SleuthLensPinterest reads the page you link to, and people judge the pin by what they find there. If the pin promises one thing and the page delivers another, visitors leave, and a pin that nobody clicks through teaches Pinterest very little. Here is a simple test to make sure the two tell the same story.
Key takeaways
- A pin is a promise, and the page is where you keep it.
- Match the topic, the words and the picture, not just the link.
- Fix mismatches on the page when you can, and on the pin when you cannot.
- Check again when you change a page. A moved post is a broken promise.
Why the page matters
Pinterest looks at the page behind a pin as well as the pin itself, and lists a mismatch between pin and page among the causes of weaker performance. For a person the effect is simpler: they tap, they do not see what they expected, and they go back. That click was wasted for both of you.
The four-step match test
- Say what the pin promisesWrite it in one sentence. “Three days in Lisbon with a map of where to go.”
- Open the pageImagine you are a visitor who has just tapped the pin. What do you see first?
- Look for the promiseIs that exact thing visible straight away, without scrolling past ads or an introduction about something else?
- Compare the wordsDoes the page use the same terms as the pin? A pin about “three days” should lead to a page about three days.
A two-minute test
Show the pin and the page to someone who has not seen them. Ask what each is about. If the answers differ, you have a mismatch.
Common mismatches
A pin for “easy Lisbon dinners” that links to the home page of your food blog.
A pin for “easy Lisbon dinners” that links to the post with those recipes.
A pin that says “free printable” where the page asks for an email address first.
A pin that says “free printable, just enter your email”.
A pin for the 2024 version of a guide, linked to a page that has since changed completely.
A pin for the current guide, or the old pin retired.
Small fixes that pay off
- Add the pin’s main keyword to the page title or a heading, naturally.
- Put the thing the pin promises near the top of the page.
- Use the same image, or one that clearly belongs, on the page.
- Fix redirects, so the link goes straight to the page.
- Make the page load quickly on a phone.
SleuthLens’s Pin Health opens the page each of your pins links to and checks that it loads, that Pinterest’s crawler is allowed in, and that the title matches the pin, so you can see the mismatches without opening a hundred tabs.
A ten-minute audit of your top ten pins
You do not have to check every pin. Start with the ten that get the most impressions, since a mismatch there wastes the most.
- Open Pinterest analytics and list your ten pins with the most impressions.
- For each, open the link in a new tab. Does it open the right page without redirects or errors?
- Write one sentence about what the pin promises and one about what the page opens with.
- Mark each one as a match, a small gap or a mismatch.
- Fix the mismatches first, then the small gaps.
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pin gets many impressions and no clicks | The title or image does not make people want the page | Rewrite the title, try a clearer image |
| Pin gets clicks, visitors leave at once | The page does not deliver what the pin promised | Put the promised thing first on the page |
| Link goes to the wrong page | The URL changed or was mistyped | Fix the link, or redirect the old URL |
Make it a habit
Add the match test to your routine: once for every new pin, and again whenever you change a page. If you ever move or rename a post, update the pins that point to it. It takes a few minutes and saves clicks you have already earned.
Quick questions
Does the page need the exact keyword?
It helps to use the same words naturally, but it is not about exact repeats. A page that clearly covers the topic is what matters.
What if I link to a home page or category?
Link to the most specific page you have. A pin about one idea should lead to a page about that idea.
Should I change the pin or the page?
Whichever is easier and more honest. If the page is right, fix the pin. If the pin is right, fix the page.
Do I need a landing page for each pin?
No. One good post can serve several pins, as long as each pin’s promise is kept by the post.
