Pinterest’s New Visual Search Results Won’t Have Ads

With Pinterest’s new in-Pin search users can zoom in on a specific element within a Pin to find other Pins that are visually similar to the selected element. It’s image-driven search without keywords. What you won’t see in Pinterest’s visually similar search results are Promoted Pins.

“We do not show Promoted Pins in visually similar results. This technology only applies to organic Pins, and only organic Pins are eligible to show in visual search results,” a Pinterest spokesperson told Marketing Land.

Pinterest, which now claims 100 million monthly active users, has been methodical in its roll out of its Promoted Pin ad product this year. At the same time the company has focused on improving discoverability and users’ search experience on the platform — all the better to find pins featuring marketers’ products, many of which are now shoppable.

The new in-Pin visual search adds an entirely new layer to discovery, and flips traditional keyword-based search on its head. It will likely have broad appeal to retailers and brands looking to reach users as they show active interest in specific items.

The move to include only organic pins may well be driven by technical feasibility, but it will likely have the effect of encouraging more organic participation from marketers on the platform if they can’t buy their way in with a Promoted Pin.

That makes Pinterest a more complete destination for product search, which in turn, makes it a more appealing place for marketers to advertise where they can on the platform.