Content Audit: Will Your Posts Succeed on Pinterest?

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Last week, we talked about Pinterest search intent and how it differs fundamentally from Google.

Today, let’s get practical and look at your actual content.

As I already mentioned before, not all posts that succeed on Google will work on Pinterest.

In fact, some of your highest-performing Google content might be your biggest Pinterest fails.

Let’s figure out why.

📊 What Kind of Content Do You Have?

Take a look at your website and categorize your content. You probably have:

“Best X for Y” roundups
Product reviews
How-to guides
Listicles
Information/educational posts

Some of these perform very differently on Pinterest.

🛍️ The Problem with “Best X for Y” Posts

Those “Best Patio Chairs for Small Spaces” posts that crushed it on Google?

They’re problematic on Pinterest 🤷‍♀️

“Best X for Y” posts sit squarely in the middle of the marketing funnel. They’re consideration-stage content aimed at people actively comparing options before making a purchase decision.

On Google, these posts thrived because people go to Google specifically for research and comparison.

On Pinterest, these searches face two major obstacles:

Pinterest users aren’t typically in research mode. They’re in discovery and inspiration mode, making them less likely to click on comparison content. And even if they do click…
Pinterest prioritizes product pins and ads for these queries. As a commercial intent search, Pinterest wants to monetize these queries by showing actual products from retailers.

Look at the Pinterest results for “best outdoor furniture” and you’ll see mostly product pins from major retailers, not publisher content.

The same thing is about Product reviews 🤷‍♀️

💰 The Pinterest Traffic Goldmine

So, what does work on Pinterest?

The sweet spot is what I call “inspirational-informational content with a tease.”

This content:

Provides visual inspiration
Promises additional value that can’t be delivered in just one image
Educates rather than just showcases

Content types that thrive include:

1️⃣ Comprehensive Listicles

“15 Small Patio Makeover Ideas” works better than just “Patio Ideas” because it promises multiple solutions in one place.

2️⃣ Detailed How-To Guides

“How to Build a DIY Outdoor Shower Step-by-Step” works because the pin can show the finished product, but the steps require a click.

3️⃣ Printables and Templates

“Free Vegetable Garden Planner Printable” works because the pin can show the template, but users need to click to download it.

4️⃣ Educational Deep Dives

“7 Outdoor Kitchen Design Mistakes to Avoid” works because it promises insider knowledge that can’t be fully delivered in a single image.

Remember those old-school posts that used to rank well on Google before the focus on expert content? Those “Top 15 Patio Layouts” and “12 Ways to Decorate Your Backyard” posts?

They’re Pinterest gold now 🪙

⚠️ Potential Traps

When creating pins, several dangerous pitfalls can sabotage your Pinterest strategy:

Creating pins that satisfy users without requiring further action AKA “pure visual” trap; I talked a bit about this already
Misalignment between your visual promise and webpage delivery
Over-optimizing for saves rather than clicks

I’ve seen many Pinterest strategies fail because of these common mistakes. The right balance is crucial for driving actual website traffic.

🔮 What’s Coming Next

In next week’s newsletter, I’ll unpack the potential traps in detail, showing you exactly how to avoid the common mistakes that kill Pinterest traffic.

I’ll also bring together everything we’ve learned over this series – from evaluating Pinterest’s potential and understanding search intent to content assessment – into one solid Pinterest strategy blueprint. And my subscribers have already received it 😉

🔗 Worth checking out this week:

Pinterest Introduces AI Content Labels: Pinterest has begun labeling AI-generated content with a small “AI” icon to help users distinguish between human and AI-created pins. This move toward transparency could impact how users engage with different types of content.

🤔 Now, a question to you…

Have you assessed how many “Pinterest-friendly” posts you already have on your website?

What percentage of your content do you think would work well on the platform, and how would you “package” these posts specifically for Pinterest success?

Hit Reply, and let’s chat! I might offer some personalized feedback on your approach!

Otherwise, have a wonderful weekend ❤️

Nadya

P.S. Quick action tip: Take your most educational or visually appealing post that provides educational value beyond the images and create 3-5 Pinterest pins for it this week. This is the fastest way to test what we’ve discussed today!