What Pinterest is Focused On

Welcome back, Content Goblins. Recently, Pinterest had a Q2 call. These calls are mostly boring, but they let some things slip about their intentions regarding production focus and the algorithm going into the second half of 2024.

Tony Hill, the owner of PinClicks, wrote an in-depth post on the Maverick Mastermind forum, which I am a member of. This forum is highly active. People talk about Facebook, Pinterest, and SEO traffic.

I’ve summarized some of the key points from the call.

Pinterest 2024 Q2 Report Summary

• AI Utilization

  • Pinterest has improved relevance and personalization using AI, leading to a turnaround in its user base.

• Enhanced Curation

  • The focus on boards and collages has increased user engagement. They emphasize creating pins with clear, unobstructed objects for easy use in collages.

• Increased Actionability for Shopping

  • They have made the platform more actionable, particularly for shopping, enhancing user experience and engagement.

• Positive Social Media Alternative

  • Pinterest positions itself as a positive alternative to traditional social media, potentially using NLP sentiment analysis to rank content based on positivity.

• Algorithm Update

  • Confirmed an update in May and June to improve search ranking by incorporating new signals, leading to higher satisfaction measured by saves and clicks.

• Guided Search Algorithm Update

  • They are using generative AI for guided search, enhancing keyword filters and search results. This update may affect clicks and engagement for certain topics.

• Collage Pins

  • Collage Pins are highly popular, especially among Gen Z. Users are three times more likely to save collage pins, making clear, unobstructed objects in pins more important.

• Focus on Product Pins

  • AI advancements help identify products in pins, enabling advertisers to bid on related product ads and driving revenue. Clear product imagery in pins is crucial for visibility.

• Changes to Engagement Measurement

  • Engagement is now measured by outbound clicks and collage creation, reflecting a shift towards more actionable user behavior. Improving user experience on your site is essential to maintain traffic.

This report contains some juicy details that can help guide our Pinterest strategies going forward. I’m not going to dive into how I’ll use this information today, but consider how these changes could impact the way you drive Pinterest traffic to your site.

- John “Content Goblin” Ward