Pinterest Profile Optimization: 2021 Guide to Increase Traffic

pinterest optimization profileWouldn’t it be great to grow your social media and blog following by 100 followers a week?

Then Pinterest is an incredible place to start!

With over 291 million active monthly users, you can get the word out about your blog or e-commerce website to a huge community of people looking for businesses just like yours! 

This guide will cover: 

  • Pinterest demographics
  • how to optimize your Pinterest profile in 12 easy steps
  • how to claim your website URL on Pinterest
  • how to write descriptions for Pinterest
  • how to use keywords on Pinterest
  • plus other quick fixes to get your profile looking top-notch!

Let’s get started with a brief discussion on Pinterest demographics and compare them with other social media platforms. 

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission, at no additional cost to you, if you use them. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pinterest Demographics

Pinterest users are more likely to be:

  • Women
  • Have a College Degree
  • Have a household income of $75,000 or more
  • Residing in an Urban or Suburban Area

See the following table by Pew Research Center for more information on Social Media Use in 2018:

chart shows social media usage for various networks

Pinterest Optimization Basics: Improve Your Profile

pinterest optimization profile tutorialNow, how do we tailor our profile for Pinterest users?

First off, we’ll want to be visible. And the easiest way to get visible is to set up an awesome profile!

So, let’s get this done in 12 easy steps.

If you’re ready to start your own blog or business website, you can create a website with this tutorial – you’ll be ready to go in 20 minutes or less!

1. Use A Business Account

This is the very first thing you need to do if you want to start taking Pinterest more seriously.

You’ll gain access to incredibly powerful analytics like:

  • Average Daily Impressions
  • Average Daily Viewers
  • Average Monthly Viewers
  • Average Monthly Engaged
  • Average Daily Impressions
  • Average Daily Viewers
  • Top Pin Impressions

To understand your viewers is to understand your brand after all and having access to these stats will keep you informed about what’s working and what’s not!

Also, consider the fact that personal accounts don’t look nearly as business accounts.

A business profile appears differently than a personal one and your monthly viewers alone can often be much more impressive than your number of actual followers – an ideal first step in our Pinterest optimization plan.

First impressions count, so make sure you don’t let this opportunity slide!

2. Include Keywords In Your Profile Name

Since changing my username from my blog name to my first name plus keywords that describe what it is I do, I had a massive explosion in my follower and view count!

While my blog’s name, Nikki Blogs, describes my occupation, it leaves the door open for questions:

  • What do you blog about?
  • Do I fit your target audience?
  • Who can benefit from your blog?

In my description, I’ve also answered all of these questions:

  • I am all about teaching others how to make money through blogging and social
  • I want others to have the opportunity to work at home, like I do!

Another benefit that my profile also has now is that, when my profile shows up in someone’s following or followers list, it reads Nikki | Make Money … on the Pinterest mobile app rather than just my name or my blog’s name… enough to make potential new visitors curious too!

In a desktop web browser, it displays my full profile name: Nikki | Make Money with Your Blog & Social Media | Work at Home

Choose keywords that describe what your blog can do for your potential new customers and/or readers! Be as descriptive yet to the point as possible.

3. Write A Keyword-Rich Description For Your Profile

If you can’t fit it into your Profile Name, describe it here.

Provide further details into what it is that you do or what your blog is about.

Talk about your business or what makes you different from the rest in your description.

Even better, take it up a notch and tell potential followers how you can improve their life with your site or services.

Don’t be afraid to use every last one of the 160 characters available to you!

4. Upload A Professional Photo That Showcases Who You Are

Pinterest is a visual platform and nothing gives a stronger first impression than a photograph.

Be sure to use an authentic but professional looking one.

Keep it recent and bonus, if you’re flashing a gorgeous smile, that’s a major plus!

Get people to associate your brand with feeling good and you’ll score some major points with your new potential followers.

5. Claim Your Website URL

Claiming your website allows you to display your full website URL on your Pinterest Profile!

You’ll also get access to Website Analytics to see what people are saving from it, early access to Newly Released Tools, and will get a Featured Logo (your Pinterest Profile Photo) next to any pins that are connected your website.

Yes, even the ones that are pinned by other users! Something that is huge when it comes to growing your following on this platform!

There are four main ways to Claim Your Website on Pinterest. Adding a Meta Tag is by far the most popular and easiest method but we’ll go over Uploading an HTML file to your site too!

Adding A Meta Tag To Your Website Using The Index.html File

  1. Log in to Pinterest using a Web Browser
  2. Click to open your menu
  3. Select Settings
  4. In the Claim Website section, enter your website URL and click Claim 
  5. Select Add HTML tag
  6. Copy the tag then click Next
  7. Go to your website’s index.html file and add the tag to thesection just before thesection
  8. Go back to Pinterest and then click Submit

Adding A Meta Tag To Your Website With Yoast SEO Plugin

If you have the Yoast SEO Plugin installed on your WordPress site, this is one of the easiest ways to verify your website!

  1. Log in to Pinterest using a Web Browser
  2. Click to open your menu
  3. Select Settings
  4. In the Claim Website section, enter your website URL and click Claim 
  5. Select Add HTML tag
  6. Copy the tag then click Next
  7. Click on the SEO icon in your left navigation menu within the WordPress Admin Panel.
  8. Click the Facebook tab and check to see that the Add Open Graph Meta Data Setting is Enabled
  9. Click the Pinterest tab and paste the HTML tag you copied into the Pinterest confirmation field.
  10. Click Save changes
  11. Go back to Pinterest and then click Submit

Adding A Meta Tag To Your Website With Insert Headers And Footers Plugin

  1. Log in to Pinterest using a Web Browser
  2. Click to open your menu
  3. Select Settings
  4. In the Claim Website section, enter your website URL and click Claim 
  5. Select Add HTML tag
  6. Copy the tag then click Next
  7. From the WordPress Admin Panel, click Settings and then Insert Headers and Footers in your left navigation menu
  8. Paste the HTML tag you copied into the Scripts in Header field.
  9. Click Save
  10. Go back to Pinterest and then click Submit

Uploading An HTML File To Your Website

  1. Log in to Pinterest using a Web Browser
  2. Click to open your menu
  3. Select Settings
  4. In the Claim Website section, enter your website URL and click Claim 
  5. Select Upload HTML file
  6. Click Download then click Next
  7. Upload the HTML file to your web server at the root folder; make sure it is actually your root folder as a subfolder will not work
  8. Go back to Pinterest and then click Submit

Congratulations! You’ve just verified your website on Pinterest.

6. Edit Your Boards To Include Keyword-Rich Descriptions

The easiest way to do this is by running a Pinterest Search for one of the keywords in your title.

For example, let’s try a search for DIY Party Decor and pretend we run a DIY blog.

Now, do you see all of the related terms just below the search bar?

Let’s try writing a board description based on these:

  • Birthday
  • For Adults
  • Elegant
  • For Boys
  • Dollar Tree
  • Cheap
  • Outdoor
  • Easy
  • For Teens
  • Wedding
  • Summer
  • For Girls
  • Gold
  • Ideas
  • Table 
  • Creative

So, using the above, we could describe our board as follows:

Looking to incorporate cheap and easy party decor into your next event? Then checkout this board for creative ideas with inexpensive price tags! Whether you’re planning a birthday party for adults, for teens, for boys, or for girls, you’ll find pure gold tips here. Have an upcoming summer wedding? Then check out this month’s feature on elegant table decor you can make from items at Dollar Tree!

I like to incorporate all of the most relevant terms to my boards and then follow with any less predominant ones.

Most importantly, use your description to sell your board to potential followers but assure that it is an accurate representation of what it actually contains.

My use of the word gold was meant to be cute and clever here, but I would always still make sure to include a few gold party accessories for good measure 😉

7. Create Board Covers

While some mobile users may never view your boards, branding them to create a cohesive appearance to your profile certainly won’t hurt you!

Absolutely stunning on desktop, having a strong brand image that extends to your Pinterest profile shows users that you are serious about your business.

Use Canva to get started and create them just like you would a regular pin.

Then, when you’re in the process of pinning the image, link it to the relevant board rather than your website to attract potential followers here.

8. Organize Your Boards According To Their Relevance & Impact

What is your website or business about?

Show these boards first!

Order them according to relevance and, if you run a business, which one’s are your best money makers.

If you’re a blogger, also consider arranging your boards according to which ones have the most followers or activity.

For instance, my Blogging For Beginners and Instagram Photography boards have the most followers and continue to be my best performing boards on a regular basis.

According to Tailwind, my Virality and Engagement Scores are top notch for these two boards as well, so why not promote them first?

My blog is focused on: Blogging & Social Media with minor elements of Motherhood & Lifestyle.

So, since those two boards are perfect representations of the content I share most, I’ve moved them to the beginning of my board list.

9. Make Irrelevant Boards Secret

Don’t delete boards that are unrelated to your brand or business!

Simply hide them by making them secret.

To make a board secret, click on Boards from your Pinterest Profile.

Scroll down to the board you want to hide and click on the pencil icon at the bottom right corner to Edit it.

Click Secret and watch the button change from white to black as it moves from left to right.

Click Save and you’re all done!

While deleting irrelevant boards will actually remove the followers associated with them, simply hiding the board has no impact.

Awesome, right?

Now you’re branded, beautiful, and haven’t been impacted while you “tidy” up!

10. Enable Rich Pins

I can’t believe I didn’t do this one sooner!

Enabling Rich Pins is actually easier than it sounds and can be accomplished in two easy steps.

First, you need to add metadata to your site’s content.

In the case of Article Pins, required data includes:

  • Type
  • Title
  • Description

Rich Pins include the meta-descriptions from your blog posts and give you the chance to provide additional information to potential readers.

This also means bonus opportunities to show up in search results, yeah girl!

Plus, they make your website look extra professional and help you standout from the crowd on Pinterest.

The second step in getting approved for Rich Pins is to simply visit Pinterest’s Rich Pin Validator and click Validate.

Boom! How easy was that?

For more details on what kind of metadata is available for each Rich Pin type, visit the following:

11. Optimize Your Pins For SEO With Keyword-Rich Descriptions

Remember when you first started on Pinterest and had no idea what you were doing?

Well, it might be time to go back and fix some of your Pin descriptions.

I know mine definitely needed an overhaul once I figured out how to use this beast of a visual search engine!

Just like we did with our board descriptions, run a quick search on Pinterest to see what type of relevant terms come up for your Pin Topics.

Then, have a look through them and try to incorporate the one’s the fit into and work best with your blog post.

Be sure to provide details and even a couple of teasers without giving too much about your article away though!

The best Pin descriptions are Search Engine Optimized (SEO) for maximum traffic potential while also being able to convert that Pinterest traffic into to unique website visitors!

To find inspiration, run a search for topics related to your blog and have a look at how the top players in your category are selling their content.

12. Name And/Or Rename Your Boards To Be More SEO Friendly

While cute and fun names for your Pinterest boards can be adorable, focus on building your brand now and show off your quirky side later!

Just like we did for our Board and Pin Descriptions, run a search for your board topics to see what comes up.

Consider creating boards for all of the topics that appear!

While these ideas will certainly be more competitive, you’re also increasing your odds of showing up in others search results.

See how Topics, People, and Boards are all displayed?

Hence, the reason we SEO’d all of these things.

Go over all of your boards and have a look at how you can help them appear in more search results!

5 hand drawn black hearts as a banner

In order to get your content seen by more users, Pinterest optimization is a must! Consider incorporating the following additional strategies as well:

  • Pin consistently and only use high quality imagery – 30 to 50 pins a day is enough for a major impact!
  • Join active & relevant group boards
  • Create your own collaborative group board
  • Signup for Tailwind – Click here to get your first month of Tailwind Plus for FREE using my special code!
  • Optimize your blog for pinterest by including a Pin It button

Happy Growing!

text reads nikki xo

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1 thought on “Pinterest Profile Optimization: 2021 Guide to Increase Traffic”

  1. Hi Nikki,

    Great article providing awesome resources to improving ones Pinterest profile! Adding boards relevant to your niche and displaying them first is important and I wish I had done this sooner! It gives your profile a nicer appearance with custom board images that fit your brand.

    Love the idea of writing down keywords and creating a board description around them. Going to try this tactic. Thank you for sharing!

    – Sandy

    Reply

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