Simple Pin Podcast: "Pinterest Search – Where it is and where it’s going"

Host: Kate Ahl
Date: December 17, 2025
Episode Focus: A deep dive into the current state of Pinterest search, the introduction of Pinterest Assistant (AI-powered visual search), and how business owners can adapt their strategy for the evolution of the platform.

Episode Overview

Kate Ahl, owner of Simple Pin Media and Pinterest marketing expert, explores how Pinterest’s search function has developed, where it is headed next, and why these shifts matter for creators, businesses, and e-commerce sellers. She shares insider stats, a walkthrough of search features, her direct experiences with Pinterest Assistant (Pinterest’s new AI-powered tool), and actionable strategies for thriving amid these changes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pinterest Search: What Makes it Unique?

• Visual-first Platform:
  Pinterest isn’t like Google or social media feeds; it’s “a visual search engine... often referred to as a search and discovery platform” (00:45).
• Statistics Highlighting Pinterest's Power:
  • 46% of US users aged 18–24; 40% of ages 25–34.
  • 600 million monthly active users globally.
  • “73% of consumers say the visual nature of Pinterest makes it better than if you’re searching on other platforms like Google or even ChatGPT.” (02:10, citing April 2025 Adobe article)
  • “80% of businesses believe Pinterest outperforms other search platforms in driving engagement.” (02:40)
• Intent-driven Use:
  “There’s no engagement with other people. They’re just dreaming into their own dreams.” (03:45)
  Users come with intent—either high (specific searches) or low (open to inspiration)—which uniquely positions Pinterest as a business opportunity.

2. Current Search Workflow on Pinterest

• The Typical Search Journey:
  • Users enter their query in the search bar. Kate’s recent searches: “outfits for carrot body shape,” “mashed potato recipe,” “air fryer fajitas” (05:20).
  • Results begin with shopping/product pins, then guided search bubbles (e.g., “palettes” for color selection), then a mix of ads and user pins.
• Personalized, Contextual Results:
  • The system recognizes synonyms and related concepts (e.g., “carrot body shape” yields content for “inverted triangle,” which is the same body type—07:20).

Memorable Moment:
“There were instructions for how to dress an inverted triangle... Pinterest actually knew what I was looking for.” (07:55)

3. Introducing Pinterest Assistant: AI-powered Search

• Launched October 2025:
  “Pinterest Assistant is the first AI-powered visual-first collaborator that transforms online shopping and discovery...” (09:00)
• How it Works:
  • Tap the mic icon in the search bar to ask questions vocally; location of the mic may vary by app update (10:45).
  • The assistant analyzes user pins, boards, and feet for personalized results.
  • Example: Kate asked for help finding the best molasses ginger cookies (11:45).
• Voice Search Nuances:
  • Needs mic permission settings.
  • “It took a little while to listen to my prompt, but I imagine it will get better soon as time goes on." (12:20)
• Search Evolution:
  • Quoting HubSpot CEO: “Search is going from a four-word prompt to a 23-word prompt, which is incredible.” (13:10)
  • Voice, visuals, and longer, conversational searches will soon be the norm.

4. Why These Changes Matter for Businesses

• Creator and Marketer Relevance:
  User behavior is shifting; businesses must make information more accessible and contextually rich (15:00).
• Assistant Augments, Doesn’t Replace:
  • Regular search remains but is enhanced by AI-powered tools.
  • “It’s not just a simple word search, but it’s going to broaden the ideas that people are going to put into this assistant...” (15:40)
• Feature Rollouts Vary:
  “Things might move around and be fluid in the next couple of months... everything just needs a little bit of fluidity and some grace for the changes...” (16:50)

5. Deep Dive: The Taste Graph

• What is it?
  Massive data web tracks pins, clicks, and saves to understand not just preferences, but the “why” behind them (18:05).
• Example:
  A search for “carrot body shape outfits” pulls in capsule wardrobes, related body types, and user intent extensions (19:30).
• Quote:
  “It’s not just linear... it’s like spherical. We’re gonna go with that. It’s encompassing a lot more.” (20:10)

6. Actionable Strategies for Pinterest Success

1. Craft Conversational Pin Descriptions (21:10)

• Write as if answering a friend’s question or texting.
• Use natural keyword phrases.

2. Maintain Visual Consistency (21:50)

• Consistent branding improves Pinterest’s ability to match content to audiences.
• Caveat: for seasonal content, use relevant colors over strict brand colors.

3. Context is Crucial (23:00)

• Boards/titles/descriptions should tell a unified story.
• “Put all carrot body type information inside a carrot body type board... so the algorithm knows this is the content to pull from.” (23:50)

7. The Future of Pinterest Search

• Multimodal Search:
  Voice + images + text allows users to say things like, “Show me shoes that would go with these pants” while browsing images (24:20).
• Predictive (Not Just Reactive):
  Pinterest will increasingly anticipate user needs as AI deepens personalization (25:10).
• Practical Action Steps (25:45):
  • Audit your pin descriptions: Do they answer searcher questions using natural language and keywords?
  • Build cohesive boards: Remove off-brand or unrelated boards, use secret boards for personal interests.
  • Show context for products or ideas: Lifestyle images help products “make sense” and inspire purchases.

Quote:
“Pinterest isn’t becoming less a search engine, it’s becoming a smarter one. The fundamentals still matter—great visuals, strategic keywords, understanding what people are searching for. But now there’s an AI-powered assistant amplifying that connection...” (27:45)

8. Engagement and Community

Kate closes by inviting listeners to share their experiences with Pinterest Assistant via YouTube comments and encourages ongoing learning and community support for adapting to these new tools.

Notable Quotes

• On Pinterest’s uniqueness:
  “It is the one app that people don’t give up in their social media detox and they for sure aren’t doom scrolling.” (04:10)

• On user intent:
  “They approach the platform looking for ideas, products, and projects to tackle … high intent and low intent, meaning they are searching for something but they’re not going to dismiss other ideas.” (03:10)

• On AI search evolution:
  “It’s not just a simple word search, but it’s going to broaden the ideas that people are going to put into this assistant to ask more questions, to really leverage that ‘I’ll know it when I see it.’” (15:40)

• On building boards:
  “If you’re a food blogger and you have lots of recipe boards and you have one about nails and hair and trips to Jamaica, you might want to pull those down into secret boards and create a cohesive story about your brand.” (26:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:45: Introduction, Pinterest’s visual search uniqueness, user stats
• 05:20–07:55: Kate’s practical search walkthrough, personalization example
• 09:00–12:20: Overview of Pinterest Assistant, voice search in action
• 13:10: Discussion on longer, conversational search queries
• 15:00–16:50: Importance for creators, fluid feature rollouts
• 18:05–20:10: The Taste Graph explained
• 21:10–24:20: Actionable tips: pin descriptions, visual consistency, context
• 24:20–27:45: Future of search: voice + visual, predictive, practical checklist
• 27:45–end: Community invitation and closing remarks

Summary

Kate Ahl delivers a thorough and forward-looking exploration of Pinterest’s evolving search capabilities, grounded in both hard data and accessible, real-world tips. As Pinterest integrates AI and multimodal search, businesses and creators can thrive by focusing on natural language, cohesive branding, and contextual, inspiring visual content. The episode is a call to both patience and proactive adaptation as Pinterest continues to shape the future of visual discovery and e-commerce.