Pinterest Algorithm Change – What Every Entrepreneur Needs To Know

Those two little scary words: ALGORITHM CHANGE. Ah!

They can wreak havoc into the hearts of online entrepreneurs everywhere. Algorithm changes can afflict even the most seasoned marketer, causing traffic fluctuations and even loss of revenue.

Thankfully you can stop scrambling to figure out your next strategic move to drive traffic to your site via Pinterest.

Below,  I’ve got you covered with the top algorithm changes you need to be aware of, plus actionable tips you can put into place starting TODAY to continue driving traffic to your brand from Pinterest.

Read on to find out my top tips…

---

 

Ready to Profit from Pinterest?

Get my exact 6 step process to attract more leads & make more sales for FREE using Pinterest with your FREE cheat sheet.

 

---

Algo…what? What’s an “algorithm”?

What exactly is an algorithm?  I’ve found that as content marketers we discuss algorithm changes all the time and how they affect our brands on various platforms, but we hardly ever discuss what an algorithm is.

Simply stated, an algorithm is a set of rules that are followed by operating systems (aka computers).  These rules inform systems on what they need to do in order to perform.

The Pinterest algorithm, for example, decides what Pinners  will see in their Smart Feed.

What does the Pinterest algorithm look at?

While we don’t know precisely what the Pinterest algorithm takes into account,  it’s similar to Google  in that it does rank your content.

UNLIKE Google, however, your Domain Authority on Pinterest  is not determined by backlinks or other factors. Instead, it’s determined by how popular your Pins are (are they getting comments, saves, click throughs on the platform).

The more engagement your Pin’s receive, the more the Pinterest algorithm begins to trust that you offer quality, engaging content.

Let’s dive in on how we, as creators, drive traffic from Pinterest using  the newest best practices.

Driving Traffic with Pinterest Tip 1: Fresh Content (Pins) are King

To increase traffic from Pinterest,  and stay within the parameters of Pinterest’s latest best practices, you’ll need to get comfortable with creating fresh content…and often.

Back in February, (and then again in June), Pinterest and Tailwind collaborated on Facebook and provided  insights into how creators can reach their desired Pinners on the platform. You can check out the live here.

To summarize, the key for content creators is to create multiple unique images for all of our posts, products and pages on our websites.

Now that we know this, you may be thinking, how much and how often?

Here’s a quick run-down on how you can easily create new content  and readily drive traffic from Pinterest to your site:

• Create 5-7 unique Pin images for each URL on your site and/or product pages. Pinterest determined that “Fresh content” is not just a new URL. Fresh content is a new Pin that displays a new image.

• You can use the same Keywords but change up the pin title or description so that you’re sure to reach a broader audience.

Check out this example from the Tailwind, blog (the approved scheduler for Pinterest):

You’ll notice the same product displayed with 5 different branded  Pin designs. Also notice these key components:

• The product is the same but the angle and image itself varies

• Targeted Keywords remain the same

• The title on the Pin changes slightly with each image

Again to summarize:

• The Pin  image must be new and fresh to Pinners

• Changing the title and description alone will not make a Pin “fresh”

• Making small changes to the same image will not constitute as a “fresh Pin”

What’s the BEST advice for content marketers like us?

If you want to show up in your targeted audiences feeds, diversify your Pin design and the content that you bring to Pinterest.

You can check out the full live with Pinterest from February here:

 

Driving Traffic with Pinterest Tip 2: Don’t pin old or duplicate pins too frequently

When looking to ensure that you’re able to drive traffic from Pinterest, one of the most important updates you need to be aware of is information on “older” Pins.

According to Tailwind, “duplicate”  Pins are Pins with the exact image/URL combination that has already been Pinned to Pinterest before.

Here’s what you need to know about sharing duplicate Pins:

• You can re-share your own content in moderation

• Ensure that your duplicate content is being re-shared no sooner than 90 days apart

• Tailwind has a new feature called Smart Guide (see below) that can alert you if you’re not following best practices. As a rule, however, you shouldn’t rely on that alone to guide your decisions (that’s why there’s this post!)

• The SmartLoop Feature on Tailwind is another tool you can use to ensure that your evergreen and seasonal content is being distributed to conform to best practices.

Smart Guide (shown above) on Tailwind is one helpful tool creators can use to ensure current best practices are followed.

While Pinterest didn’t specify that they would penalize individuals for sharing older, (even viral)  Pins they did reinforce the fact that newer content would take priority on the platform.

It’s not too hard to understand why there was a push from Pinterest in this direction.

As a platform, Pinterest was seeing an overwhelming amount of older Pins pop up on the feed simply due to the fact that everyone shares what they love. After a while, the feed became bogged down with older content.

Knowing how Pinterest always prioritizes Pinners, and in the best interest of  Pinners, they’ve made changes to the algorithm accordingly.

Pinterest is  known as  the “home for inspiration”, where Pinners, as future-thinkers go for ideas.  As a space for inspiration, it’s imperative that Pinterest Smart feed is filled with new ideas for Pinners.

That’s where we, as content creators, come in.

Pinterest is now giving more space in the search results and in the Smart feed for fresh Pins in comparison to those older Pins that have a lot of shares or re-Pins.

 

Driving Traffic with Pinterest Tip 3: Get the right pinning schedule & the right number of pins per day on Pinterest

Increasing your traffic from Pinterest doesn’t mean increasing how much you Pin per day.

To keep in line with current best practices and to continue to drive traffic to your products and services, you’ll need to stay between 15 -25 Pins per day.

Speaking of scheduling, you’ll want to ensure that you’re not posting the same Pin on the same day multiple times even if you’re posting to different boards.

For example, when posting one of my Pins at 6:12 today,  I won’t post that same Pin for another three days or more (I space my Pins 3 or 4 days apart, however, 2 is the minimum allowed on Tailwind).

Using the Tailwind scheduler is a great way to ensure you meet these guidelines every day.

Newest Tailwind Recommendations: 

Another advantage of using Tailwind? Additional reassurance that you’re following best practices. Aside from interval Pinning, Tailwind will also post a warning if you try to post the same Pin to more than 10 boards (see below).

This added “protection” will ensure you’re abiding by Pinterest standards, thus keeping you off of the (“gulp”) BANNED or suspended list.

Driving Traffic with Pinterest Tip 4: Make use of their latest features – Story Pins & Video Pins

As of recently, Pinterest informed content creators that they are prioritizing video Pins and Story Pins on the platform. What are these?

Story Pins provide multiple images to tell the Pinner a “story” about a product or service.

Pinterest describes Story Pins as “giving more ways for people to share ideas on Pinterest with up to 20 images and text”.

Story Pins are brand new to the platform and not all accounts have access to them.

You can apply for access  right here. 

With video Pins at an outstanding 200% increase for engagement, you’ll want to investigate how your brand can incorporate video Pins into your 5-7 Pins recommended per post.

Some ideas for sharing your content in the form of a video Pin could be:

• List posts quickly showing the best tips on how to do something e.g. write a compelling blog post

• DIY tutorials on creating something e.g. how to create the latest trend in home decor

• Recipes: a quick tutorial on how to make that yummy appetizer

 

Driving Traffic with Pinterest: Key Takeaway:

Want to  drive traffic from Pinterest to your site?

A combination of creating fresh Pins for  your content,  keeping re-Pins (shares) to a minimum, Pinning at intervals, and always keeping your audience needs first (don’t forget targeted Keyword research), will get your products and services in front of your ideal audience every time.

 

What’s Next?

WANT TO TAKE YOUR LEAD GENERATION UP A LEVEL FOR FREE?

Grab your free (and highly detailed) cheat sheet that gives you my exact 6 step process to attract more leads & make more sales for FREE using Pinterest

I need this