Curious about how to find just the right Pinterest keywords? How to use SEO to help increase your Pinterest reach? Or how to create a Pinterest keyword list? Don’t fret if so, we’re going to dive into all things Pinterest keywords for you and help break it down into digestible steps that are easy to follow to help you feel confident with your Pinterest account.
I will start with outlining how Pinterest does updates to their platform (which one doesn’t these days!). Over the past few years the keyword search functions have remained consistent but please be mindful of updates and that the screenshots below are from Pinterest 2024. For the most up-to-date best practices with Pinterest check them out here.
What are keywords?
Okay so what is a keyword and why does it matter on Pinterest? Keywords are search terms that are used to search topics. Here are some examples of keywords “how to get headache relief”, “easy chicken dinners for 2”, or “Valentine DIY gift ideas”. These are not complete sentences and are terms that users use to search. Why are keywords used on Pinterest? Well, Pinterest is a visual search engine, which means it’s a search engine where it’s function is to help users locate answers to their questions.
Types of Keywords
There are two main types of keywords that are used on Pinterest. There are short-tailed keywords and long-tailed keywords. How are they different, well a short-tailed keyword is the root word(s) of the idea.
Short-tailed keyword examples: “headache relief”, “dinner ideas”, and “diy hair mask”.
Long-tailed keyword examples: “headache relief ideas at home”, “ dinner ideas for 2”, and “diy hair mask for dry scalp”.
When using keywords on Pinterest it’s a good idea to use a combination of short-tailed and long-tailed to help reach the right users in your target audience.
Where to use Pinterest Keywords
There are multiple places to place your keywords to help with search engine optimization on Pinterest. It’s important that you’re using a Pinterest business account to use keywords, you cannot create pins or use keywords on a personal account. More and more social media sites are beginning to use SEO, meanwhile, on Pinterest it’s been KEY for years to use keywords in the right places to boost your pins to reach your ideal audience. It’s not always about the most searched keywords, it’s about reaching your people and ensuring your keywords are in the right place to do the heavy lifting for you.
Where to place your keywords:
– pin descriptions
– board titles
– board descriptions
– pin image text
– pin alt image text
– account about section
– account name.
How to search for free keywords
You can find relevant keywords easily within Pinterest, and for free! While on your Pinterest profile, you’ll see a search bar at the top of the screen (desktop). Simply put your desired search word that your audience would use into the search bar. Press enter and then the Pinterest keyword research tool will create a drop-down with options and keyword suggestions for you. This is a great way to start a keyword list by using these helpful suggestions. The keywords are ranked based in popularity from top to bottom. Copy these search results into an Excel file so you can use them at a later date (example below).
Pin Inspector
Pin Inspector is a paid keyword research tool, it’s a one-time fee for lifetime access. It does not integrate with your Pinterest account and is a great tool for aspiring Pinterest Managers/ VA.’s. Once you’ve opened the pin inspector program click keywords and then enter your search query. It will then populate a list of all the keywords related in rank order. Bonus Tip – you can right-click on a result and export the whole list if you’d like! Be sure to save this in an Excel file to make your Pinterest marketing strategy even easier by copying & pasting keywords into the necessary area.
Pinterest Trends Tool
Pinterest has built inside of it a free trends tool that tracks Pinterest user’s trends with certain content. So it will show in the past 12 months when the search term increased and decreased. This can help when it comes to your Pinterest strategy, you can plan ahead and ensure you catch the whole “wave” of searches and not just the tail end. This tool shows related keywords that it recommends based on your search and you can compare 4 keywords to help you find that exact match for what you want with your content.
How to use Keywords
Okay so now that we’ve got our relevant keywords we can go ahead and start to use them! To follow best practices we want to ensure whenever keywords are used they’re in complete sentences. Why? Placing keywords one after the other is likely to land you in the spam filter, which could result in a suspended or deactivated account. This is an old practice that is outdated and can harm your account.
The goal is to sprinkle the best keywords that align with your content (blog post, landing page, service page, online course sales page…etc). Be sure to include your main keyword in several areas so Pinterest understands what your content mainly is about.
Good Example: “ Interested in primary bedroom diy decor ideas? Check out our simple headboard ideas for those wanting a rustic bedroom look with reclaimed wood bedroom furniture.”
Bad Example: “Bedroom Decor. Bedroom Furniture. Rustic Aesthetic. Rustic Wood Bedroom. DIY Bedroom. Headboard Ideas.”
You want to sprinkle different keywords in each new pin you create. Why? Copy & paste the same description for each fresh pin will land you in the spam filter. You need to make tweaks such as changing out keywords or rewriting sentences. Keep an eye on your Pinterest analytics to understand which keywords work well on pins!
How often should you refresh your keywords list?
It’s a good idea to refresh your keywords every 6 months. This helps ensure your keywords remain relevant and you’re using great keywords for your niche/topic. There may even be new keywords that are not on your list, be sure to update and add them. It’s common for keywords with numbers to become irrelevant the next year. Example: “new years quotes 2023”. In the next couple years, it’s likely that search phrases will be searched less and less. If your content is seasonal (ie. Valentine’s Day) you can do one refresh a year about 3-4 months ahead of the holiday to help you with getting the right Pinterest keywords.
Click here to learn how to use the Pinterest Scheduler for free!
