A Pinterest strategy audit shows you what’s already working, so you can keep it, fix what’s nearly working and bin the rest.
- Look at the last 90 days in Pinterest Analytics, not lifetime totals.
- Sort your top pins by outbound clicks, not impressions or saves.
- Find the pins that get seen but not clicked, and fix the promise.
- Check which blog posts Pinterest sends traffic to, and whether they have a freebie.
- Audit your pin SEO, boards and links, then plan 2027 around the winners.
I was this close to convincing myself I needed a completely new Pinterest strategy for 2027. New approach. New system. New everything. Very calm and reasonable behaviour.
Then I caught myself. I hadn’t even looked properly at what was already working. And once I started digging, the question changed from “what should my new Pinterest strategy be?” to “what is my current strategy already telling me?” Very different question.
That’s what a Pinterest strategy audit is for. Below is the exact seven-step audit I’m running before I make any big plans for next year: what to check in Pinterest Analytics, how to run a quick Pinterest SEO audit, how to spot the boards that are basically decorative, and how to sort everything into keep, fix or bin. It takes an afternoon, not a weekend.
Related: How to Use Pinterest Analytics to Double Your Blog Traffic (What to Track & What to Ignore)
Why Audit Your Pinterest Strategy Before 2027?
Because the start of a new year is when most bloggers throw out a strategy that was quietly working. The internet enters its annual “new year, new strategy” phase, and starting over feels productive. But sometimes it’s just procrastination wearing a fabulous new outfit.
Before you replace anything, ask one question: is this actually broken, or am I bored with it? Those are not the same thing. Pinterest rewards consistency and fresh pins pointing at proven content, so the pins, topics and posts already earning clicks are the best foundation for next year. An audit makes sure you build on them instead of bulldozing them.
What You Need for Your Pinterest Strategy Audit
A Pinterest strategy audit takes about two hours and four open tabs. Have these ready:
- Pinterest Analytics on your business account, with your website claimed so you can see data for pins linking to your site.
- Google Analytics (or your site stats), to see which blog posts Pinterest actually sends visitors to.
- A list of your current freebies, products and main blog categories, so you can check whether your boards and top pins still point at what you offer now.
- A simple doc or spreadsheet with three columns: Keep, Fix and Bin.
Related: The Pinterest Account Setup Checklist Every Blogger Needs in 2026
How to Run a Pinterest Strategy Audit in 7 Steps
Seven steps, each one adding to your Keep, Fix and Bin list. Work through them in order. Each step adds rows to your Keep, Fix and Bin list, so by the end you have a plan, not just a pile of numbers.
1. Set Your Date Range to the Last 90 Days
Start your Pinterest strategy audit with the last 90 days in Pinterest Analytics, not lifetime totals. Lifetime numbers include pins that peaked years ago, so they can hide a slowdown that’s already happening. If Pinterest Analytics lets you compare the same period last year, do that too. Seasonal niches will see big swings, and you want to know what’s normal for you.
2. Find Your Traffic Pins
In Pinterest Analytics, sort your top pins by outbound clicks. Outbound clicks are people leaving Pinterest to visit your site, and that’s the number tied to blog traffic, email sign-ups and sales. Impressions and saves are useful context, but they’re not the goal.
Write down your top 10 pins by outbound clicks and look for patterns. Is it one topic? One pin style? One type of post, like tutorials or lists? Those patterns go straight into your Keep column.
3. Find the Pins That Get Seen but Not Clicked
Now look for pins with lots of impressions but very few outbound clicks. Pinterest is showing them to people, so the topic works, but something about the pin isn’t earning the click. Usually it’s a vague title, text that’s hard to read on a phone, or a promise that isn’t specific enough.
These go in your Fix column. They’re often your fastest wins, because Pinterest has already proven there’s demand. A fresh pin with a sharper promise can turn impressions into traffic.
Related: 7 Pinterest Pin Design Mistakes That Are Quietly Killing Your Click-Through Rate
4. Check Which Blog Posts Pinterest Sends Traffic To
Switch to Google Analytics and look at the pages visitors from Pinterest land on. This tells you which blog posts Pinterest is quietly powering, including old posts you’d forgotten about.
For each of your top Pinterest landing posts, ask two things. Is the post still accurate and up to date? And does it have a freebie or next step, so that traffic has somewhere useful to go? A post getting steady Pinterest traffic with no email sign-up form is money left on the table. That’s a Fix.
Related: 7 Steps to Update Old Blog Posts and Recover Lost Organic Traffic
5. Run a Quick Pinterest SEO Audit
Pinterest is a visual search engine, so your pins need to use the words people actually search for. Go through your top 10 to 15 pins and check the title and description. Do they name the specific topic, tool or outcome, or do they say something vague like “tips for bloggers”?
Type your main topics into the Pinterest search bar and note the suggested searches that drop down, then check Pinterest Trends to see when interest in each topic peaks. If your best pins don’t use that language, update the titles and descriptions, and use it on every new pin you create.
Related: How AI Is Changing Pinterest SEO in 2026 and What Bloggers Need to Do
6. Audit Your Boards
Scroll through your boards and be honest: which ones are working, and which are basically decorative at this point? Check each board against your current blog categories and offers. A board for a topic you stopped writing about two years ago isn’t helping Pinterest understand what you’re about now.
Keep boards that match your current content and have clear, keyword-rich names. Rename boards that fit but have vague names. Archive boards that no longer fit, rather than deleting them, so you’re not losing anything you might want later.
Related: The Pinterest Board Strategy Most Bloggers Skip (And Why It’s Costing Them Traffic)
7. Check Every Top Pin Still Links Somewhere Useful
Click through your top 20 pins and make sure each one lands on a live page. Merged posts, changed URLs and deleted freebies all break pins quietly. A redirect saves the traffic, but a pin that lands on a 404 page is wasted. While you’re at it, check your website is still claimed in your Pinterest settings, because a broken claim means missing analytics.
Starting over feels productive. Sometimes it’s just procrastination wearing a fabulous new outfit
Keep, Fix or Bin: Sort What You Found
Now sort everything from your audit into three piles. If something’s working, you don’t need to reinvent it. You need to understand why it’s working and do more of it. If something isn’t working, it can go on the chopping block, but it has to earn its execution first.
| Pile | What goes in it | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Keep | Pins and topics driving outbound clicks, boards that match your current content, posts that turn Pinterest traffic into subscribers. | Create fresh pins for these posts and topics first. |
| Fix | Pins with high impressions and low clicks, strong posts with weak pin SEO, top landing posts with no freebie, vague board names. | Sharpen the promise, update keywords, add a freebie, rename boards. |
| Bin | Boards for topics you no longer cover, pins pointing to dead pages, pin styles that never earn clicks. | Archive boards, redirect or update links, stop making those styles. |
Want the whole audit on one page? Grab my free Pinterest Audit Checklist and work through every step, from outbound clicks to boards and links, in one calm afternoon.
How to Turn Your Audit Into a 2027 Pinterest Plan
The audit isn’t the point. What you build with it is. And the good news is that a plan built on an audit usually means doing less, not more:
- Lead with your Keep list. Your first pins of the year should point at posts and topics that already earn clicks. Fresh pin designs for proven posts are the lowest-effort traffic you’ll get all year.
- Work through your Fix list in batches. Update a few landing posts, pin titles or board names each week instead of trying to fix everything in one go.
- Connect Pinterest to your email list. Make sure every top Pinterest landing post has a relevant freebie, so the traffic you already earn becomes subscribers you own.
- Set a weekly rhythm you can actually keep. Consistent, fresh pins beat a January burst followed by silence.
Related: 7 Fresh Pin Designs Per Blog Post: Why 1 Pin Isn’t Enough in 2026
FAQ: Pinterest Strategy Audit
How do I audit my Pinterest account?
Look at the last 90 days in Pinterest Analytics, sort your top pins by outbound clicks, and find pins with high impressions but few clicks. Then check which blog posts Pinterest sends traffic to, review your pin titles, descriptions and board names for keywords, and make sure every top pin links to a live page. Sort what you find into keep, fix or bin.
What should I check in Pinterest Analytics?
Focus on outbound clicks, because they show how many people visit your site. Use impressions and saves as context: high impressions with low clicks usually means the topic works but the pin’s promise or design needs fixing.
How often should I audit my Pinterest strategy?
Run a full audit once a year, ideally before you plan the next year. A quick quarterly check of your top pins and landing posts helps you catch a slowdown early instead of months later.
Should I delete old Pinterest pins or boards?
Not in bulk. Old pins can keep earning clicks for years. Only remove pins that point to dead pages you can’t redirect, and archive boards that no longer fit your content instead of deleting them.
Key Takeaways
- Run a Pinterest strategy audit before you replace anything. Ask whether your strategy is actually broken, or whether you’re just bored with it.
- Judge pins by outbound clicks over the last 90 days, not lifetime impressions or saves.
- Pins with high impressions and low clicks are your fastest wins: the topic works, the pin needs a sharper promise.
- Sort everything into keep, fix or bin, then build your 2027 plan around the Keep list first.
You don’t need a shiny new Pinterest strategy for 2027. You need to know what your current one is already telling you. Keep what’s working, fix what’s nearly working, bin what’s genuinely useless, and only then decide what needs to be new. 🌶️
Got your Keep list? Give those posts fresh pins.
My Pinterest Canva templates make it quick to design new pins for your best posts, so your audit turns into traffic, not just a to-do list.
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One Response
Such a helpful reminder that Pinterest success takes more than just pinning consistently! It’s so important to step back, look at what’s actually working, and make sure your strategy is helping your content reach the right audience.