While it’s widely known that high-quality content drives better engagement, many creators and brand marketers still struggle to reach the right audiences. The issue often isn’t the content itself, it's the lack of optimization and audience reach.

Just like TV commercials are strategically placed on the right channels, social media content needs to be tailored to the platform it appears on. Pinterest, for example, stands apart from apps like Instagram and TikTok. It not only features a unique visual interface but also functions as a search engine, complete with its own SEO ecosystem.

To better understand how to optimize for Pinterest’s search-driven format, we spoke with Pinterest Manager and Digital Marketer Katie Harp. As the founder of Katie Harp Creative, she specializes in digital marketing with a focus on Pinterest strategy and content optimization.

In this article, you’ll find practical insights from that conversation, including tips on keyword strategy, image formatting, and how to drive more traffic to your pins.

Table of Contents

• What is Pinterest SEO and How Is It Different?
• What Makes a High-Performing Pin?
• How Should You Use Keywords on Pinterest?
• How Do You Know If Pinterest Is Right for Your Brand?
• How Do You Evaluate Pinterest SEO Success?
• Common Mistakes to Avoid on Pinterest

What is Pinterest SEO and How Is It Different?

While Pinterest may resemble platforms like Instagram or TikTok at first glance, its core function is entirely different.

The main difference is that Pinterest features exclusively image results, while Google prioritizes webpages and external links. Optimizing SEO on Pinterest includes similar tactics to Google, but with a more image-forward strategy.

Content discovery happens through a mix of visuals and keywords, helping users find what they’re looking for and helping brands place their content in front of the right audience.

As Harp notes:

"Pinterest often gets lumped into social media, but it's actually more of a visual search engine."

What Makes a High-Performing Pin?

Creating a high-performing pin on Pinterest requires more than just uploading an aesthetic image.

For starters, always use a vertical aspect ratio. Pinterest recommends a 2:3 format, typically 1000 by 1500 pixels.

This size performs well across mobile devices, which is especially important since around 80% of Pinterest users browse on mobile. Taller pins also take up more space in the feed, increasing the likelihood that someone will notice and engage with your content.

According to Harp, success comes from combining these eye-catching design with search-friendly formatting on the images themselves. This means bold, simple, designs:

"You definitely don’t want horizontal graphics. Brighter colors tend to do better and I always recommend using big text (on images). The easier the text is to read, the easier it is for both the audience and the Pinterest algorithm to understand."

Design-wise, keep things clean and easy to read. Avoid small fonts or overly stylized text, particularly for anything keyword-related. Pinterest uses image recognition to scan and interpret embedded text, so clarity is key.

"In general, use easy-to-read fonts for the main text and keywords and stay away from cursive text unless it's for decorative purposes."

If you're creating pins from scratch or editing content to fit Pinterest’s ideal layout, using a design tool that supports custom canvas sizes, large-format text, and image overlays can streamline the process.

Kapwing, for example, allows you to create 2:3 vertical graphics, add bold, legible fonts, and export content in Pinterest-ready resolutions, all within your browser.

Strong pins are built on a balance of visual appeal and keyword placement. If either element is neglected, your content may never reach the audience it deserves.

How Should You Use Keywords on Pinterest?

Keywords on Pinterest should be applied with intention and consistency. Unlike traditional SEO, where keywords often appear only in text, Pinterest looks for alignment across your entire pin, including the title, description, image text, and even the file name.

"Use the same keyword on the graphic itself, the title of the image, then also consider keyword variations like you would on Google"

For example, if you’re creating a pin about an apple pie recipe, you might name the file apple-pie-recipe.jpg, add “Apple Pie Recipe” in large text on the image, and write a caption like:

“This is the best homemade apple pie recipe ever. I made it for my family and they loved it.”

This method reinforces the main keyword while including natural variations that can expand your reach.

Titles and descriptions should also spark curiosity. Instead of something generic like “marketing tips,” Harp recommends writing headlines that are more compelling, such as “7 marketing tips you don’t want to miss.”

The goal is to balance keyword targeting with clear, engaging language that encourages clicks.

Avoid keyword stuffing. Like Google, Pinterest prefers content that sounds natural. Use a mix of exact matches and related terms to help your content rank without making it feel forced or robotic.

How Do You Know If Pinterest Is Right for Your Brand?

Before investing time into creating pins and optimizing content, it's important to determine whether Pinterest is a good fit for your brand. According to Harp, Pinterest works best for visual niches with active search demand, not every industry or project will thrive on the platform.

"To see if your niche is a fit, start searching on Pinterest to see if there's already a good amount of content and pins related to what you do."

Harp adds:

"If nothing is popping up when you search on Pinterest or there's no competitors or no similar accounts at all, then it's possible that it's just not a good fit."

To better conceptualize this, visualize your ideal keyword demand as a bell curve. On the far left, there’s not enough search volume to justify targeting the keyword.

On the far right, the volume is high, but the space is saturated with competitors, making it difficult to stand out.

The ideal spot lies in the rising middle, where search volume is growing but competition is still manageable.

To assess demand, start by typing keywords related to your niche into Pinterest's search bar and seeing what suggestions autocomplete. You can also explore Pinterest Trends to check seasonal search volume for relevant topics.

Some industries perform especially well. While these keywords are too broad to base your campaign around, they are good places to start when considering existing successful niches on Pinterest:

• Food and recipes
• DIY crafts
• Weddings
• Home decor
• Fashion
• Beauty and skincare

Harp also notes that certain service-based niches, like photography or graphic design, can do well — even if they attract fewer views overall. That’s because one pin reaching the right client may be more valuable than thousands of clicks on a blog post.

"You don’t need that many clients to get the ROI from Pinterest."

For deeper insight into search volume and marketing viability, paid tools like Pin Inspector and Pin Clicks provide detailed keyword information like actual search volume and overall competitiveness. These tools help identify high-opportunity terms that are popular enough to generate traffic, but not so competitive that your content gets buried.

If you're just getting started, experimenting with the free tools can suffice. Just ensure you're backing your pins with real search data rather than just guessing.

How Do You Evaluate Pinterest SEO Success?

Pinterest SEO isn’t about instant results. According to Harp, it often takes weeks or even months for optimized content to gain traction. This makes it especially important to track progress using an analytics tool, like Pinterest's built-in analytics dashboard.

"Pinterest does take longer than other platforms to get results... but you can keep looking at the analytics along the way."

The first metric to watch is impressions, which show whether your content is being seen. If impressions are low, it may be a sign that your keywords or visuals need improvement. Next, look at engagements, such as saves and in-app clicks, to see how users are interacting with your pins.

Most important, though, are outbound clicks. This tells you how many users are leaving Pinterest to visit your website, product page, or blog post.

By evaluating all three areas you can get a clear picture of your Pinterest performance and adjust your strategy as needed.

Video edited on Kapwing

Common Mistakes to Avoid on Pinterest

The largest mistake content creators make on Pinterest is not considering SEO optimization at all when posting. Beyond that, there are small details to pay attention to when creating successful Pins and Pinterest campaigns.

• Linking to content that isn’t SEO optimized
  Pinterest can’t help if your blog or product page doesn’t target keywords or provide clear value. Make sure both are optimized for the best results.
• Treating Pinterest like Instagram
  It’s not just about visual appeal. Pins need to be optimized with keywords, proper formatting, and a clear link strategy.
• Using vague or diary-style blog posts
  Content should answer specific questions or meet user intent, not just share personal updates.
• Mismatching keywords across elements
  Using one keyword in the file name, a different one in the title, and another on the image can confuse Pinterest’s algorithm.
• Neglecting keyword research
  Guessing what users are searching for instead of using Pinterest search tools can lead to low visibility.