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Pinterest vs Instagram – Comparison & Which Is Best for SEO?

Both Pinterest and Instagram share similarities which can make them ideal for boosting your online visibility but, critically, one is better than the other when it comes to SEO. Do you know which one?

In this feature, we take a look at what benefits Instagram and Pinterest can offer businesses towards the success of their social media marketing strategies and find out which is best for SEO.

Pinterest vs Instagram: What Do They Have in Common?

Both platforms are visual social media sites that work by allowing users to share images, photos and videos.

They both work on the simple premise that images and videos are far more powerful when it comes to engagement than text alone.

Fact. The human brain can process images in as little as 13 milliseconds and social media posts that contain images are up to 2.3x more likely to be engaged with than those without.

Pinterest vs Instagram: What Are The Main Differences?

The way that these two powerful social media sites differ is principally a case of how they are being used and by whom.

Pinterest is about content discovery and curation whereas Instagram is about content creation and propagation.

The demographic of each platform’s users is also a consideration with Pinterest being used, predominantly, by women (81%). Though Pinterest’s core demographic (54%) is made up of 18-34 year olds, there is a good proportion of older users. Pinterest use is also heavily driven by the U.S. which accounts for 50% of the platform’s traffic.

By contrast, Instagram is also used more by women (68%) but almost two thirds of their user base are in the 18-34 year old range with popularity for the platform falling towards the older end of the demographics. Instagram has far more of a diverse global reach with 80% of users being based outside of the U.S.

Pinterest vs Instagram: Which One Is Best for SEO?

When it comes to SEO, Pinterest is hands down the best way to boost your online visibility and SERPs performance.

Pins on Pinterest include links back to external sites which can all help generate extra traffic as well as those all-important backlinks. This is not only pertinent on the platform itself but because Pinterest is a place where people go to discover new ideas, the likelihood of your links being picked up organically are boosted.

Instagram images can only have one link which appears in your bio. Though you can type URLs directly on to images themselves, they are not clickable.

Despite the obvious benefits to SEO that Pinterest can create, there are some wider considerations for online marketing which should be factored in.

Instagram receives far more interaction than Pinterest and gets twice the amount of engagement for images than on any other social media platform. Not only that but Instagram offers huge potential for brands when it comes to storytelling offering marketers the opportunity for unique and creative connections to their customers.

The bottom line is that, whilst Pinterest can help stimulate traditional methods of SEO, both platforms offer enormous marketing potential to increase online brand awareness and for businesses to engage with users. The ultimate decision is not necessarily about whether Pinterest or Instagram is better for SEO but which platform is best suited to connect with your target audience.

Opace & Visual Media Marketing

Opace understands the power of visual marketing when it comes to delivering a successful social media strategy. From content marketing to social media management and training, we are well-placed to provide you with a bespoke service to help you achieve your SEO strategy goals.

If you’d like to know more about how our team of creative and forward-thinking digital media professionals can help you with your visual media marketing, contact us today.

Image Credits: Tracy Le Blanc/Pexels, ,  Mohamed Hassan/pxhere and nodstrum.

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