Pinterest recently revealed that it would be rolling out an easier way for users to narrow down their search, as it launches a “Guided Search” feature on Pinterest.com—just like what they did for its mobile app version last month. The new feature pulls up related keywords or terms at the top of the screen after a user enters a keyword.
Guided Search
Last month, Pinterest received US $200 million in funding, a portion of which will most likely finance the development of their predictive search features. While many strike out the possibilities of Pinterest becoming the next search engine, the changes apparently show that the photo sharing website is up for a direct competition with Google, Yahoo, and Bing, and their search capabilities.
“Search engines are great for answering specific questions—the weather in San Francisco or the capital of Peru—but Pinterest can help with the questions that have more than one right answer…”
With the new addition of guided search, Pinterest will be providing users with descriptive information about what they are looking for, pushing the photo discovery tool closer to becoming more like a visual search engine. It shows the beginnings of a search engine that would become the primary source of interesting trends and launches in the future.
The Search Bar
Pinterest also made a significant change to the search bar, making it appear more prominently on the site.
“Along with the visual guides, you’ll notice that the search bar is now front and center for speedier finds. We also made it easier to filter your search by Pins, boards or other Pinners who you might be looking for.”
With the significant change, Pinterest looks more like a visual search engine rather than a social networking site.
What This Means for You
Pinterest is taking search engine to a whole different level. With a combination of personalized search and powerful images, visual search is becoming a big thing for consumers. The photo sharing website shows that it is up for the search engine race, becoming a strong competitor of Google and other traditional search websites.
The new feature can either make or break your clients’ online campaigns —we can help you by optimizing your pins with keywords. Talk to your account manager to get started. Sign up now to become our partner.
