Pinterest is a popular social media platform that allows users to share and discover new interests by posting images and other media content in the form of pins. For website owners and bloggers, Pinterest is an essential platform for driving traffic to their websites. By claiming your website on Pinterest, you can unlock a variety of features that help you track your content’s performance, enhance user engagement, and create a seamless integration between your WordPress site and your Pinterest account.
In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process of claiming your website on Pinterest when using WordPress. This process is not only simple but can lead to significant benefits, including better analytics and direct attribution of your content. So, let’s get started.
Why Should You Claim Your Website on Pinterest?
Before diving into the process, it’s important to understand why claiming your website is crucial. When you claim your website, Pinterest is able to verify that you are the rightful owner of the domain. This process unlocks several important features:
Access to Analytics: Pinterest offers detailed insights into how users are engaging with your content, including the number of repins, clicks, and other relevant data.
Branded Pins: When you claim your website, your content (pins) is more likely to show your website’s branding, making it easier for users to identify that content as coming from your site.
Control Over Your Content: By claiming your website, you ensure that your content is accurately linked back to your site, reducing the chances of someone else claiming your work.
Verified Website: A claimed website shows a small, verified checkmark next to your website’s URL on Pinterest, establishing credibility with users.
Rich Pins: Once your website is claimed, you can activate rich pins, which display additional information, such as product details or article descriptions, directly on the pin.
Now that you know the importance of claiming your website on Pinterest, let’s go step by step through the process of doing it with WordPress.
Step 1: Set Up Your Pinterest Account
Before you can claim your website, you need a Pinterest business account. If you don’t already have one, follow these simple steps to create a business account:
Go to Pinterest: Open your web browser and go to the Pinterest homepage.
Sign Up or Log In: If you already have a Pinterest account, sign in with your credentials. If not, click on the “Sign Up” button and enter your details to create an account.
Convert to a Business Account: If you’re using a personal Pinterest account, you can convert it to a business account for free. This option can be found in the account settings under the “Account Settings” section.
Complete Your Profile: Make sure your business profile is complete with a profile picture, website URL, and relevant business details.
Once your Pinterest business account is ready, you can begin the process of claiming your website.
Step 2: Log Into Your WordPress Admin Dashboard
To claim your website on Pinterest, you need to access your WordPress site’s backend. Follow these steps to log into your WordPress admin dashboard:
Open your web browser and go to your website’s login page. This is usually in the format www.yoursite.com/wp-admin.
Enter your username and password to access your WordPress admin dashboard.
Once logged in, you will be able to manage all aspects of your WordPress site.
Step 3: Install the Pinterest Plugin for WordPress
While claiming your website on Pinterest doesn’t require a specific plugin, installing the Pinterest for WooCommerce or Pinterest Widgets plugins will streamline the integration process. Here’s how to install a plugin in WordPress:
From the WordPress dashboard, navigate to the Plugins section on the left sidebar.
Click on Add New to search for the plugin.
Search for “Pinterest” in the search bar. You’ll find various plugins related to Pinterest. For claiming your website, you can choose either the “Pinterest for WooCommerce” or “Pinterest Widgets” plugin (depending on the features you need).
Click the Install Now button next to the plugin you want to install.
After the installation, click Activate to enable the plugin on your WordPress website.
Once the plugin is active, you can access the Pinterest settings through the plugin’s settings page.
Step 4: Claim Your Website on Pinterest
Now, let’s go over the steps to claim your website directly on Pinterest. You can do this by either adding a meta tag or uploading an HTML file to your WordPress website. Pinterest offers two ways to claim a website, and both are effective methods:
Method 1: Adding a Meta Tag
Go to Pinterest Settings: Open your Pinterest business account and click on the dropdown menu at the top-right corner of the page. From the options, select Settings.
Find the Website Section: Scroll down until you see the Claim section in the settings.
Click on Website Claim: Enter your website URL in the field provided and click the Claim button.
Copy the Meta Tag: Pinterest will provide a meta tag to add to your website’s HTML header. It will look something like this:
<meta name=”p:domain_verify” content=”xxxxxx” />.
Add the Meta Tag to WordPress:
Log into your WordPress dashboard.
Navigate to Appearance and then Theme Editor.
In the Theme Editor, locate the header.php file (usually located under your active theme).
Paste the meta tag you copied from Pinterest into the <head> section of the code.
Save the changes.
Confirm Your Website Claim: Return to Pinterest and click Submit. Pinterest will check your website for the meta tag and verify your ownership.
Method 2: Uploading an HTML File
If you prefer not to add a meta tag to your site, you can upload an HTML file to verify your website.
Download the HTML File: On the Pinterest claiming page, choose the Download HTML file option.
Upload the File to WordPress:
Open your WordPress dashboard.
Navigate to Media > Add New.
Upload the HTML file you just downloaded.
Verify Your Website: Once the file is uploaded, return to Pinterest and click Submit. Pinterest will check the file and verify your website.
Step 5: Enabling Rich Pins on Pinterest
After claiming your website on Pinterest, you can enable Rich Pins to enhance your pins with additional information. Here’s how to activate them:
Set Up Rich Pins on Your Website:
Install the Yoast SEO plugin (if you don’t already have it) to enable rich pins for your WordPress site.
Navigate to SEO > Social in the WordPress dashboard.
Under the Pinterest tab, enable rich pins.
Validate Rich Pins: Go to the Pinterest Rich Pins Validator, enter your website’s URL, and click Validate. Pinterest will check the metadata on your site and confirm that everything is working correctly.
Step 6: Monitor Your Pinterest Analytics
After claiming your website, it’s important to monitor how your content is performing on Pinterest. Pinterest offers a robust analytics platform that allows you to track the success of your pins.
To access Pinterest Analytics:
Log into your Pinterest business account.
Click on the Analytics dropdown menu.
Select Overview to view general stats, or explore the detailed breakdowns available for each pin and board.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
While claiming your website on Pinterest is usually straightforward, some users experience issues along the way. Here are a few common problems and how to solve them:
Meta Tag Not Found: If Pinterest is unable to find the meta tag, double-check that it has been added correctly to your website’s <head> section. Ensure that the tag is not placed in the body of the HTML.
File Not Found: If you opted to upload the HTML file, ensure that it was uploaded to the correct location in the root directory of your website. Sometimes, it may take a few minutes for the file to be indexed by Pinterest.
Rich Pins Not Showing: If rich pins aren’t displaying, ensure that your content includes the correct metadata and that the Yoast SEO plugin is configured correctly.
Conclusion
Claiming your website on Pinterest is a valuable step for any WordPress website owner looking to drive more traffic and enhance user engagement. With access to detailed analytics, the ability to use rich pins, and a verified website, you’ll be able to maximize your presence on this highly visual platform. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily claim your website and start benefiting from the powerful tools Pinterest offers to website owners and content creators.
Now that you’ve learned how to claim your website on Pinterest through WordPress, take advantage of the resources Pinterest provides, and start driving more traffic to your site today!
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