Most guides on Pinterest backlinks start with the do-follow debate and leave you more confused than when you started. Here's the short version: most Pinterest links are nofollow, but that's the wrong frame. Pinterest is a visual search engine — and when you treat Pins like indexed web pages pointing back to your site, the strategy clicks.
What Pinterest backlinks actually are
Every Pin you create contains a link to the source URL you set. Clicking the Pin takes users directly to your page — so each Pin is a functional backlink. Pinterest pages are crawled and indexed by Google, which means your Pins and boards can appear in search results and contribute to referral traffic independently of your own site.
The catch: most Pinterest links carry a nofollow attribute, so they don't pass PageRank the same way an editorial citation would. The exception is content featured on Pinterest's official Idea or Editor boards — those have been reported to carry do-follow links in some cases. Don't build your strategy around chasing that outcome. Build around referral traffic and brand signals first; the authority lift is a bonus.
If you're evaluating Pinterest alongside other platforms, this is a different play than getting backlinks from news websites or from Forbes — those channels have stronger direct link equity. Pinterest's value is volume, consistency, and discovery.
Set up the foundation
Before publishing a single Pin, two things need to be in place:
- Convert to a Pinterest Business account and claim your website. This ensures Pins display the correct source URL, unlocks Pinterest Analytics, and adds a verified badge to your profile. Without it, your link attribution is weaker.
- Make your landing pages mobile-ready. Pinterest traffic skews heavily mobile. A slow or cluttered page kills the click-to-conversion before it starts.
Build Pins that rank and get saved
Pinterest search works like a search engine. The algorithm reads Pin titles, descriptions, board names, and even the filename of the image you upload.
- Use vertical images at 2:3 ratio — they perform consistently better in feed and search.
- Add a readable text overlay with a clear CTA so the value is obvious before the click.
- Write keyword-rich Pin titles and descriptions. If the Pin is about a blog post on link-building tactics for SaaS founders, say that — don't write a vague caption.
- Rename your image file before uploading:
link-building-tactics-saas.jpginstead ofIMG_4821.jpg. Fill in the alt text field with a plain-language description. - Create 2–5 Pin variations per landing page — different thumbnails, text overlays, CTAs. Test what gets saved and clicked. The best performer will compound over time as Pinterest shows it to more people.
Amplify reach and earn link authority
Consistent publishing is table stakes. The algorithm favors accounts with regular fresh Pins — daily if you can manage it. A scheduling tool like Tailwind makes this sustainable without spending an hour a day on it.
Beyond volume, the highest-leverage move is getting Pins saved onto large, relevant boards run by other people. Find niche board owners in your category and pitch inclusion. If your Pin gets featured on Pinterest's Editor or Idea boards, you've hit the best realistic shot at a do-follow link — but these come from producing genuinely useful content, not from direct outreach to Pinterest.
One often-missed signal: Pinterest tracks how long visitors stay on your site after clicking. High dwell time tells Pinterest your Pins deliver on their promise, which increases distribution. Make sure the landing page matches what the Pin promises — the same principle that makes Reddit backlink outreach work: fit over volume.
A week-one routine
| Day | Action |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Set up Business account, claim your website, pick 3–5 landing pages to promote |
| Days 1–7 | Create 3 Pin variations per page, write keyword-rich descriptions, schedule across the week |
| Ongoing | Check analytics weekly, reshare top performers to new boards, pitch niche board owners for inclusion |
What to skip
- Chasing do-follow Pinterest links as a primary strategy. Most won't be do-follow. Time spent chasing them is time not spent building content worth linking to.
- Pinning your homepage. Send traffic to specific, useful pages — a guide, a tool, a data post. Homepages don't convert Pinterest visitors.
- Posting once and stopping. Pinterest rewards consistency. A burst of 10 Pins in day one followed by silence won't compound.
The bottom line
Pinterest works as a brand signal engine and referral traffic channel, not a direct link equity source. It pairs well with community-driven plays like Quora, where you're also building discovery across indexed platforms rather than earning one-time editorial placements.
Once your content earns Pinterest traffic, the next step is finding which sites are already linking in your space. Mentiohunt's backlink building engine takes your article URLs, surfaces relevant sites where your content fits, and prepares outreach drafts — so the prospecting work is already done before you send a single email.
Turn platform research into a recurring opportunity queue.
Mentiohunt helps founders turn article URLs, competitors, keywords, and product context into qualified backlink opportunities with fit rationale and outreach prep.
