencers and participation in group boards. Influencers in your niche can help promote your content to their followers, exposing your boards to a wider audience.

Additionally, joining relevant group boards allows you to share your pins with a larger community and tap into their engaged audience. By actively engaging with influencers and participating in group boards, you can amplify the impact of your Pinterest marketing efforts and increase your blog traffic.

Feel welcome to join the She Can Blog group board for bloggers if you have great content to share!

Leverage the Power of Idea Pins and Video Pins

In the ever-evolving landscape of Pinterest, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for driving engagement and expanding your reach. That’s why it’s essential to harness the power of Idea Pins and Video Pins to supercharge your Pinterest strategy.

Idea Pins provide a dynamic and immersive storytelling format, allowing you to captivate your audience with a mix of images, videos, and text. These interactive and shareable pins enable you to showcase your brand’s creativity and expertise while fostering deeper connections with your followers.

On the other hand, Video Pins offer a compelling way to deliver engaging and informative content. With the ability to play automatically as users scroll, Video Pins grab attention and deliver your message effectively.

By incorporating Idea Pins and Video Pins into your Pinterest strategy, you can unlock new possibilities to engage, inspire, and convert your audience, taking your brand’s Pinterest presence to new heights.

Conclusion

When creating new Pinterest boards on Pinterest, it’s essential to optimize your Pinterest boards for Pinterest SEO to achieve success. Now that you understand how best to approach this, I hope you’ve already given a few of your boards a significant boost with the tips in this blog post!

Optimizing your Pinterest boards and your profile should be an integral part of your Pinterest marketing strategy for your business and/or blog Once you understand how to optimize your Pinterest presence, as detailed in this post, you’ll be in a strong position to increase your visibility.

Once you’ve finished optimizing your Pinterest boards, don’t forget to pin this post to one of your Pinterest boards, so others can also learn from my Pinterest tips.