Pinterest is another one of those social networks that some marketers have figured out how to infiltrate to reap business benefits -- even without the existence of dedicated brand pages on Pinterest (much like Google+ when it first launched).
But it seems like the folks over at the Pin headquarters -- even if they've done so unintentionally -- are giving those businesses a little nudge with their latest feature rollout. Pinterest has started to roll out website verification for profile pages. This feature is intended to let other pinners learn more about the people they're following on Pinterest. In a nutshell, the feature will let you highlight your full website URL on your Pinterest profile going forward. Users will also see a checkmark next to your domain in search results and on your profile.
Website verification is not available for all Pinterest accounts quite yet, so if you don't see it, just sit tight over the next week or so, as they're doing a progressive rollout.
Alright, let's walk you through how to verify your website, because although the feature is pretty straightforward, the process gets a little sticky if you're not super tech savvy.
How to Verify Your Website on Pinterest
Step 1: Log in to your Pinterest account, and go to 'Settings.' Check to ensure you've listed your website here before clicking the 'Verify Website' button.
Note that Pinterest only supports verification for top-level domains, like www.hubspot.com, or www.yourcompany.biz. Also, if you're an ecommerce business who uses sites like Etsy, Shopify, or eBay as your main site, you won't be able to verify your website on Pinterest at this time because they don't allow you to upload HTML files -- a key step in this process which we'll cover in Step 3. Similarly, certain content management systems, HubSpot's included, won't let you add a file to the root folder, meaning verification isn't possible at this time. Pinterest IS working on a solution to this, though -- verification through meta tags -- so stay tuned.
Step 2: On the next page, you'll see these instructions. Follow them. (We'll show you how.)
Click the bold 'Download the HTML verification file' to download the file, which will take you to a confirmation screen. Just click back here to this screen and continue on to the next step.
Step 3 (Pinterest's Step 2): This is the kind of weird part. You'll have to upload that file you just downloaded to your web server. Be sure not to upload the file to a subfolder, or Pinterest won't be able to find it. If this is confusing to you, find your office techie with access to your server, and he or she will be able to do this in, like, 10 seconds.
Step 4: Complete the process by clicking the bold 'Click here' text you see on the verification screen. Pinterest will then check your website for the HTML file they gave you, and verify it. You'll see a success message once the process has completed. Now, instead of your profile looking like this:
It will look like this!
Only, you know, not grayed out. The highlight's for dramatic effect, people! Now, other pinners will more easily be able to discover more information about your business. After they see all the awesome content you're pinning, you can bet your buttons they'll want to!
Update for HubSpot Customers: How to Verify Your Website if You Use HubSpot's CMS
For HubSpot customers whose website is on the HubSpot CMS, the process is slightly different. Here's how to verify your website:
- Log in to your Pinterest Account and go to Settings>Profile>Website.
- Click on the 'Verify Website' button to the right.
- Download your HTML verification file. (Hint: It should look something like this: pinterest-xxxxxx.html)
- Upload this file in your HubSpot portal in the File Manager.
- Navigate to the Page Manager, and create a new page.
- Change the URL of your new page to include your Pinterest HTML file (For example: www.hubspot.com/pinterest-xxxxxx.html)
- Go back to the File Manager and click 'View/Edit.' Copy your Pinterest verification file's HTML.
- Return to your page with the Pinterest HTML file in the URL, and create a new HTML Module.
- Paste the HTML you copied in the File Manager into the module, and click the 'Go to Pinterest' button after you enter it.
Will you be verifying your website on Pinterest? Do you think this signals steps toward more Pinterest features tailored to businesses?
Image credit: stevendepolo
Inbound Marketing Blog Feed
Nicole 2:35 PM on October 26, 2012
Thanks worked like a charm!
Mary Sloane 2:36 PM on October 26, 2012
Happy to know we will be able to verify our Websites A good move.
If we use several niche sites can we verify each one or just the main one?
Love HubSpot
Mary Sloane
If you know anyone who wants a simple system to grow their MLM business www.10StepstoMLMSuccess
Carrie Surprenant 2:40 PM on October 26, 2012
Awesome! Just did it. Thanks
Kristy 2:55 PM on October 26, 2012
Does this process work for blogs?
Jon Nugent 2:56 PM on October 26, 2012
Will other HubSpot users chime in here and provide the rest of us with quantitative metrics that prove that Pinterest is actually a viable channel for generating leads and revenue.
Posting pretty pictures on Pinterest may work for P&G, GE, Apple and other Fortune 50 companies but does it work for HubSpot customers.
If you're using Pinterest as a B2B company and it's generating consistent leads and predictable revenue, can you tell us how you're doing it.
Ryan Shell 3:27 PM on October 26, 2012
If you happen to be using a subdomain and have issues and want an easy fix, try the following example (Wordpress).
1. Upload the file using the media upload button
2. Copy the upload URL
3. Create a NEW page using the file name downloaded from Pinterest
4. Redirect the page you just created to point to www.yourdomain.com/filenamefrompinterest
Worked for me.
@RyanShell
Michael Conway 3:40 PM on October 26, 2012
Step #3 is awfully vague. It might as well say, Do something that may be entirely new to you or call in someone else. Whatever works.
Renato Goulart 3:45 PM on October 26, 2012
Corey this is great stuff, although...
As a HubSpot user, my Domain rediretcs to Hubspot, therefore pinterest can't verify it.
It would be great if your next post covered how HubSpot customers can verify their domais if they are using CMS.
I'm sure a lot of others clients will thank you for that.
Deena O'Daniel 4:46 PM on October 26, 2012
Sounds easy, until "upload file to your web server"...how? Yes, it's confusing to me as you said, but I don't have an office techie to call on. My web site is hosted by GoDaddy. Help!
Dee Reinhardt 4:55 PM on October 26, 2012
Went to verify and noticed mine was already complete before I had to follow the steps.
Nina 5:12 PM on October 26, 2012
It is good Pintrest is adding website verification features for pinners! That will be great!
Jenny 5:54 PM on October 26, 2012
Done and Done! Thanks again HubSpot for the great advice!
cakapniaga 12:28 AM on October 27, 2012
Mee too! Thanking you so much HubSpot for sharing this note/article.
Rajveer 12:41 AM on October 27, 2012
I can download the free ebook: How to use Pinterest for Business. It takes me to a different page.
Laura 1:14 AM on October 27, 2012
Just tried, and of oourse since my website is on blogger with a custom domain I cannot upload an HTML file. HOWEVER, if you click on support, scroll down to the bottom and choose "Help- I can't verify my website":
https://support.pinterest.com/entries/22239872-help-i-can-t-verify-my-website
They have a form people in my situation can fill out to be allerted of a new way to verify their site.
I recommend you publish this informtion and spread it The more people who submit requests, the higher priority this feature fix will get from Pinterest.
Ciao,
L
Karthikeyan M 3:28 AM on October 27, 2012
Yes, It is working well in my side. Every SMOs would do the above steps without fail to make their engagement useful.
John Kremer 4:11 AM on October 27, 2012
Thanks for the alert. Much appreciated. Already completed. Very simple.
Wild \dog 7:17 AM on October 27, 2012
Good to know I will be able to verify my Websites A good move.
Thanking you so much HubSpot for sharing this information.
Maybe now I will get some links from Pinterest, so far all my links are ignored.
Richard Wagner 1:19 PM on October 27, 2012
Thanks for the tip, the Internet in Brazil is still at the beginning and we have much to learn
My name is Richard Wagner'm also an entrepreneur working with internet since 1999 today on my site http://fullweb.com.br wrote Marketing and SEO
Karen Sans 2:54 PM on October 27, 2012
Thank you so much for this article. It worked great once I figured out how to upload the file.
Lisa 4:57 PM on October 27, 2012
Hi i dont have an office techie, so where do I put the file on my web server, I'm using Wordpress and am totally confused, thanks
knight 5:14 AM on October 28, 2012
thanks for such nice post. hopefully this will help many website holders to increase their sites visibility.
Luxury Accommodations Blog 2:29 AM on October 29, 2012
Since our blog is hosted on Tumblr it would be great if Pinterest would offer some other ways to verify a website!
Timothy Lorang 2:37 PM on October 29, 2012
As a HubSpot user whose website is hosted by HubSpot I'm in the same situation as several others on this post. We can't add files to the root folder because the Content Management System is generated dynamically and the file is automatically put in a different folder.
The blog from HubSpot should at least point that out to HubSpot users. We use these blogs for keeping up on what we can do.
Apparently Pinterest may verifying through meta tags soon and that would help us but it would have been nice to know before spending half an hour trying to make it work.
Tim Lorang
Timothy Lorang 2:48 PM on October 29, 2012
Unrelated to the difficulty of verifying your website John Nugent asked if it is worth using Pinterest. I would say it depends. In the last year about 2% of my social media traffic came from Pinterest (and 2 leads) but one of my clients' Pinterest traffic accounted for 28% of her social media generated traffic. On the other hand I do better with LinkedIn the her site does.
So it depends. But if you do use Pinterest promote images that would attract people interested in your business. That will help build up followers. When you do post images, be sure they are linked to your website and post often. For example I post all my blogs. I also try to occasionally find and make visually interesting content to post.
Tim Lorang
Corey Eridon 2:51 PM on October 29, 2012
Hi everyone -- thanks for pointing out the issues with root level folders in the HubSpot CMS. We've updated the post to reflect that verification roadbloack. If we figure out a workaround, we'll post it here. Til then, keeping fingers crossed for meta tag verification coming soon!
Rene 2:52 PM on October 29, 2012
Thanks a bunch for this! It worked perfectly. That's awesome from you to share this kind of pretty useful stuff, thank you again.
Frank Isca 3:11 PM on October 29, 2012
Thanks for the post, Corey! Per Renato's comment above on how HubSpot customers can complete this verification process, here's the workaround I was successful with:
1. Upload the Pinterest HTML file to your HubSpot file manager, by clicking on the main Site Home folder and selecting to 'Upload files'
2. Once uploaded, click to View/Edit file and copy and paste content of HTML file
3. In your Page Manager, create a new page that is still public but not part of your main site menu/navigation
4. Customize the page URL for this page using the provided .html URL from Pinterest
5. Add an HTML module to the page and paste the contents of the HTML file that you uploaded to your File Manager
6. Save your page which should now show a formatted graphic from Pinterest that says "Looking good! You are ready to return to the verification page and complete the process."
7. Go back to verification page and you should be ready to rock n' roll!
Hope this helps the other HubSpotters out there!
Timothy Lorang 3:20 PM on October 29, 2012
Genius Frank Isca!
Thank you,
Tim
Russ Turner 4:43 PM on October 29, 2012
"Upload to Server"? I am a non techie WP user and have no IT support like two other people posting here.
So if anyone has the answer please tell us how do we complete this process in Wordpress.
Thanks
Russ
Emmily Scoot 7:16 AM on October 30, 2012
Nice info,thanks. Still wait for meta tags verification.
Taryn Lund 1:00 PM on October 30, 2012
I am also trying to verify my site that is hosted by GoDaddy. I tried uploading the file but I kept getting an error message saying the upload was an unrecognized file type. Has anyone else had success with this and a GoDaddy hosted site? Thanks!
Annie S 1:57 PM on October 30, 2012
Hi Russ,
I just figured out how to complete this process on wordpress, because I was having the same trouble and I am not a techie. It was as simple as creating a new page, making it hidden to the public, and including some simple coding that shows up when you get the error message on pinterest. I wrote out the instructions here: http://janegrey.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Verify-Your-Wordpress-Website-on-Pinterest because it's a little longer than I can post in the comments of this blog.
Thanks, I hope that helps,
Annie
Pamela Vaughan 2:45 PM on October 30, 2012
Attention HubSpot Customers! We've just updated the post to include specific instructions for those of you using the HubSpot CMS. Try them out and let us know if you're still having difficulty. Thanks for your patience!
Tiana Kai 8:15 AM on October 31, 2012
thanks! i read about this last week and didn't continue the process since i was on my iPad. Will handle this today. Let's see if it makes any dent on hits to my site.
Russ Turner 12:30 PM on October 31, 2012
Annie,
Many thanks that worked like a dream
Regards
Russ
Tommy 3:54 PM on November 01, 2012
Hey, this was a cool and informative post! I've been enjoying to read back on the older ones as well.. Now, I wanted to bring out the WORD of a new Group on Facebook which is called:
MARKETING ON PINTEREST - Interest Group
Check it out, as it can grow into a cool resource if people start getting in.. Lots of polls will be done and discussions around Pinterest marketing success and struggles :)
So sit down by the fire, and shaaare to your souls content!
Nan 7:33 AM on November 02, 2012
Many Thanks.
regards,
Nan