Adobe: Pinterest emerges as search engine
New Adobe Express data reveals consumers are finding new uses for Pinterest.
About two in five U.S. consumers (39%) recently surveyed by Adobe Express have used Pinterest as a search engine. Survey data reveals that Gen Z respondents in particular are driving this trend, followed by (47%) millennial (39%), Gen X (37%) and baby boomer (25%) respondents. In addition, female respondents were more than twice as likely as surveyed men to use Pinteret as a search engine.
More than one-third of all respondents (36%) said they start their searches on Pinterest instead of Google, with Gen Z again being the most likely (39%).
Six-in-10 (61%) respondents said Pinterest's search results feel more tailored to them than Google's results, including 71% of Gen Z respondents. More than one-in-five respondents said they trust Pinterest results more than traditional search engines, including one-in-four Gen Z respondents.
More than six-in-10 (62%) respondents use Pinterest for design inspiration, followed by new recipes (47%) and DIY tips (45%). The top reasons why surveyed consumers use Pinterest as a search engine (more than one answer accepted) include that it’s more visually appealing (73%), to easily save ideas (56%) and to discover new trends (32%), and rarely or never encountering low-quality AI-generated content (26%).
[READ MORE: Survey: Social media, streaming use continues to rise]
How business owners use Pinterest
Adobe Express also surveyed business owners about their Pinterest habits, with about 25% saying they have used it as a marketing tool. Among business respondents who are leveraging Pinterest, 76% said they use it to drive website traffic, while 57% focus on building brand awareness.
The most engaging content types cited by business respondents were standard image pins (61%), followed by idea pins (37%) and video pins (27%). Eight in 10 business respondents using Pinterest said it outperforms other platforms in keeping consumers interested and interacting with their content.
Specific platforms business respondents found Pinterest more effective than include Facebook (49%), Instagram (35%), and Google (29%) for driving actions like saves, clicks, and shares.
Business owners leveraging Pinterest did cite challenges, including creating content (61%), understanding search engine optimization and best practices (47%), and producing enough fresh content (37%).
Methodology
Adobe surveyed 800 consumers and 200 business owners on March 12, 2025, to understand how people use Pinterest as a search engine.
