Simple Pin Podcast: Understanding the Pinterest Algorithm Hosted by Kate Ahl | Release Date: February 12, 2025

Introduction

In the latest episode of the Simple Pin Podcast, host Kate Ahl delves deep into the intricacies of the Pinterest algorithm. Aimed at helping business owners and marketers harness the full potential of Pinterest for their ventures, this episode provides actionable insights and demystifies the platform’s often elusive ranking system.

The Importance of Understanding the Pinterest Algorithm

Kate underscores the criticality of comprehending how Pinterest’s algorithm operates to effectively boost business performance on the platform.

[01:45] Kate Ahl: “We will never, ever ever know the full extent of any algorithm on any platform that is out.”

She emphasizes that while Pinterest, much like other major platforms, keeps its algorithm under wraps, understanding its fundamental principles can significantly enhance a business’s Pinterest strategy.

Team Education and Continuous Learning

Ahl highlights the commitment to education within her agency, ensuring that her team stays updated with the latest Pinterest trends and algorithm changes.

[03:30] Kate Ahl: “We have been doing this since 2017. So you can imagine our Google Drive is filled with thousands of weekly education notes because we believe as an agency, we need to keep Pinterest top of mind.”

This dedication to continuous learning ensures that her team can effectively serve clients and provide up-to-date advice on both the podcast and YouTube channels.

Overview of the Pinterest Algorithm

Kate breaks down the Pinterest algorithm into comprehensible components, distinguishing it from typical social media algorithms.

Home Feed vs. Search Feed

Pinterest classifies itself as a search and discovery platform, which significantly influences its algorithmic behavior.

• Home Feed: Personalized for each user, considering their past searches, saved pins, board creations, and followed accounts.

  [07:20] Kate Ahl: “Say Susie has just searched for a flower birthday party for her teen daughter. The next time she opens up the app, she's going to get served up with a little bit of information about flower birthday parties for her teen daughter.”

• Search Feed: Uniform across all users; everyone searching for the same term will see the same set of pins, ensuring consistency in search results.

  [09:15] Kate Ahl: “If Susie opens up the app and she's like, well, I think I'm going to search today for travel trips to the Grand Cayman... The search feeds don't change.”

Key Factors Influencing the Algorithm

The episode outlines five primary factors that Pinterest’s algorithm evaluates to determine pin visibility and ranking.

1. Domain Quality

Pinterest assesses the reliability of the websites linked to pins based on user engagement metrics like click-through rates and bounce rates.

[12:00] Kate Ahl: “Pins that lead to broken links will not get traction and they may actually be penalized.”

She advises ensuring that website links are functional and lead to valuable, engaging content to maintain high domain quality.

2. Pin Quality

This factor revolves around user interactions with pins, including saves, likes, comments, and shares. While Shopify’s analysis emphasizes all these metrics, Kate offers a nuanced perspective.

[15:30] Kate Ahl: “I think saves is number one and then I think clicks is probably number two.”

She suggests focusing on creating compelling pins that encourage saves and clicks, which naturally foster further engagement like comments and shares.

3. Pinner Activity

Active participation on Pinterest, such as consistently pinning content and engaging with other users, boosts a pinner’s visibility.

[21:10] Kate Ahl: “If you are an active participant on the platform, you are actively adding pins to the platform. That is a good thing.”

Kate recommends authentic engagement, like responding to comments and interacting with followers, to enhance pinner activity scores.

4. Relevance

Pinterest uses keywords, titles, descriptions, and even the visual content of pins to determine their relevance to users’ interests and searches.

[25:50] Kate Ahl: “Pinterest is taking into consideration all that you do. So that will be your board names, your board descriptions, your PIN title, your pin descriptions, and it's putting them all together to figure out who you are and what you do.”

She stresses the importance of coherent and targeted keyword usage across all board and pin elements to improve relevance and discoverability.

5. Rich Pins

Rich pins add metadata to pins, providing additional information that enhances user experience and pin performance.

[30:15] Kate Ahl: “They automatically sync all of that information. It’s a really good way to combat stolen pins... it contributes to search.”

Kate advocates for the use of rich pins to ensure that pins are informative and directly linked to the source content, thereby increasing the likelihood of engaged visits to the website.

Practical Tips for Marketers

Drawing from the algorithm insights, Kate offers several strategies for maximizing Pinterest’s potential:

• Maintain Website Integrity: Regularly check for broken links and ensure that pins direct users to valuable content that encourages longer site visits.

• Optimize Pin Design: Create visually appealing pins that clearly represent the content behind the click, leveraging curiosity and relevance.

• Consistent Engagement: Actively interact with your audience by responding to comments and engaging with other pinners to boost activity scores.

• Strategic Keyword Usage: Integrate audience-focused keywords in board names, pin titles, and descriptions to enhance relevance and searchability.

• Utilize Rich Pins: Implement rich pins to provide additional context and prevent content theft, ensuring that users receive comprehensive information directly from the pin.

Conclusion and Audience Engagement

Kate wraps up the episode by reinforcing the uniqueness of Pinterest as a search and discovery platform and the necessity for marketers to tailor their strategies accordingly.

[40:00] Kate Ahl: “Pinterest is a search and discovery platform. It is very interested in making sure pinners who open up their app have exactly what they want.”

She encourages listeners to reflect on their understanding of the Pinterest algorithm and engage with the podcast community on YouTube for further discussions.

[42:30] Kate Ahl: “What have you learned about the Pinterest algorithm? What have you heard over the years? I would love to hear from you.”

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to elevate their Pinterest marketing game. By breaking down the algorithm’s key components and offering practical advice, Kate Ahl equips her audience with the knowledge needed to navigate Pinterest’s dynamic landscape successfully.

Stay Connected with Simple Pin Media: For more insights and resources, visit simplepinmedia.com and join the conversation on YouTube at YouTube.com/simplepinmedia.