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Let’s talk about something a little less flashy but ridiculously important:
We all know Pinterest is a visual search engine. Which means what your audience sees—the image itself—carries a lot of weight in whether or not they click, save, or scroll right past.
Your images on Pinterest.
And yet, so many business owners still throw up pins with little thought beyond “Does this look pretty?”
So we decided to run a test.
A controlled one. Strategic, measurable, and designed to answer a question we hear constantly:
“What kind of Pinterest image works best for my business?”
Let’s break it down.
Table of Contents
The Setup: A Controlled, 4-Image Pinterest Test
We chose two of the best-performing blog posts from April 2024 to work with:
- Chicken Tikka Masala (meal-based content)
- Lemon Bars (dessert-based content)
Each post got four distinct pin designs:
- Old image – no text overlay
- New image – no text overlay
- Old image – with a text overlay using our current layout
- New image – with a text overlay using our current layout
That’s it. Same blog post. Same board. Same day of upload.
This allowed us to isolate just the design variable and compare how different styles performed in terms of:
- Impressions
- Saves
- Outbound clicks
We tracked the data over 8 weeks and here’s what we found.
This was after the first week:
What We Learned (Spoiler: Pinterest Keeps You Guessing)
1. Pinterest Engages with Both Old and New Visuals Equally
There was no clear winner when comparing old versus new photography.
Which was fascinating.
It tells us that Pinterest’s distribution algorithm isn’t automatically favoring fresh content in the way we often assume. Both older and newer photos got solid average view counts. This matters, especially for brands repurposing blog content or using evergreen assets in rotation.
🧠 Strategic takeaway: Don’t be afraid to reuse or refresh old content. A strong pin layout and headline might be all it takes to revive it.
Here are the results after 2 weeks:
2. Text Overlay ≠ Guaranteed Better Performance
We’ve long recommended using SEO-rich text overlays. And we still stand by that… mostly.
But here’s what this test confirmed:
Text doesn’t always mean more clicks or saves.
For both the Chicken Tikka Masala and Lemon Bars posts, pins with no text overlay often performed just as well as—or occasionally better than—those with text.
Surprising? Maybe. But also… not really.
Pinterest users aren’t just looking for words—they’re scanning for intent, quality, and curiosity. If the photo tells the full story, text may not be necessary to get the click.
Especially if the image screams “YUM” like those bright yellow lemon bars did.
🧠 Strategic takeaway: Incorporate both styles in your strategy. Use overlays when you need to clarify, explain, or SEO-optimize. But don’t underestimate the power of a clean, compelling image alone.
This is after 3 weeks:
3. The Lemon Bars Post Performed Differently Than the Chicken One
Now this was interesting.
In the dessert-focused Lemon Bars pins, we noticed a clear pattern:
Newer images performed better when there was no text overlay.
Especially the close-up stacks of sugar-dusted bars with bright lighting and sharp contrast—they pulled significantly more clicks and saves than the older versions.
With the Chicken Tikka Masala post, though? No such pattern.
New images didn’t outperform old ones. Text overlay didn’t dominate either. It was a mixed bag of results with much tighter performance differences.
Which leaves us wondering: is it the type of content?
Maybe.
Desserts tend to be more vibrant, colorful, and universally appealing. They’re eye candy. And those who pin dessert recipes might care more about what it looks like on the plate than what the title says.
Whereas meal-based posts like Chicken Tikka Masala might rely more on description, method, or specific ingredients—meaning the text overlay is doing more work.
We’re not drawing hard conclusions, but… there’s something there.
🧠 Strategic takeaway: Niche and category likely influence how image styles perform. If you’re in the dessert, home decor, or lifestyle spaces, don’t skip testing clean images without text. For more technical or informative content (like wellness, coaching, or services), overlay text may carry more weight.
4. Saves Were Lower Than Expected Across the Board
Now, this one’s a bit tricky.
Despite good views and some solid click-throughs, save numbers stayed on the lower side for both blog posts—regardless of image style.
This could be due to a few things:
- Not enough time: 3 weeks is great for testing CTR, but saves sometimes increase over longer periods. We will still continue monitoring but these are our initial findings.
- Call-to-action design: None of the pins had strong visual CTAs like “Save for later” or “Meal prep this week?” which might have encouraged more interaction.
- Emotional pull: Saves often come from emotional resonance or future-planning—something that’s harder to trigger with straightforward food content.
So, was it the image design? Or just the nature of the content? Possibly both.
🧠 Strategic takeaway: Want more saves? Try pins that lean more into storytelling, future benefit, or emotional urgency. This could mean adding CTAs in your design or testing different angles (e.g., “Weeknight dinner lifesaver!”).
Let’s Talk Bigger Picture: Why Image Testing Matters (A Lot)
What we really tested here wasn’t just four images. It was the impact of small design decisions on actual user behavior.
And Pinterest makes it very, very easy to assume that performance is random.
Spoiler: It’s not.
Image format, lighting, color contrast, photo composition, text placement, font pairing, emotional tone—every single one of those elements can shift how your content is received. And with Pinterest being such a visual-first platform, your image is the hook. The copy is the closer.
Here’s the kicker though:
There is no one-size-fits-all design rule.
Because what works for a lemon bar post might totally flop for a slow cooker chili. What grabs attention in a coaching graphic might fade into the background in an eCommerce carousel.
So you have to test.
And yes, that means taking the time to create variations. Yes, that means watching the data week over week. And yes, that means rethinking what “works” every time Pinterest rolls out an algorithm update.
But here’s the good news:
Even these tiny shifts in layout or design—without changing the actual content—can move the needle on traffic, saves, and clicks. That’s ROI you can control.
High-Level Image Style Observations from the Test
We’re always watching trends evolve so we can apply what works for bloggers, service providers, and shop owners alike. This test reaffirmed some things we already suspected and added a few new insights.
🖼 Image-Only Pins
Great for food, lifestyle, and ecommerce products. Particularly when the product looks like the benefit. Think lemon bars, skincare results, or planner flat lays.
💬 Text Overlay Pins
Still crucial for coaching, blog content, or anything that needs explanation. Also essential for SEO-rich titles that help pins rank long-term.
🧠 Old vs. New Photos
Both can work. Pinterest still loves evergreen content. What matters more is whether the photo connects or just takes up space.
🖌 Design Consistency
Using consistent fonts and layouts (like we did here) makes your testing more legit—and your account more branded. Keep your variation minimal and strategic.
So What’s the Real Takeaway?
Don’t assume your “prettiest” pin will win.
Don’t assume your newest image is better.
Don’t assume you know until you test.
And above all else—don’t underestimate how small changes can unlock bigger performance.
That’s what we’re committed to here at SimplyPintastic®. Whether you’re a food blogger who just wants more traffic to your recipe cards, an eCommerce shop trying to convert product impressions into sales, or a coach building visibility—Pinterest can do that for you.
But only if your pins are working with the platform, not against it.
This test gave us real, repeatable data to inform strategy going forward. It reinforced what we already prioritize in our client work:
- Smart pin variations.
- Ongoing performance tracking.
- Visual testing that aligns with Pinterest’s search engine nature.
We’re not just uploading pretty pictures. We’re building bridges between purpose-driven businesses and the people searching for them.
One pin at a time.
Want Us to Run a Test Like This for Your Content?
That’s what we do. We help business owners across industries—from food bloggers to course creators to boutique product shops—build visibility, leads, and sales using Pinterest in a way that’s aligned, efficient, and sustainable.
Let’s take your content and turn it into a lead machine with images that actually work.
📌 Start with a Pinterest Audit
🎯 Or dive into done-for-you Pinterest Management
Either way, you’re not pinning blindly anymore. You’re playing smart.
