Edited to add: Ema pointed out something I forgot to mention (thank you, Ema!). You have to be using the new Pinterest format, so switch over if you haven't already.
And another... Edited to add: Sally Anderson helped me discover that if you don't see the option of using Pinterest's new format it may be because you have to either have a business account with Pinterest or have a website listed on your profile.
I wanted to try out the new Pinterest Analytics. But there was a glitch. To see your stats in Pinterest, you have to be website verified.
1) So let’s start there. On your Pinterest home page, click on your name (far right).
2) This brings up YOUR page. If you have a website listed in your profile, it will show up at the bottom of your banner. If you see your website URL in your banner, skip to step #6.
If you haven’t added a website to your Pinterest profile page yet, you will see an “edit profile” button under your banner. Click on it.
3) Scroll down and add your website URL (I have my blog URL in the “About” section, and my shop URL in the “Website” section).
4) As soon as you type in a URL, a new box will appear (to the right) with the option of verifying the website right then. I prefer to save my profile changes first then try to verify the website.
5) Save your changes. Now go back to your main Pinterest page and click on your name, and you should see your website URL under your name in that top rectangle.
6) If you see a checkmark next to your URL, you’re good to go. It means you’re verified.
7) If you don’t see a checkmark there, you will have to go through the verification process. Click on the pencil icon (editing).
8) Scroll down until you see the instructions to verify your website.
9) There are two ways of doing this: Download the file Pinterest gives you, then upload it to your website… or add a metatag to your website. I chose to download/upload. Once I uploaded the file to the root server of my website (not a subfolder on the website), I wanted to see what I looked like and to confirm it worked.
10) Then you go back to Pinterest and click on the button to “Complete the process”.
I think sometimes you should give things some time (I don’t know why), but when I tried to verify my website right after uploading the file, I got error messages from Pinterest. I waited until the next day and everything was fine. Shrug.
BTW, you can only verify one URL (which is why I have my blog URL in the “About” section as noted above).
In theory, you can only verify a website if it's yours. For example, you can't verify your Etsy shop because Etsy is not YOUR site.
I have heard you can verify your blog (through blogger/blogspot), though. Here's how: You will use the metatag option from Pinterest's verify process, go to "template" in your blogger account, and select to edit the HTML. Check the box for "expand widget templates". You will paste the metatag directly under the HTML code "head" (the word "head" will have brackets around it... without a slash). You can look at a "preview" before saving to make sure you didn't mess the blog up. It's a metatag (invisible), so you shouldn't notice anything different about your blog. Save your template and go back to Pinterest to finish verifying.
So anyhow… THAT was the long way to getting to the Pinterest Analytics.
Once you are verified, you will see a new option when you click on your name (upper right of page). You will see the word ANALYTICS. Go there and have fun. I’m not sure, but I think most/some of the analytics only start after you’re verified, so you might not see much at first. You can see who’s repined your posts, though, if you click on the second tab.
The other day, I went to Amazon because I wanted to look up the prices of tablets. This is a screenshot from the page that came up:
Really? I’m going to get excited because you took 99 cents off the price of a $200 item?
Ha ha ha!
Thank you so much Laura. That was very helpful to me. SEO's is something I struggle with. I have been trying to figure out how to verfiy my website. I had to do a search on hosting site to figure out where to add the meta tag but it worked! I also had to update to the new look on pinterest to see the Analytics info.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me how to switch to the new format Pinterest? I can't find it anywhere and really would love to get the analytics. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words, Ema.
ReplyDeleteSally, thanks for asking the question. Just learned that to opt in to the new Pinterest format, you have to either have a business account or have your website listed on your profile.
Here's a link about setting up as a business account if you're interested: https://help.pinterest.com/entries/22362083
Although listing a website on your profile seems easier. :-)
Good luck!