Pinterest Launches “Top of Search” Ads (Beta): The Complete 2025 Guide

1. What Is Pinterest “Top of Search”?

Top of Search is a premium search placement that surfaces advertiser content inside the top search result slots on Pinterest and may also appear alongside Related Pins. In practical terms, it gives brands the ability to intercept high-intent discovery at the precise moment users are expressing needs via keywords.

Unlike passive feed placements, Top of Search targets explicit search intent. When users type “boho living room ideas”, “bridal hairstyles”, or “best running shoes for women”, this format can position your product or content where attention and click probability peak.

How It Differs from Standard Pinterest Search Ads

• Priority Positioning: Eligible to appear within the top cluster of results rather than lower slots.
• Intent Alignment: Triggers on keyword queries, complementing interest/audience targeting.
• High-stakes Competition: Fewer prime slots create a tighter auction; quality and relevance matter more.

2. Why It Matters in 2025

Search behavior is increasingly visual. Pinterest sits at the intersection of inspiration and intent: users browse to decide what to buy, how to style, and which options to shortlist. Appearing at the top of those decision journeys compounds discovery, brand recall, and assisted conversions across channels.

• High-intent discovery: Searches often signal immediate interest; top placement captures disproportionate clicks.
• Unbranded queries dominate: Users explore categories (“period panties”, “nordic lamps”) rather than brand names, enabling challengers to win consideration.
• Visual persuasion: Rich, lifestyle-led creatives can outperform text-heavy ads from traditional engines for mid-funnel shoppers.

3. Availability, Beta Status & Eligibility

The format is in beta and being rolled out across monetized markets. Access typically prioritises advertisers with sound account health, compliant creative, and functioning product catalogs (for shopping objectives). Brands should request access via their Pinterest rep or Ads Manager notifications as rollouts expand.

• Who benefits most: E-commerce brands with strong imagery, lifestyle context, and optimised feeds.
• Who can still win: Service businesses and content publishers with helpful, visual guides mapped to search demand.

4. How the Placement Works

4.1 Triggering & Ranking

Ads compete in an auction when user queries match your targeted keywords and eligibility criteria. Placement is determined by a mix of bid, predicted engagement, creative relevance, landing page experience, and historical performance.

4.2 Destinations & Experiences

• Product Pins / Shopping: Pulls price, availability, and imagery from your catalog feed.
• Content Pins: Click through to articles, guides, or lead magnets; ideal for mid-funnel education.
• Related Surfaces: Units can also appear adjacent to Related Pins, extending visibility beyond the initial search results grid.

4.3 Objectives & Optimization

Support spans common performance goals—traffic, conversions, catalog sales. Use event tracking (Add-to-Cart, Purchase, Leads) to train delivery toward bottom-funnel outcomes.

5. Setup Prerequisites & Technical Checklist

• Business account & tag: Ensure the Pinterest tag (and optional server-side events) is installed and deduplicating properly.
• Clean attribution: UTM structure for source/medium/campaign/adset/ad to separate Top of Search traffic in analytics.
• Product catalog: Titles, descriptions, GTIN/MPN/Brand, availability, condition, pricing, currency, image links.
• Landing pages: Mobile-first, fast (Core Web Vitals), consistent with ad creative, clear calls to action.
• Policy compliance: Avoid restricted content, ensure claims and pricing are accurate.

Recommended Account Hygiene

• Consolidate learning: avoid fragmented campaigns competing for the same keywords.
• Use naming conventions: PO-TOSEARCH_{Theme}_{KWCluster}_{Geo}_{Objective}.
• Create a negative keyword list for poor-fit or expensive terms.

6. Keyword Strategy & Targeting Models

6.1 Mapping the Funnel

• Top/Mid-Funnel: “bridal hairstyles”, “cute dorm room ideas”, “modular wardrobe ideas”.
• Mid/Bottom-Funnel: “running shoes for flat feet women”, “padded camisole for saree”.
• Bottom-Funnel: “buy yoga mat 10mm”, “best price period panty”.

6.2 Clustering & Match Types

Group semantically tight keywords into ad groups for better relevance. Start narrower (exact/phrase) and gradually test broader coverage once baseline ROAS is stable.

6.3 Negatives & Brand Safety

Exclude queries that dilute budgets (DIY when you sell finished goods; unrelated fashion terms; ambiguous intents). Continuously mine search term reports.

6.4 Geo & Local Signal Layering

For brands with store presence or local inventory, layer geo to surface availability messaging and improve offline conversion potential.

7. Bidding, Budgeting & Pacing

7.1 Starting Bids

Top of Search inventory is scarce and competitive. Begin with assertive CPC bids on high-fit clusters, then dial down to the point of optimal CPA/ROAS. For automated bidding (if available), test target ROAS once you have conversion volume.

7.2 Budget Phasing

• Phase 1 (Learning): 10–20% of your Pinterest budget; gather CTR/CPC/CR baselines.
• Phase 2 (Optimization): Shift budget to winning clusters; prune underperformers quickly.
• Phase 3 (Scale): Carefully expand match types/geos while watching marginal returns.

7.3 Dayparting & Frequency

Monitor hourly/day-of-week performance; consider throttling when CPCs spike with weak intent. Maintain frequency discipline to avoid creative fatigue.

8. Creative Best Practices for Visual Search

• Lead with clarity: Show the product clearly in context; avoid cluttered backgrounds.
• Lifestyle + detail: Pair aspirational scenes with close-ups (texture, fit, features) across variants.
• Text overlays (subtle): Use sparingly to reinforce benefit (e.g., “Leak-proof up to 8 hrs”). Keep legible on mobile.
• Consistency: Make pin imagery and landing pages match to protect conversion rate.
• A/B cadence: Test 3–5 image styles per ad group; rotate winners, retire laggards swiftly.
• Video where relevant: Short verticals demonstrating usage, before/after, or comparisons can lift CTR.

Copy Techniques

• Front-load outcomes: comfort, durability, eco-friendly, price/value.
• Use skimmable structure: 1-line hook + 2 benefit bullets.
• Align with keyword intent: match language users type (“padded camisole for saree drape”).

9. Catalog & Feed Optimisation

• Titles: 60–80 characters, include key attributes (material, fit, use case).
• Descriptions: Benefit-led, scannable; reflect the language of your keywords.
• Images: 1000px+ square; add variants (on-model, flat lay, detail).
• Data quality: Valid GTIN/MPN/Brand, live pricing, accurate availability.
• Collections: Curate thematic groups to match popular Pinterest searches (festive wear, dorm essentials).

Healthy feeds improve eligibility and reduce wasted spend from rejected or low-relevance products.

10. Measurement, Attribution & Incrementality

10.1 Core KPIs

• Impressions, CTR, CPC
• Conversion Rate, CPA/CPP, ROAS
• New vs Returning clickers
• View-through assists and multi-touch paths

10.2 Attribution Hygiene

• UTMs on every ad; syndicated to analytics dashboards.
• Compare last-click vs data-driven models to reveal assists.
• Run geo or audience split tests to estimate incremental lift.

10.3 Diagnose Cannibalisation

Watch whether Top of Search steals clicks from your feed ads without adding conversions. If overlap rises, tighten keywords or reduce bids on redundant placements.

11. Playbooks: E-commerce, Lead Gen & Local

11.1 E-commerce

• Starter Cluster: Mid-intent category queries (e.g., “strapless bra for lehenga”).
• Creative Mix: On-model lifestyle, product close-up, UGC-style demo.
• Offer Hooks: “Buy 2 Save 10%”, limited-color drops, bundles.
• Retargeting: Add-to-Cart audiences layered on broader search sets.

11.2 Lead Generation

• Target how-to and checklist queries; gate a high-value downloadable or mini course.
• Show practical visuals (frameworks, before/after outcomes).
• Optimise for qualified leads: forms that filter out poor fit.

11.3 Local & Omnichannel

• Emphasise availability (“In stock near you”), store pickup, and timings.
• Use geo-focused creatives (festive city edits, regional styling cues).
• Track offline conversions where possible (coupon codes, store visit estimates).

12. Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Over-broad keywords: Bleeds budget; start with tight clusters and expand carefully.
• Creative mismatch: Pin doesn’t match landing page; conversion rate suffers.
• Weak feed health: Missing attributes, low-res images reduce delivery & trust.
• No negatives: You pay for irrelevant queries; review search reports weekly.
• Ignoring mobile speed: Pinterest is heavily mobile—slow pages kill ROAS.
• Poor testing cadence: Keep 80/20 winners vs experiments; rotate creatives to avoid fatigue.

13. FAQs

Quick answers are below; tap to expand individual questions.