Want to tap into Pinterest‘s audience of over 400 million users to grow your WordPress site? The first key step is verifying your website on Pinterest. Verification unlocks powerful features like analytics, Rich Pins, and ads that can help you maximize your impact on the platform.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to verify your WordPress site on Pinterest in 2023. I‘ll also share expert tips and tools to help you make the most of your Pinterest presence once you‘re verified. Let‘s dive in!
Why You Need to Verify Your WordPress Site on Pinterest
Pinterest is a huge opportunity for WordPress sites looking to expand their reach and traffic. Consider these eye-opening statistics:
- Pinterest has over 400 million monthly active users as of 2021 (Source: Pinterest)
- Pinterest users are 40% more likely to say they love shopping compared to people on other platforms (Source: GWI)
- Over 75% of Pinterest users say they‘re "always shopping" (Source: Pinterest)
- 85% of Pinners have made a purchase based on Pins from brands (Source: Pinterest)
In other words, Pinterest is full of engaged users who are actively looking for products, services, and content to buy and consume. And those numbers are only going to grow in 2023. According to eMarketer, Pinterest is expected to reach 86 million users in the U.S. alone by 2023—a 11.8% increase from 2021.
But to really maximize the potential of Pinterest for your WordPress site, you need to verify your account. Here‘s why:
Access Pinterest Analytics: Verification unlocks rich analytics that show you which of your Pins are performing best, what your audience is engaging with, and more.
Get Rich Pins: Rich Pins add extra details right on your Pins, like product info for an ecommerce Pin or a headline, author, and story description for an article Pin. They‘re eye-catching and clickable, but only available to verified accounts.
Build Trust and Brand Recognition: Verified accounts get a checkmark badge that tells users you‘re a credible, official source worth following and engaging with.
Ready to unlock those perks for your WordPress site? Let‘s walk through the verification steps.
How to Verify Your WordPress Site on Pinterest
There are three main ways to verify a website on Pinterest: with an HTML tag, by uploading an HTML file, or via DNS records. I recommend using the HTML tag method for most WordPress sites, as it‘s the quickest and easiest to implement.
Here‘s a step-by-step breakdown of the process:
- Sign up for a Pinterest business account or convert your existing personal account
- Go to your Pinterest settings and click "Claim" next to your website
- Select the HTML tag option and copy the tag provided
- In your WordPress dashboard, install and activate the free Insert Headers and Footers plugin
- Go to Settings > Insert Headers and Footers and paste the Pinterest tag into the "Scripts in Header" box
- Save your changes
- Return to Pinterest and click "Finish" to complete the verification
That‘s it! The whole process should only take a few minutes. Your site should now show a "Verified" checkmark on Pinterest.
Here‘s a visual walkthrough:
[Include screenshots or GIF of the steps outlined above]Other Pinterest Verification Methods
If for some reason you can‘t or don‘t want to use the HTML tag method, you have two other options: uploading an HTML file or adding a DNS record.
To verify by HTML file upload:
- Download the HTML verification file provided by Pinterest
- Upload the file to the root directory of your WordPress website (usually at yourdomain.com/pinterest-xxxxxxx.html)
- Return to Pinterest and click "Finish" to complete the process
To verify with a DNS record:
- Copy the TXT record provided by Pinterest
- Log in to your web hosting account and locate the DNS records for your domain
- Add a new TXT record with the Pinterest verification code
- Return to Pinterest and click "Finish"
Here‘s a comparison of the three methods:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| HTML Tag | Quick and easy to implement | Requires editing site code or installing a plugin |
| HTML File | Doesn‘t require code changes | More steps than HTML tag, file must remain on server |
| DNS Record | Most secure, no changes to site needed | Requires access to DNS settings, can take up to 24 hours to process |
Unless you have a specific reason to use the HTML file or DNS methods, I recommend sticking with the HTML tag approach in most cases.
Troubleshooting Pinterest Verification Issues
If you followed the steps above but are still having trouble verifying your WordPress site on Pinterest, here are a few common issues and solutions:
"Could not verify domain" error: This usually means Pinterest couldn‘t locate the HTML verification tag. Double check that you‘ve pasted the full tag into the right spot in your WordPress header. Clear any caching plugins and wait a few minutes before trying again.
404 error when clicking verification file: If you used the HTML file upload method, make sure the HTML file is located in the root directory of your WordPress site and hasn‘t been deleted or moved. The URL should be yourdomain.com/pinterest-xxxxxxx.html.
Verification completes but site still not claimed: In rare cases, Pinterest‘s system may not immediately recognize the connection between your site and account. Wait 24 hours and check again. If it‘s still not showing as claimed, contact Pinterest support.
Pro tip: Pinterest has an official Pinterest Developers community forum where you can post verification questions and get help from other users and Pinterest staff.
Making the Most of Pinterest for Your WordPress Site
Getting your WordPress site verified on Pinterest is a great first step, but there‘s much more you can do to maximize your results on the platform. Here are some of my favorite tools and tactics:
Use a Pinterest plugin: Tools like the official Pinterest for WordPress plugin let you easily add Pin It buttons, widgets, and more to your WordPress site to boost engagement and make your content more shareable.
Enable Rich Pins: Rich Pins pull key details from your site onto your Pins themselves. For example, a product Rich Pin can show the item name, price, and stock status. An article Rich Pin shows the headline, author, and description. Apply for Rich Pins after verifying your account to make your Pins even more powerful.
Design effective Pin images: The most successful Pins tend to have vertical images (2:3 aspect ratio), feature text overlay with the title/key details, and use eye-catching colors and images. Use a tool like Canva to easily create compelling images for your site content.
Optimize your Pinterest boards and profile: Use relevant keywords in your Pinterest bio, board titles, and descriptions to show up in searches. Categorize your boards and Pins in a way that makes sense for your niche and audience.
Pin consistently: Like any social media platform, consistency is key on Pinterest. Aim to Pin fresh, high-quality content multiple times per day. You can use a Pinterest scheduler tool like Tailwind to queue up Pins in advance.
Those are just a few ideas to get you started. For even more strategies, I recommend checking out the Pinterest Business best practices page.
Conclusion: Verify Your WordPress Site and Grow with Pinterest
Verifying your WordPress site on Pinterest is a quick and easy process that can unlock major benefits. With a verified account, you can access analytics, enable special features like Rich Pins and ads, and build trust with your audience.
Key Takeaways:
- Use the HTML tag method to verify your WordPress site in a few simple steps
- Install the Insert Headers and Footers plugin to add the verification tag without touching code
- Verification gives you access to Pinterest Analytics, Rich Pins, the ability to run ads, and more
- Use Pinterest plugins, create compelling images, and optimize your profile for even better results
I hope this guide has given you the context and step-by-step details you need to go verify your WordPress site on Pinterest today. Trust me, it‘s well worth the small time investment. I‘ve seen firsthand how Pinterest can drive major traffic and help you reach a whole new audience as a WordPress site owner.
To review, here are the key steps to verify your WordPress site on Pinterest:
- Sign up for a Pinterest business account
- Select "Claim Website" and choose HTML tag method
- Install Insert Headers and Footers plugin on WordPress
- Paste the Pinterest verification tag and click save
- Return to Pinterest and click Finish to verify
Have any other questions about verifying your WordPress site on Pinterest? Did you run into any snags in the process? Let me know in the comments and I‘ll do my best to help out.
Happy Pinning!
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