How to Increase Engagement on Pinterest

Getting more engagement on Pinterest means more than just a quick vanity boost, it means Pinterest is actively showing your content to more people. This guide breaks down the simple, effective strategies you need to create Pins that people love to save, click, and share, driving real traffic and building your brand. We’ll cover everything from smart keyword use and eye-catching Pin design to building a content schedule that works.

Understand What Engagement Really Is on Pinterest

First, let’s clarify what "engagement" actually means on Pinterest because it’s a bit different from other platforms. Pinterest’s algorithm looks at a variety of signals - not just likes and comments - to decide if a Pin is valuable. Higher engagement tells Pinterest your content is good, so it gets shown to more people in their home feeds, search results, and "Related Pins" sections.

Here are the key engagement metrics you should focus on:

• Saves (or Repins): This is the most important signal on Pinterest. When someone saves your Pin to one of their boards, they’re telling the algorithm, "This content is useful and I want to keep it." It’s a powerful endorsement.
• Outbound Clicks (or Link Clicks): This is when a user clicks through your Pin to visit your website, blog, or product page. For businesses and creators, this is often the ultimate goal. A high number of outbound clicks signals that your Pin offered something valuable enough to make someone leave the platform.
• Close-ups: This happens when a user taps on your Pin to see it in more detail. It shows strong initial interest and is a positive signal, even if they don't save or click through immediately.
• Comments and Reactions: While less common than on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, comments are still a solid form of engagement. They show that your content started a conversation.

Master Pinterest SEO to Get Discovered

Pinterest is, at its heart, a visual search engine. People don't just scroll - they actively search for ideas, products, and solutions. To get your content in front of them, you need to think like a search engine optimizer. Master Pinterest SEO, and your Pins will be discovered for months and even years after you publish them.

Find the Right Keywords

Before you create a single Pin, you need to know what your audience is searching for. Thankfully, Pinterest makes this surprisingly easy. Don’t pay for fancy tools, just use the platform itself.

Here's how to find great keywords:

1. Start with the Search Bar: Type a broad topic related to your niche (e.g., "healthy dinner ideas") into the Pinterest search bar. As you type, Pinterest will suggest a dropdown list of popular, related searches. Those are your golden keywords.
2. Look at the Guided Search Bubbles: After you search for a term, look at the colorful bubbles that appear just below the search bar (e.g., "easy," "chicken," "for family," "vegan"). These are the most common modifiers people use to narrow down their search. Mix and match these with your broad keywords to create more specific, long-tail keywords (like "easy healthy vegan dinner ideas").
3. Check out Pinterest Trends: Visit trends.pinterest.com to see what topics are trending and when they start to peak. This is incredibly helpful for planning seasonal content months in advance.

Keep a simple list of 10-20 core keywords and another 20-30 long-tail keywords related to your content buckets. Refer to this list every time you create a new Pin.

Where to Use Your Keywords

Finding keywords is half the battle. The other half is placing them where Pinterest’s algorithm can find them. Weave your keywords naturally into these key areas:

• Pin Titles: This is a top priority. Your title should be direct and keyword-rich. Be clear, not clever. (e.g., "15-Minute Spicy Shrimp Scampi Recipe" instead of "The Best Dinner Ever").
• Pin Descriptions: Write a few sentences that describe what the Pin is about and encourage the user to click. Use 2-3 of your most relevant keywords here, but write for humans first. Don't just stuff it with keywords.
• Text on Your Pin Image: Pinterest can read the text on your images. The text overlay on your Pin graphic should include your main keyword.
• Your Board Titles: Name your boards using clear, keyword-focused terms. "Modern Home Decor Inspiration" is much better than "Dreamy Spaces."
• Your Board Descriptions: Just like with Pins, use a few sentences to describe what the board is about, including a couple of your main keywords for that topic.
• Your Profile Bio: Use your primary keywords in your profile description to tell both users and Pinterest what your account is all about.

Design Pins That People Can't Help But Click

In a sea of inspiration, your Pin design determines whether someone stops scrolling or glides right past. You don't need to be a graphic designer, but following a few simple best practices will make a massive difference.

Stick to a Vertical Format

This is non-negotiable. Pinterest is a vertical platform, designed for mobile phones. Horizontal images get lost in the feed. The ideal aspect ratio is 2:3 (e.g., 1000 x 1500 pixels). Pins that are too long get cut off in the feed, so stick to the 2:3 ratio for best results.

Use High-Quality Images and Videos

Blurry, dark, or low-resolution visuals won't cut it. Your photos and videos should be sharp, well-lit, and attractive. You don't need a fancy camera - a modern smartphone works great - but pay attention to lighting and composition. If you're using stock photos, choose ones that look natural and authentic.

Add Compelling Text Overlays

A beautiful image is great, but a text overlay tells the user exactly what they'll get by clicking or saving your Pin. It adds context and creates a strong value proposition.

• Be Clear and Concise: Use a short, punchy headline that answers the user's question or solves their problem. "5 Simple Ways to Organize Your Kitchen" is more effective than a generic title.
• Make It Readable: Use a big, bold, easy-to-read font. Avoid overly scripty or decorative fonts that are hard to decipher on a small screen. Make sure there’s enough contrast between your text and the background image.
• Create Curiosity: Ask a question, use numbers (listicles do exceptionally well), or promise a solution.

Brand Your Pins (Without Overdoing It)

Add your logo or website URL subtly to the bottom of your Pins. This builds brand recognition without being distracting. It also helps prevent your content from being stolen without credit. Keep it small and consistent across all your designs.

Leverage Different Pin Formats for Your Advantage

Pinterest offers more than just the classic static image Pin. Using a mix of formats keeps your content fresh and allows you to engage with your audience in different ways.

Static Pins: The Foundation of Your Strategy

The original. A single, high-quality image with a link back to your website or blog. These are the workhorses of your Pinterest strategy and are fantastic for driving direct, reliable traffic. Most of your content will likely be Static Pins, especially when you're starting out.

Video Pins: Grab Attention in the Feed

Video Pins autoplay silently in the feed, making them excellent for capturing attention. They don't have to be massive productions. Simple videos showing a quick tip, a product in action, a time-lapse of a recipe, or an animated text graphic can do incredibly well. Keep them short (6-15 seconds is often best) and design them to make sense without sound.

Idea Pins: Build Community and Tell a Story

Idea Pins are Pinterest's version of Stories. They are a multi-page format where you can combine video, images, and text to create a step-by-step guide, a tutorial, or a simple behind-the-scenes look. The main difference? They don't disappear after 24 hours. The primary goal of Idea Pins is on-platform engagement, they build your followers and audience right on Pinterest rather than driving off-platform traffic. Use them to share high-value tips and build a loyal community that trusts your recommendations.

Build an Engaging Content and Pinning Strategy

Engagement isn't about finding one "viral" Pin. It’s about consistently providing value over time.

Pin Consistently

Pinterest rewards creators who regularly add fresh, new content to the platform. "Fresh content" means new images, even if they link to an old blog post. Don’t just repin the same image over and over. Aim to publish 1-5 new Pins per day. This doesn’t mean you have to create 5 new blog posts a day. You can create multiple unique Pin graphics for a single piece of content and space them out over time.

Optimize Your Boards

Think of your boards as filing cabinets for your ideas. They should be well-organized and easy for users to navigate.

• Give each board a clear, keyword-optimized title.
• Write a short, keyword-rich description for every board.
• Create a custom board cover to give your profile a clean, professional look.
• Only pin relevant content to each board. Don't pin recipes to your fashion board. Keeping things tidy helps both users and the algorithm understand what your content is about.

Tap into Seasonal Trends

Pinners are planners. They start looking for Halloween costume ideas in August and Christmas gift ideas in September. Use the Pinterest Trends tool to understand when interest in a topic begins to rise, and add new Pins for that topic 45-60 days in advance. This gives your Pins enough time to be indexed and gain momentum leading up to the seasonal peak.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, driving engagement on Pinterest boils down to a commitment to providing real value. By combining strong SEO fundamentals with appealing visual design and a consistent content strategy, you can create a presence that not only captures attention but also drives meaningful results for your brand or business over the long haul.

Keeping up with a daily, consistent pinning schedule can feel like a genuine challenge. That’s why we built our pinning and scheduling tools with a visual calendar that simplifies the entire process. Here at Postbase, our scheduler helps you plan your Pins weeks ahead so you’re always prepared. Best of all, you can trust that your content will go live exactly when you want it to, helping you focus more on creating fantastic content your audience will find and love.