Is Pinterest is the Next Search Engine?
And Why You Want to use Pinterest as a Search Engine?
Have you heard of the rumors lately?
Many people are asking if Pinterest is indeed vying for the spot of being the next search engine.
How true is this?
To date, Pinterest has already rolled out guided search, just like what it did earlier in April for the Pinterest mobile app. If you haven’t heard of guided search, it is the most efficient way to discover content on Pinterest in comparison to just scrolling the home feed in a very passive way.
Many people are asking if Pinterest is indeed vying for the spot of being the next search engine. How true is this? To date, Pinterest has already rolled out guided search, just like what it did earlier in April for the Pinterest mobile app. If you haven’t heard of guided search, it is the most efficient way to discover content on Pinterest in comparison to just scrolling the home feed in a very passive way.
When you search for something on Pinterest, descriptive guides will be your helping hand that will help you sift through all the great search results from other Pinners. To steer your search results in the right direction, all you have to do is to scroll through the guides given to you and click any image that appeal interesting to you. And you might even be surprised where you will end up!
All the adjustments made to Pinterest Search over a period of time have greatly improved its functionality and even demonstrate the site’s future vision. To have a more relevant search result for users, you can easily pair guided search with the “interests” feature. The results are amazing as you can see the engine’s beginnings that can be a helpful go-to resource when it comes to the different types of information that Pinterest collects.
There are other notable moves that Pinterest made in the past year that are making people think they are targeting to be the next search engine. In the past year, they were able to launch Pinterest Place Pins, which made a breakthrough by copulating the social network into a ripe platform for local marketing. Place Pins was phenomenal as it was able to allow brands in the hospitality industry to feature bars, restaurants and hotels within the interactive map of Pinterest – which is likely to be discovered by users who are traveling or planning for a trip.
Pinterest responded to the rumors by describing Place Pins as a local engine of all sorts. Place Pins was significantly effective in a way that it was designed for the combination of beautiful imagery of a travel magazine as well as the utility of an online map with the capability of sharing within a network of people. This is also accessible even through your smartphone – which means it will always be possible for you to discover new places on the go – you can even get directions with no added hassle at all. Place Pins also has extra details including the phone number and the address visible right on the pin so you can easily have useful information on a planned weekend getaway or even a night before your planned outdoor activity.
So, what are we to expect next about Pinterest? According to reports, Pinterest have hired former employees from Apple to lead the growing company’s design and engineering departments. As an evidence to such reports, Michael Lopp, who was a key player on the development of Mac OS X is now the lead for Pinterest’s newly established engineering team. Lopp who has extensive experience on Netscape, Borland and Symantec is now the lead for the technical team of Pinterest, to focus on scale and product development.
Guided Search and how it can find what you’re looking for in Pinterest.
As we all know, search engines are great for answering almost anything you have in mind – from the weather in a certain city to the capital of let’s say, Peru. Pinterest works in a different way. It can help answer questions with more than just one specific answer. Where your next travel destination or what is might be the best food for dinner? There are so many possibilities and you might never know the answer unless you see it beforehand.
This is where Guided Search comes into play. It was basically built to help you explore – whether you know exactly what you are looking for or you’re just looking around until you find the perfect answer that will satisfy you. Pinterest has more than 750 million boards with 30 billion pins which were hand-picked by foodies, travelers, and other Pinners – all of which are within your reach with just a few taps away.
When you are searching for something on Pinterest (road trips, restaurants and so much more), descriptive guides will be your helping hand to go through all the great suggestions from the Pinners. Scroll through the guides and with just a single tap, you may be steering into the right direction through your search results.
With guided search, it is also possible for you to discover a few unexpected surprises. The best part still is leaving your comfort zone for a little serendipity as the guides are only there to help you get where you want to be.
The Guided Search that was developed by Pinterest was established to help you in the exploration of the site in two ways:
- If you know exactly what you are looking for or you’re just looking around to find new ideas and discover new things.
- Guided Search is the most clever way to explore all of Pinterest’s 750 million boards and 30 billion pins.
Tips and Tricks on using Guided Search.
By default, the Guided Search of Pinterest returns results of individual pins but you also have the option to choose relevant pinners which is also a great way to discover interesting people to follow or even related boards that might interest you. Clicking the tabs that appear just right above the search results will let you explore the different options. You can also do a search even on your own boards simply by clicking on “Your Pins” to search for content that you have previously added to your boards.
If you like exploring in a different way, you can still try browsing by topic. By simply clicking the dropdown arrow which consists of 3 lines in the right side of the search bar, you can explore pins by categories. Upon clicking something that might interest you, the guided boxes will simultaneously appear in advance of the search results, providing you with several options to enhance your search.
Guided Search works quite in the same way when it comes to mobile. It was first in fact introduced on the Pinterest mobile app before it was even launched on the web. With just one tap on the search icon on the screen, you can easily browse by category; the keyword search also works perfectly well on mobile. You simply swipe through the search guides by scrolling through the results.
6 Awesome Ways You Can Follow to Optimize Guided Search on Pinterest
1. Optimize your descriptions with keywords
Pinterest declared on their announcement when they introduced Guided Search that they are not changing how the site ranks search results. With this said, you do not need to make necessary changes for your Pins regarding your business. It is always a good habit to write informative descriptions to your pins to help Pinners when they are exploring the site.
The best way to do this is to think about the keywords that your target market might be using in the search and use these keywords to optimize your pin descriptions. Use specific or keywords – rather than just writing sweater, make an in-depth description as well. You can write “blue sweater” or even describe the fabric used for the sweater. Your pins are most likely to appear in search results when you do this.
The descriptions are not just limited to your pins. You can even include a description on the profiles; the boards can also have a description. The about page is allowing 200 characters while each pin can have at most 500 character descriptions.
It is essential that when you write descriptions for your About page, you make it unique and geared towards your business. Do not forget to insert an effective call to action narrative that will encourage people to follow you.
Take note that the more activity that your pin gets, the more chances it gets to be shown in search results. Note that most re-pinned and most commented on photos on Pinterest has a an average description of 200 to 300 words.
If you don’t want to be demoted in search, make sure to avoid keyword stuffing as well as generic keywords. The same is applicable to hashtags as having too many hashtags can have a negative impact on your rankings in Pinterest.
2. Use a combination of your business name and a keyword (Brand + keyword)
When setting up your account in Pinterest for the first time, it is essential that you include your full business name and claim this in your username and URL in Pinterest. Some suggest that you include a keyword along with your company name; someone might think this isn’t necessary for already known brands in the market. If your company is quite new, it is best to add a keyword to your name which simply identifies your product line and the services you offer.
3. Optimize the title of your boards
Another effective way to make your Pinterest profile attractive to Guided Search is by including keywords in your boards. As always, keywords can have a great impact in your Pinterest rankings.
4. Utilize Pinterest Analytics
Pinterest Analytics provides you insights on how people look at pins on the website. It can provide you with data for the types of pins that Pinners are most likely to click, view or even like. From the data, you can actually have a clear definition on the most and most applicable keywords you can use for your branding. Note that you can only use analytics if you have a verified account on Pinterest and Account that is Pinterest for Business.
Additional, resource you might consider looking into external Analytics site called Tailwind App. Which has ton of additional futures which Pinterest Analytics doesn’t. In my previous post I describe and give a free overview of all those abilities of Tailwind App, which you as a Pinner cannot afford not to use.
5. Optimize your Pin-it buttons with keywords
Including keyword-optimized descriptions can be very beneficial to your business. Once Pinterest users pin your content, your description will automatically appear along with the pins.
However, while pinning other’s pins to your boards of interests, make sure to check for broken links, as they can sometimes be misleading or will not benefit your optimization efforts.
6. Make everything accessible to search engines
Remember that search isn’t limited just to Pinterest. Your profile, including your boards and pins are indexed by Google and other search engines. To ensure that everything is accessible, make sure to modify your profile settings and put your Search Privacy option to “No”. Otherwise, it will be impossible for search engines to find you online.
A Definite Conclusion on Guided Search
As of the moment, Guided Search is getting all the popularity it needs. With this said, it is never too late to make your own Pinterest profile and start building your boards and pins.
Use the tips I have suggested here for a head on start to take advantage of the Pinterest search engine. Remember to share inspiring content, so pinners will always be encouraged to interest with you.
Lastly,
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Jenny Weeks says
Excellent tips, Anna! Actually, amazingly VALUABLE info for anyone who wants to gain a stronger web presence a free and easy way. I am bookmarking this post …i know I will refer back to it often!
Jenny Weeks says
Excellent tips, Anna! Actually, amazingly VALUABLE info for anyone who wants to gain a stronger web presence a free and easy way. I am bookmarking this post …i know I will refer back to it often!
Anna Zubarev says
Thanks a lot Jenny for your valuable feedback on my work! Really appreciate it.
I’m happy you found this valuable info to go back to for a reference too!
Anna Zubarev says
Thanks a lot Jenny for your valuable feedback on my work! Really appreciate it.
I’m happy you found this valuable info to go back to for a reference too!
Else Moss says
Great job Anna, I need to explore pinterest.
Else Moss says
Great job Anna, I need to explore pinterest.
Anna Zubarev says
Thanks a lot Else for stopping by and exploring my blog.
Anna Zubarev says
Thanks a lot Else for stopping by and exploring my blog.