The rules of SEO, Google search, and using keywords are always changing with the wind. Along with that, Pinterest just changed the way it displays pins and descriptions. Long story short–Pinterest now only displays the pin image and title while truncating the pin descriptions.
So is writing descriptions for pins still worth it? Uh, YES! Here’s why:
Pinterest is social, yeah, but really it’s an extensive search engine. Even though pin descriptions have been shortened, the way Pinterest uses SEO and keywords is relatively unchanged.
Writing pin descriptions gives your content more opportunity to be clicked on. And that’s what we’re all striving for, right? No matter what your end goal is (more traffic to your careers site, perhaps?), optimizing your pin descriptions with keywords helps your content show up in Pinterest search and appear in the Smart Feed.
Pin descriptions help tell Pinterest what your content is about. Therefore improving the searchability and increasing the “eyes” that land on your content. Pinterest determines what your pin is about via:
- The pin description
- The pin title
- Pin URL
- Boards it’s pinned on
- Repins/engagement
Your average “pinners” like you and me are going to base 90% of our judgment as to whether a pin is valuable or not by how the pin image looks–hence, how important it is to follow these tips and guidelines. But Pinterest as a search engine isn’t so easily convinced. It looks at all the fixings in the bulleted list above. It can’t figure out a meaning of a pin based on the image alone. Want Pinterest to flag your pins as valuable when a pinner is doing a search? Beef up that pin description, my friend.
Words are the best way to tell Pinterest what your pins are about. With that being said, add in related keywords to your descriptions. Think about your industry–what are some keywords that describe it? What is your pin about? Put yourself in place of a pinner searching for the content you’re providing–what would you search in hopes of finding this pin? Be the pinner!
Pro Tip: Use Google Key Word planner to search keywords in your niche/industry/topics and be mindful of using selected keywords when writing your website content, blogs, pin titles, and pin descriptions. (Next week we’re going chest deep into this topic, so #StayWoke.)
The pin description might work as that extra push someone needs to click on your pin. Put yourself in the pinner’s shoes: If you were waffling about clicking on a pin, what would you do to help you decide on making that click? I would probably re-read the title again and then expand the description to read more of what the pin is about before I make my click. Think of the pin description as your closer! Make sure it’s a good one…
With all of this being said, here’s exactly how to write Pinterest descriptions to build your employment brand–bulleted list style:
- Keep descriptions short and sweet and to the point. Treat them as a descriptive subtitle that tells the pinner exactly what they’re going to get
- Use keywords and write them towards the beginning of the description (the faster and easier people can make the connection between your pin and what they want to see the better)
- Add a call-to-action at the end of the description if space provides (CTA’s can help gain more click-throughs)
The past couple of weeks we’ve been diving in on how to grow your employer brand by using Pinterest. In case you missed it, here’s a brief rundown with links to any posts you’ve missed:
5-star vacations, engagement rings, styled outfits, delicious recipes, how-to advice… what do all these have in common? They’re all over Pinterest posted as images that evoke emotion and get people to do something.
Pinterest is a social media site, yes, but it’s growing more as a search engine than your basic social site. Pinterest is powerful.
If you’re already developing your employer brand on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, good for you! Now get on Pinterest.
Pinterest isn’t just for the topics listed in the first line–it’s a search engine that is perfect for all niches and all brands. Believe it or not, pumpkin spiced lattes being held by a perfectly manicured hand laced with a 5 carat diamond ring is not a requirement. This series is going to teach you exactly how to develop + grow your employer brand with Pinterest while attracting the best talent along the way.
PART 1: So how can you start growing your brand on Pinterest? First, visuals.