Today we are looking at how to claim your website on Pinterest and why you should do so.
This blog post is part 3 in a series of bite sized ‘Pinterest 101’ posts aimed at Pinterest beginners. We are stepping back to basics to look at what exactly is Pinterest, understanding Pinterest terminology, and step by step of how to set up a optimised Pinterest account so you can get started on your pinning journey.
Before we go any further, if you missed out on part 1 of the series you can check it out here.....
Also, if you haven't already grabbed my FREE Guide to Setting up a Pinterest Business Account then you may want download that first.
Following on from the previous blog, the next step after creating your business account on Pinterest is to claim your website.
Why should you claim your website?
Claiming your website indicates to Pinterest that you as a trusted source - because they are able to verify that your content is coming from an authentic website.
Once you have claimed your website all pins that originate from your claimed domain will be associated with your account automatically (including pins that other people may have saved directly from your website rather than from Pinterest).
Your profile account details will be added to every pin, meaning that pinners can easily click through and view your other content. It also helps promote brand awareness so that pinners start to recognise your profile/content.
Claiming your website will also allow for more meaningful analytics. Pinterest account analytics is a very useful tool and helps you to track your account performance. You can filter the various reports to pins from your domain, meaning that you are able to differentiate and compare the performance of your pins as opposed to all pins on your profile (which will most likely include other peoples pins also).
Finally, you need to have claimed your website before you can enable rich pins. This is another important foundational step when setting up your account and will be covered in the next blog post.
How to Claim Your Website on Pinterest
Today I am going to show you the easiest and fastest way to claim your website - using the Yoast SEO plugin. If you have a Wordpress site then chances are you already have this plugin installed. Otherwise, you can download Yoast SEO here (the free version is fine).
If you prefer not to use Yoast or you don't have a Wordpress site and you are comfortable adding code, then you can add the metatag directly to your website's HTML code. You can find the Pinterest instructions on how to do this here.
Instructions Using Yoast SEO
1. Log into your Pinterest account and click on the three dots in the top right hand corner.
2. Click on Edit Settings
3. Click on Claim (left hand side)
4. Enter your website URL under 'Claim your website' and click Claim
5. Next you will be prompted to choose a claim option. You can choose between 'Add HTML tag' and 'Upload HTML file'. In this case, choose 'Add HTML tag'
6. Copy the code that is shown (the part within the quotation marks)
7. Before pressing 'Next', login to your WordPress website in a different tab and go to the Yoast SEO Plugin on the left hand side of your dashboard
8. Go to SEO > Social > Pinterest and past the copied code in the box that is labelled Pinterest Confirmation'
9. Click on Save Changes
10. Go back to the tab with your Pinterest account and you can now click 'Next' and 'Submit'
11. You should receive a confirmation email within 24 hours verifying that your website claim with Pinterest has been successful.
12. Another way to confirm that your website has been claimed is to view your website URL on your profile. A small globe icon with a tick will appear next to your URL after your website has been claimed.
Claiming Your Other Accounts on Pinterest
You can also claim your Instagram, Etsy and YouTube accounts on Pinterest. If you have any of these accounts then you should also claim these. (For similar reasons to above -brand awareness, claimed account analytics and so that people can easily find your other content).
1. Log into your Pinterest account and click on the three dots in the top right hand corner.
2. Click on Edit Settings
3. Click on Claim (left hand side)
4. Click on the red Claim button next to the accounts you wish to claim
5. You will be prompted to log in and confirm you want to link the accounts in an authorisation window that pops up
6. After you have successfully claimed your accounts, the red Claim button will change to grey.
Hopefully this post has helped you take the next step in your Pinterest journey and setting up your Pinterest account for success. In the next post we will look at how to enable rich pins.
Or if you are keen to get started right away
–> Grab my Free Beginners Guide to Setting up a Pinterest Account for Business for some great tips on setting up an optimised Pinterest account.
Or
–> I'd love for you to get in touch if you would like to learn more about my services and how Pinterest could work for your business.
Thanks for reading. Happy Pinning!
