At Pinterest, we believe visual search is the future. Traditional search engines and AI chatbots rely on words, but shopping is fundamentally visual. You often know what you want when you see it, not when you try to describe it.
That’s why Pinterest is the platform of choice for many when shopping: 39% of consumers have used Pinterest as a search engine.1
At Pinterest Presents™, our annual global advertiser summit, we are announcing new advertising solutions designed for a visual-first world—helping shoppers move from inspiration to action with greater confidence, and giving brands smarter ways to capture intent.
Search advertising becomes visual with new Pinterest Top of Search ads
When people shop on Pinterest, they often begin with a visual search: 45% of clicks occur in the top ten search results.2 With 96% of top searches being unbranded,3 these are moments when users are most open to discovering and deciding on new products.
To help brands reach these high-intent shoppers, we are previewing Pinterest Top of Search ads, now in beta across all monetised markets. These ads appear directly within the top ten search results and in Related Pins, ensuring that a brand’s products are visible where shopping journeys most often begin, and ahead of the competition. In addition, advertiser catalogues will be highlighted in a brand-exclusive ad unit.
Our testing shows an average click-through rate 29% higher for Top of Search ads compared to standard campaigns, and a 32% higher likelihood of attracting new clickers.4,5
Wayfair, one of the first testers, saw a 237% increase in click-through rate over a two-week period compared to their usual campaigns.6
Local inventory ads drive performance
Beyond visual inspiration, convenience matters and shoppers want to know what’s available nearby. With local inventory ads now available on Pinterest in shopping markets, retailers can display real-time prices for in-stock items within a shopper’s local7 store radius.
Canadian Tire Company, the first Canadian retailer to test this format, reached interested shoppers 48% more efficiently than with standard shopping campaigns and saw a 16.5% higher in-store visit rate by including local inventory ads in their shopping strategy.8
Bringing the power of media networks into Pinterest Ads Manager
Brands want to integrate media networks’ first-party data into digital campaigns, but fragmented tools and workflows make this difficult. Pinterest Media Network Connect is a new self-service tool within Pinterest Ads Manager that enables media networks to securely share their first-party audiences, product catalogues and/or conversion data with their advertising partners.
This tool allows advertisers to build and manage campaigns in one place, maintaining control and transparency—while benefiting from the full range of Pinterest’s advertising solutions, including Pinterest Performance+.
We are collaborating with media network partners, including Kroger Precision Marketing and Instacart Ads in the US, with plans to expand our offering soon.
“Marketers need to move fast to keep up with consumer culture,” said Christine Foster, Senior Vice President at Kroger Precision Marketing. “This new capability empowers advertisers with faster decision-making and control, while using purchase-based audiences direct from the retailer.”
For more information about Pinterest’s advertising solutions and to watch replays of Pinterest Presents sessions, visit our Business blog.
