Create Pins That Get Found

If you thought Pinterest was last decade’s platform, you’d be wrong. As of Q1 2026, the platform boasts 631 million monthly active users (MAUs), up 11% year over year. Additionally, these users aren’t only female. According to eMarketer, almost a third of US Pinterest users are male. This means there’s a good chance your brand can find your target audience on the platform.

But when thinking about creating content for Pinterest in 2026 and beyond, brands need to think beyond the social media “norm”. When creating for the Pinterest platform brands are building content for a visual search engine. Pinterest is a place where people live their most aspirational lives. They’re actively searching for ideas, solutions, products, and inspiration. This means brand content needs to be discoverable, searchable, and helpful for anyone scrolling.

This guide breaks down how the Pinterest algorithm works in 2026, which Pin formats to use, and the best practices that get Pinterest content saved, ranked, and clicked.

Key takeaways

• Pinterest is a visual search engine, not a social feed — content should be built to be searched, saved, and revisited.
• Optimize for all three discovery layers: SEO (people searching Pinterest), AEO (assistants and answer engines pulling your content), and GEO (generative AI recommending your brand).
• The ranking basics: keyword-rich Pin titles and descriptions, original vertical visuals, working links, and fresh Pins over repins.
• Publish evergreen content year-round and seasonal content 30–60 days before the season peaks.

How Does the Pinterest Algorithm Work?

Short answer: the Pinterest algorithm ranks Pins by how well they match a user’s search intent, then weighs visual quality, engagement (especially saves), freshness, and link quality to decide who sees them.

You’re probably seeing acronyms like AEO, GEO, and SEO everywhere lately, and for good reason. Brands need all three:

• SEO → helps people find you through search
• AEO → helps platforms (AI-driven search engines, conversational chatbots, voice assistants, and social discovery networks) push your content
• GEO → helps AI recommend you

Pinterest’s algorithm prioritizes several key factors:

• Relevance: keywords, topics, and board alignment
• Quality: clear visuals, strong design, original content
• Engagement: saves > clicks > impressions
• Freshness: new Pins outperform repins
• Search intent: how well your content matches what people are actively looking for
• Link Quality: including updated, working links

To help your ranking in the platform, make sure you include keyword-rich titles, optimized descriptions, minimal hashtags, and readable text overlays. As Pinterest notes, the platform continuously picks up signals from what users do on the platform, how they interact with Pins, and the content of the Pin itself.

What Formats Should You Use on Pinterest?

Short answer: there is no single best Pinterest format. Static image Pins and video Pins carry most brand reach, while Idea, Carousel, Collection, Showcase, Quiz, and Shopping Pins each serve a specific goal — test a mix and let performance decide.

Pinterest offers a wide range of content formats for brands. Consider testing a mix of the following to see what best resonates with your audience and give Pinterest more opportunities to surface your content.:

• Static, Standard Image Pins: one, single image
• Video Pins: minimum 4 seconds, maximum 15 minutes
• Idea Pins: a set of multiple videos, images, lists and custom text in a single Pin
• Carousel Pins: multiple images users can swipe through
• Collection Pins: one main image above three smaller images
• Showcase Pins: multi-layered ad format featuring multiple cards
• Quiz Pins: an ad format with multiple choice questions and answers
• Shopping Pin: one image or video at a time and allow people to purchase products

See Pinterest’s ad spec guide for information on image dimensions, file sizes, character limits, and more.

What are Best Practices for Creating Pinterest Content?

Short answer: create content people are already searching for, design it to be saved, keep it evergreen, publish seasonal content 30–60 days early, and pivot fast when a Pin underperforms.

If you want your Pins to perform, here are a few best practices you should follow:

Create Content People Are Actively Searching For

Pinterest is built on search intent. Users come to the platform looking for ideas, solutions, and inspiration rather than passive entertainment like other traditional platforms. That means your content should directly align with what your audience is already searching for. Use Pinterest Trends, keyword‑rich titles, and clear descriptions to match your Pins to real user needs and wants. When your content solves a problem or answers a question, it’s far more likely to rank, get saved, and drive clicks.

Design Content That Fits the Pinterest Aesthetic

Pinterest users save content they want to revisit later, so your Pins should be built for “save‑ability.” Lists, checklists, tutorials, step‑by‑step visuals, aspirational imagery, and short videos perform exceptionally well because they’re practical and easy to reference. Clean design, high‑contrast text, vertical formats, and clear value all help your Pins stand out in search results and recommendation feeds.

Publish Evergreen Content That Stays Relevant

With Pinterest’s AI‑powered discovery systems, evergreen content is more valuable than ever. Tutorials, how‑tos, guides, and inspiration boards continue to surface months (or even years) after posting. When your Pins remain useful over time, Pinterest’s algorithm keeps recommending them to new users. This creates a compounding effect where one strong Pin can drive ongoing traffic long after it’s published. We’ve seen it firsthand.

Create Seasonal Content Early

Pinterest users plan ahead. Holiday, seasonal, and event‑based content should be posted at least 30–60 days before the season begins. This gives your Pins time to rank before peak search volume. Try using Pinterest Trends to help with seasonal content as well. Use it to not only identify current, shopping, and keyword search trends but also see what seasonal “moments” are approaching.

Learn to Pivot When Content Isn’t Performing

Not every Pin will take off, and that’s okay. The key is learning to pivot quickly. If a Pin isn’t getting saves, clicks, or impressions, adjust your approach. Try new keywords, redesign the visual, test a different format, or shift the angle of the content. Pinterest rewards creators who stay consistent and adaptable. Use analytics to identify what’s resonating and refine your strategy based on real performance data.

These are all best practices we’ve learned based on experience. Check out some of our Pinterest content created for Visit the Outer Banks that continues to perform well month after month with users:

What Does This Mean for You?

At the end of the day, creating strong Pinterest content in 2026 comes down to being intentional, adaptable, and thoughtfully helpful. When you design Pins that people want to save, build content around what your audience is actively searching for, and stay willing to pivot when something isn’t performing, you position your brand to thrive on a platform built for long‑term discovery. Every Pin you create becomes an opportunity to drive ongoing visibility, traffic, and engagement.

Want help building Pinterest content or a strategy for the platform? Contact us to get started!