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Pinterest SEO vs Google SEO: What’s the Difference (and Why It Matters)
If you’re trying to grow your blog or business, you already know that SEO plays a huge role in long-term traffic. But most creators and small businesses I’ve seen in my Pinterest management practice, only focus on Google SEO and overlook Pinterest – even though Pinterest is also a search engine with more than 500 million monthly users. The key to Pinterest success is understanding one thing:
👉 Pinterest SEO is not the same as Google SEO.
Each platform uses search intent, ranking signals, and content formats differently. The better you understand these differences, the faster you’ll grow your traffic, reach, and conversions.
Let’s break it down in a simple, practical way!
- Pinterest Is a Visual Search Engine, Google Is Text-Based
Google SEO:
Google reads words from pages, meta descriptions, headers, and backlinks. It ranks content based on authority, relevance, and quality.
Pinterest SEO:
Pinterest reads your visual content, pin titles, descriptions, board names, and keywords. It uses images to understand what the content is about.
👉 Why It Matters:
To win on Pinterest, you need searchable graphics (pins) with clear visual cues and keyword-rich text overlay.
- Pinterest Search Intent = Inspiration. Google Search Intent = Information.
Google searches often look like:
- “How to fix my dishwasher”
- “What is SEO?”
- “Best hotels in Paris”
Remember: People want answers quickly.
Pinterest searches look like:
- “living room decor ideas”
- “easy lunch recipes”
- “branding inspiration for coaches”
Remember: People want ideas, inspiration, and solutions they can save for later.
👉 Why It Matters:
Pins need to be clickable, inspirational, and visually appealing – not just informational.
- Pinterest SEO Results Grow Faster Than Google
Google SEO often takes 6–12 months to see traffic growth.
Pinterest SEO can show early traction in weeks, with significant growth in 3–6 months, especially with consistent pinning and good keyword targeting.
👉 Why It Matters:
Pinterest is ideal for bloggers and small businesses who want faster traffic, especially for seasonal or trending topics.
- Pinterest Values Fresh Content More Than Google Does
In my experience, Pinterest loves:
- Fresh pin designs
- New graphics linking to existing blog posts
- Seasonal content
- Consistent publishing
Google loves:
- Updated content
- Evergreen articles
- Strong page authority
- Proper site structure
👉 Why It Matters:
Remember: Even if you don’t write new blog posts often, you can keep growing Pinterest traffic by creating fresh pins for old posts.
- Keywords Work Differently on Pinterest:
Google keywords focus on competition, search volume, and semantic keywords.
On the other hand, Pinterest keywords focus on Pinterest search behavior, trends, and visual discovery.
Remember: Pinterest keyword research involves:
- Pinterest autocomplete
- Pinterest Trends
- Related keyword bubbles
- Topic categories
- Trending seasonal terms
👉 Why It Matters:
Remember: High-volume Google keywords may not be popular on Pinterest.
- Pinterest Uses Boards to Understand Your Content
Google doesn’t use “boards,” but Pinterest does – and they matter a lot for SEO.
Boards help Pinterest understand:
- Your niche
- Your expertise
- Your keyword relevance
- How your pins are categorized
👉 Why It Matters:
Remember: Optimizing your boards (titles + descriptions) boosts the ranking of every pin saved to them.
- Pinterest Doesn’t Care About Backlinks – Google Does
Backlinks are one of Google’s strongest ranking signals.
But what about Pinterest? Not at all! Pinterest relies on:
- Keywords
- Pin engagement
- Pin relevancy
- Consistency
- Visual quality
👉 Why It Matters:
Even new bloggers I’ve worked with and with low domain authority can outrank big websites on Pinterest.
- Pinterest SEO Drives Long-Term Traffic (Like Google), But in a Different Way
Pinterest traffic snowballs because pins continue circulating for months – even years. And I’ve seen this so many times!
Google SEO relies on your ranking staying strong against competitors.
👉 Why It Matters:
Pinterest offers evergreen reach with less competition.
So, Which One Should You Focus On? Pinterest or Google?
My answer:
👉 Both – but Pinterest gives faster wins for beginners and small businesses.
Google SEO builds long-term authority.
Pinterest SEO brings quicker, consistent traffic through visuals and trends.
When you combine the two, you will get:
✔ Faster traffic
✔ Higher rankings
✔ Stronger brand presence
✔ More leads + sales
✔ Evergreen visibility
This is why so many creators and small business owners use Pinterest as a second search engine to actually support their Google growth!
⭐ Final Thoughts
Now you know that Pinterest SEO and Google SEO are different – but both are essential. Understanding how each platform ranks content helps you create a strategy that brings consistent traffic month after month.
If you’re struggling to grow your blog or business with Google alone, Pinterest can become your most powerful traffic source – especially with the right keyword strategy and optimized pin content. And here comes my Pinterest help!
👉 Book Pinterest Strategy + Management: contact me now! Feel free to reach me out anytime and let’s grow your Pinterest ROI!
My usual service is completed and full Pinterest monthly management (organic strategy) – there is no need for you to do anything. Here is a case study to read more on how I increased 3 times the monthly traffic for a blogger in 12 months (and of course affiliate sales) for a client (Pinterest case study 1): socialmarketingnest.com/my-pinterest-marketing-tips-and-pinterest-traffic-case-study/
I personally care for each of my client’s accounts and because my time is limited, I can’t take every project, just one or two per month. My focus are bloggers and small businesses in almost any niche. Price starts at only 300 $ per month.
Here are a few ways I can support you with Pinterest marketing help:
- Building Personalized Pinterest strategy, updated for 2026 as a one-time project (implemented by you);
- Monthly Pinterest Management on a long-term for more than 6 months (done for you monthly Pinterest management service – this is my main service).
- One-time Pinterest account set up, optimization or Pinterest audit clean up (done for you one time service);
- Custom Pinterest Canva Templates creation based on your content with a problem-solution model;
- Pinterest one-time consultation with tips for growth in 2025-2026 for your blog – in a pdf file with easy to implement steps by you;
Need help with pins creation -> contact me here for bundle of custom made 20 editable Canva design pins (based on your content) to make sure you will always have the right visuals for Pinterest! It is one time service which will cost you only 50 $, contact me here and ask about mini service for 20 editable static Canva pins based on your content (products, blog posts or services on your site). You will be able to post these directly and use them to build next batch of pins for your Pinterest marketing!
To see more about me and my work with other bloggers, you can check my testimonials here. Feel free to contact me here!
Here is my LinkedIn for a quick connection and help:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmarketingnest/
I will be happy to support and help you in your Pinterest journey in 2025-2026!
About the author:
Stiliyana Stoycheva – Pinterest Manager, Strategist and Consultant located in Varna, Bulgaria
Helping entrepreneurs worldwide with their internet marketing strategy, specializing in Pinterest marketing for bloggers. She has solid experience behind her with hundreds of clients from all over the world, helping them with highly successful and result oriented Pinterest management services. She has studied the Pinterest platform in detail for the last 8 years and has tested various strategies for maximum performance.
To understand more about me and SocialMarketingNest team, read our FAQ here.
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