Pinterest Rich Pins and Engaging the Image Generation

Pinterest rich pins are one of those things that work hard for you without requiring much work in return. In this article we will review the basics of Pinterest rich pins and how to get them to work for you: 

Pinterest rich pins

Exactly What Are Rich Pins?

Pinterest rich pins allow you to reach a whole new target audience – the generation that likes to scroll through photos but doesn’t want to read. Hello Tinder, Instagram, SnapChat, Amazon… Let’s talk about what Pinterest rich pins are, how the rich pins look on Pinterest, and how to use them to your advantage for your own Pinterest account.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a website that allows users to search any topic or item. Instead of a list of web pages that a search engine like Google might produce, Pinterest offers search results in the form of visually rich photos. These images may be of products, design examples, recipes, or any other number of layouts. When a user clicks or taps on an image that they find interesting, related images will then populate. Users are able to click or tap from image to image, getting inspired and creating their own collection of ideas. 

Users can save images that they like to “boards,” or collections, of other related images. They then have quick access to images of recipes they want to test out, haircuts they plan to try, or design aesthetics that they find inspiring.

In addition to being able to quickly access these images later via one of a user’s saved boards, people are also able to redirect to a product or image’s original site source. This allows merchants to place visually attractive photographs of their products on Pinterest. An interested user can then visit the seller’s site directly from the image that they ran across when they searched their keyword.

What is Pinterest For?

Pinterest has become a place for planning, shopping, creating, and purchasing. Pinterest rich pins enhance engagement and allow web surfers access to quick info on your pin. This means easy ability to make a purchase, save a recipe, or learn more about your pin or website. Pinterest rich pins allow Pinterest users access to information about the pin they are viewing without having to do any additional clicking or web searching. This information may include an image description, item price, product information, recipe prep time, etc. A Pinterest rich pin may appear next to or beneath a pinned item as a bolded heading, your brand logo, and keywords or details about the pin. Think of it as Pinterest SEO!

In the age of the Internet, we want information and we want it fast. Rich pins are the CliffsNotes of the Internet: Type in your search, and you get the basics in nanoseconds. When you do an Internet search, the rich pin is the blurb that comes up to answer your Internet inquiry. This oftentimes helps you to avoid additional clicking and research of your own. From facts to data to current pricing, rich pins allow web-surfers to obtain accurate snippets of information quickly and efficiently. The rich pin may not be the most detailed. It is however the first result that Internet users see. With this current generation of image eaters and tweet readers, that blurb, or rich pin, is very powerful.

What are Pinterest Rich Pins?

Here’s the official definition from Pinterest,

Rich Pins show metadata right on the Pin itself, giving Pinners a richer experience and increasing engagement. Information in a Rich Pin is independent of the Pin description, ensuring that important information is always tied to the Pin. There are 4 types of Rich Pins: app, article, product and recipe Pins

Rich pins are also a source of additional keywords, which means more opportunities for your pin to come up in a search. Keywords are words or phrases that web surfers tend to type into search engines. Any popular search terms associated with your item, article, recipe or app will increase the likelihood that someone will run across your pin.

How to Set Up Rich Pins

You can use popular search words, buzzwords, or trending terms. You can also include words that detail your item or recipe to help users looking for something specific find your unique item. Savvy Internet users know that broad search terms will display far too many results that may or may not be associated with what they are looking for. Using more unique key search words will help them to find the item they want.

One of the best features of Pinterest rich pins is that the information displayed is tied to your website, so if the website information changes (price, availability, keywords, etc.), then the rich pin will change, too. This makes Pinterest a convenient advertising avenue requiring much less maintenance than your primary website. Just update the linked page, and the rich pin content updates too!

There is not much that this visually-driven generation enjoys more than scrolling through images. If there was something though, it might be online shopping. E-commerce is an ever-growing industry with new avenues for purchasing popping up all the time. Having a well-designed website for your inventory is a must in this day and age. Understanding how to create a great ecommerce site is complicated. Experts recommend researching E-Commerce Website Development before getting started.

What Do Pinterest Rich Pins Look Like?

Types of pinterest rich pins

Types of Rich Pins

There are four types of Rich Pins depending on if it’s an article, recipe, or product: App, Article, Product and Recipe Pins.  

Article Rich Pins

Article rich pins alert that the pin directs to a page with original content that tells a story. They display a headline, author and article summary. They may show the title, the meta description (snippet of information about the article), published date, and even the author’s name. In the Pinterest feed, the article Pin shows the title of the post. Additional information is displayed when you click or tap on the Pin. 

Recipe Rich Pins

Recipe rich pins allow you to attach to your pin a recipe title, suggested serving size, preparation or cook time, reviewer ratings, and a list of ingredients directly from your site. Also shown is if a recipe is paleo, vegetarian, vegan or gluten free.

Recipe Rich Pins may include a full list of ingredients, cooking time, preparation time, and serving suggestion information. The data displayed may vary depending on the recipe plugin you use. In the images below, the photograph on the left is what the recipe looks like in the feed and the image on the right is how it displays once you click on the image. It provides web surfers with additional information to help them decide if they want to come to your site.

Product Rich Pins

Product Rich Pins allow you, the merchant, to display the most current list price, stock availability, and item description from your website. Pinterest will add product Rich Pins only from sites that sell the items directly. Product Pins include up to date pricing, availability, and where to purchase your item. 

App Rich Pins (iOS)

App rich pins offer a button so people can install an app without leaving Pinterest. An install button is displayed next to the pin image for easy one-tap download without leaving Pinterest. For now, App Pins are only compatible with iOS.

Benefits of Pinterest Rich Pins

Rich pins benefits

So imagine this: You see a pair of boots you like online on Pinterest. You search some keywords to try to find them on Google. Maybe they have zippers. Or fur trim. Or really cool hardware and unnecessary belts strapped to them. You find similar ones you like. They are in stock at Macy’s. They appear to be having a big sale. You wonder what else is on sale at Macy’s. You sort the clearance section from price low to high and before you know it you’ve spent $100 on discount sweaters and you didn’t even buy the boots.

Now imagine this: You see a pair of boots you like online on Pinterest. Next to them it says the brand, style and price. You tap on this and a new webpage opens up. Pricey but exactly what you’ve been looking for. The rich pin led you right to your desired product.

Finally, imagine this: You see a pair of boots you like online on Pinterest. Next to them it says the brand, style and price. They are way too expensive, but because you clicked on them, images of a bunch of related boots populate. You scroll through images and soon come across a similarly styled pair with the much lower price listed right next to the image. You tap on it and a new web page opens up. They are having a sale. Lucky you, you found the boots at just the right time. You got the boots you wanted at a reasonable price and all within five minutes. The rich pin found you a good deal!

Why You Should Set Up Rich Pins

The moral of the story is, amidst a population of instant gratification-seeking, image-lusting, tech-savvy consumers on social media, whether you have the perfect expensive boots to sell, or the perfect cheaper second best boots to sell, your buyer is on Pinterest. Additionally, Pinterest rich pins allow you to sell those boots easily and directly. If your perfect or imperfect boots do not contain rich pins, they are just another pair of boots that resulted in the sale of a bunch of ugly clearance sweaters at Macy’s.

As a merchant, the ultimate goal of a Pinterest rich pin is to increase engagement with the image so that Pinterest users will ultimately get to your site and the item you have for sale. Without rich pins, your pin is just a dead end image.

Adding rich pins to piterest

How Can You Get Rich Pins on Your Pinterest?

  1. Add metadata to your site

  2. Validate and apply for rich pins

  3. Create a compelling title and description for every post

Pinterest richpins work by pulling up-to-date information directly from your website. For that reason, you must first add to or refine the metadata on your site. Metadata is data about data. So the website itself is data. The metadata is the content of the website that makes up your item, recipe, or product descriptions. This is why you need meta tags Make sure that your website has good product photos, rich item details, and accurate specs such as price, availability, ingredients, etc.

What is a Rich Pin Validator?

In order to enable rich pins on Pinterest, your rich pins must be validated. The validation process is quite simple. All you need is the url from your web page that pertains to that pin. Choose a webpage that includes relevant information and enter it into the Rich Pins Validator, found on Pinterest’s site: Rich Pins Validator. Select HTML Tags, oEmbed, or Shopify as indicated. Then click “Apply Now.”

Make sure that your rich pin details are attractive. Use eye-catching keywords and good descriptors to attract the Pinterest user’s attention. Remember, this content is geared toward the buzzword motivated, image seeking, Internet scrolling generation. They want visually rich information snippets at the tips of their fingers.

Hopefully this helps to explain all about Pinterest, rich pins, and using them to your advantage. Once you are familiar with the layouts and setups of these resources, promoting your brand is a breeze. Remember, the ultimate goal is to attract your target audience through the use of images and keywords. Pinterest and rich pins allow you to do this in a compact delivery system, getting your brand out and bringing your merchandise directly to those most likely to want it.

Pinterest Help with SEO Design Chicago

Need help with those keywords and search engine optimization? Leave that to SEO Design Chicago. We know who is looking at your web page and how to engage the right audience. We can help you set up Pinterest advertising, create a Pinterest business account, or simply get more followers on Pinterest

FAQ: 

  • What is Pinterest?
  • What are Pinterest rich pins?
  • How do I get rich pins on Pinterest?
  • What are the four types of Pinterest rich pins?
  • What are the benefits of Pinterest rich pins?

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