Do Hashtags Still Work on Pinterest?

No, Hashtags does not work on Pinterest as it used to in the past. It’s only a minor, supplementary signal and not a dominant ranking factor on its own. Pinterest ranks Pins mainly through keywords found in the Pin title, description, board name, and image text. Hashtags help only when they reinforce a keyword-optimized Pin, and never when they replace one.

This answer belongs to the Pinterest Keyword Research FAQ, the hub for every keyword question in this series.

What Is a Pinterest Hashtag

A hashtag is a word or phrase you put after an #

It helps to sort your pin into categories to tell Pinterest what category it falls into. When a user clicks on the hashtag they can easily find your pin.

They won’t help to boost your pin however. Unlike on Instagram, you’ll find your pin doesn’t appear in any feeds.

This is because Pinterest is a visual search engine.

Users type in full phrases like ‘small kitchen storage ideas’. The system will match your pin to those that have matching text and images.

Single word hashtags like #kitchen won’t match anything.

Do Hashtags Still Work? The Evidence-Based Verdict

Current marketing guidelines for Pinterest show that keywords are the main factor that will help you get discovered. Hashtags are a secondary factor.

Also, according to Tailwind, keywords are what help rank your pin on Pinterest.

Hashtags aren’t a major ranking factor but can help you get discovered sometimes if you use them for a specific topic.

The confusion can be understood.

For years Pinterest didn’t recommend using hashtags because they confused users and took them away from your content.

However in September 2017 the guidelines changed and they recommend using them.

Now we’re finding ourselves in the middle. I would say use a few (if you absolutely must) but ensure they’re relevant.

Overall they’re a second layer to your pins. Keywords are the main factor.

My 2 cents: I don’t recommend using them as they are pretty much useless. I have tested this across my test sites and I had no traction whatsoever with the hashtags. You are better off using proper keyword rich descriptions.

Keywords vs Hashtags (How the Two Signals Differ)

The most important thing to note here is:

A keyword phrase like “vegan meal prep for beginners” will include intent, audience and category.

A hashtag like #mealprep will only include the category. As users on Pinterest search with intent, the keyword phrase will win.

When Hashtags On Pinterest Help

They can still help a little.

• Seasonal / Trending topics – Using a few relevant hashtags can help your seasonal pins like for a holiday table setting.
• Branded Campaigns – Using a unique branded hashtag will bring all your pins together under one category. This makes it easy to follow your campaign.
• When your keyword is unclear – Using a very similar hashtag will boost your pin.

When Hashtags Hurt

Using too many hashtags can take away from your useful text.

Having a block of 10/15 hashtags will mean your pin won’t have descriptive, keyword rich sentences.

Using generic hashtags like #love or #inspiration will not give any specifics.

It will look like you’re trying to sell something and will take away from the reader’s experience.

As Pinterest themselves mentioned, using hashtags could take your user away from your landing page and to another creator’s content. Using fewer, specific hashtags will be safer.

You are better off sticking to the below workflow:

• Find Under-served keywords using a Pinterest keyword tool like Pintrendo.
• Write a blog post and create pins for Pinterest with keyword rich title, and description.

Keep it simple. And stay consistent for a long duration.

Once you have mastered the art of Pinterest keyword research, you won’t need tricks that may or may not work.

If you have a solid process in place, your pins will bring in decent traffic.

A Simple Hashtag Workflow If you still want to use it

1. Do your keyword research: Find your main keyword and 2-3 secondary keywords.
2. Use your main keyword in your title.
3. Write a natural description: Include your secondary keywords in a couple of easy to read sentences.
4. Include 2 or 3 hashtags max: These should be based on the keywords you’ve already selected.
5. Check your performance: See which pins have more impressions and saves. Use whichever works best for your niche.

Final Thoughts

Most creators are obsessed with optimizing hashtags. If your pins aren’t getting anywhere, optimizing your title and description will help you a lot more.

Think of hashtags as controlling your vocabulary.

Use a few consistent hashtags for each topic cluster on your site.

This will help Pinterest associate your pins with a theme. If you’re using random hashtags every time it will create confusion.

Try to spend 90% of your effort on researching and writing your keywords.

Only 10% should be spent on your hashtags. Always opt for improving your title over adding 5 extra hashtags.

Hashtags are easy to test so go ahead and test them but let your keyword research decide.

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