Idea Pins vs Standard Pins: Which Should You Use?
Both have a place — the trick is knowing what each is good at. Standard pins drive traffic off Pinterest; idea pins build reach and engagement on Pinterest.
Standard pins
- Have a clickable link — the way to send traffic to your blog or shop.
- Rank in search long-term via keywords in the title and description.
- Best for: bloggers, sellers and anyone whose goal is off-platform traffic.
Idea pins
- Multi-page, full-screen (9:16), like Stories — great for step-by-step or storytelling.
- Strong for reach and follower growth and native engagement.
- Link behavior varies and they're less reliable for sending traffic off Pinterest.
- Best for: building an audience and showcasing process.
Both still need keywords. Whichever you use, put your keyword in the title and description so it's findable. Check standard pins with the free Pin SEO score.
A simple strategy
Use standard pins as your traffic workhorse — several keyword-optimized pins per post or product. Sprinkle in idea pins to grow reach and followers. Don't rely on idea pins alone if your goal is clicks to your site.
FAQ
Do idea pins have links?
Link support has changed over time and is less reliable than standard pins. For dependable off-Pinterest traffic, use standard pins.
Which gets more reach?
Idea pins often get more native reach; standard pins win for long-term search traffic and clicks to your site.