Finding keywords on Pinterest or Pinterest SEO can seem like a difficult task, but I’m going to break it down for you to make it easy.
If you are like me you started using Pinterest to pin great recipes and home decor inspo. As a matter of fact, I remember thinking… how do people even pin something? I started using Pinterest for personal use back in the days of having to be on a waitlist to get in. So exclusive!
Wondering where to start with Pinterest SEO?
After starting my business creating digital products and trying to figure out how I was going to get people to even know they existed I started looking into my old friend Pinterest. Hearing whispers that it can be a game changer using keywords on Pinterest.
But….what keywords to use on Pinterest is the question?
How do I find these elusive little buggers? I went to YouTube and founds some guru’s telling me I needed this tool to really get into the nitty gritty, but then found out…its not Pinterest approved and could get my account marked as spam.
Speaking of spam, this video shares how to pin to Pinterest without getting marked as spam if you are interested in that.
But back to Pinterest SEO and what keywords to use on Pinterest..
This method is pretty simple and the good news is you don’t have to have a special tool to get the best keywords.
I will show you a low cost tool that can be helpful but it is 100% not necessary.
To begin we will start with the easiest way to find keywords on Pinterest…the Pinterest search bar.
Figuring out what keywords to use on Pinterest depends on your niche, and your content pillars.
So first things first, let’s head over to your Pinterest home feed and start searching. For this example we are going to be a health coach.
Our content pillars will be nutrition, weight training, movement, mindset and weight loss.
As you can see we are searching “Healthy Recipes” and you see the colorful bubbles down below?
Clicking these bubbles will give you longer tailed keywords. Keywords over three words are long tail keywords and usually have less competition than our original search “healthy recipes.”
You can narrow it down to chicken recipes, or “healthy chicken recipes crock pot.” Add as many variations to this keyword as possible that will make sense with your niche.
You can go on and on looking for more recipes like salads, fish etc using the same technique.
Once you have your keywords from this technique you should scroll the pages. Take a look at some of the top pins. How are they designed, what kind of text overlay are on them. Take note of this.
Now as you scroll down you will find some additional long tail keywords snuck right in amongst the pins. It’s labeled as related searches.
If you want to see the video on this, check out this video below.
Once you have found as many keyword as you can with this method we will head on over to the trends tab.
Use Pinterest trends for keyword research
Alright, now its time to dive into the realm of Pinterest Trends. If you’re scratching your head wondering, “What in the world are Pinterest Trends?” – they’re essentially a peek into the Pinterest crystal ball.
They show what topics are climbing in popularity, and which are, well, yesterday’s news.
To get to the trends tab, you will go to the analytics tab and you’ll see a drop down, trends is at the bottom, just click on that.
On the side bar you will find a drop down for “keywords.” Feeling like our health coach? Type in “nutrition.”
Now, you’ll see a graph with the keyword’s popularity tale. See those ups and downs? That’s how often “nutrition” is being searched over time.
Snagging Related Terms: Scroll down, and bingo! You’ll find a list of related keywords. Maybe “nutrition tips” or “easy nutrition meals” are catching the wind.
With Pinterest you want to start pinning the trending keyword before the climb, ideally two to three months before the spike.
So if you are our “health coach” looking to pin Healthy Christimas Dinner Ideas, then as weird as it might sound, you should pin that in September or October.
Another thing to note on the trends tab is to choose keywords that are increasing, not decreasing in popularity.
Master Pinterest SEO by finding keywords using Ads Manager
Think of this as Pinterest’s backstage. The Ads Manager isn’t just for those looking to shell out bucks on ads; it’s a goldmine for SEO enthusiasts like us.
Accessing the Treasure: Navigate to the Ads Manager, by going to the ads tab and click create a campaign and act like you’re about to set up an ad (don’t worry, we won’t actually launch one).
To do this click “consideration” then set a budget, click run continuously, then you’ll be taken to “Targeting Details” Scroll down to “interests and keywords” and click add keywords.
Start typing your niche topic.
Listening to Pinterest’s Whispers: As you type, a list of suggested keywords will drop down. It’s as if Pinterest is saying, “Hey, these might be up your alley!”
If you like all the keywords that it suggests, click the little plus + sign at the top to add them all into the column to the left. Then you can just copy and paste those into your handy dandy google doc.
Supplement your Pinterest SEO Keyword research with Google and “Keywords Everywhere”
Venturing out of Pinterest for a sec, let’s use Google to our advantage. But here’s the twist: we’re not just Googling; we’re Googling with flair using the “Keywords Everywhere” tool.
Setting Up: If you haven’t yet, install the “Keywords Everywhere” browser extension. It’s free to install, and you can start with the free version, but the paid is super affordable at $15 for 100,000 searches!
Start Searching: Type in your chosen keywords from Pinterest. This tool will generously shower you with data – showing how often these words are searched on Google, potential competition, and even some alternatives you might not have thought of.
Now that you know how to search for keywords…
It’s time to optimize your Pinterest profile, you are going to want to sprinkle the keywords you just found throughout your profile, In your about section, board descriptions and pins. If you want to learn how to do this in detail check out my free Pinterest Profile Optimization Mini Course.
This mini course will show you how to make sure your profile is set up to attract your ideal audience, Your audienc is on Pinterest ready to buy your offers.
Remember why we’re doing all this Pinterest SEO keyword research: to connect with our audience and introduce them to our amazing offers.
Think of Pinterest SEO as learning a new language, the language your audience speaks. And with every keyword, you’re adding another word to your vocabulary.
Here’s to your Pinterest success! Happy pinning, and always remember: every keyword is a stepping stone to your dream audience.
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Great post. It’s very well organized and quite informative. Stick with it.
Thank you, I appreciate you!
Fabulous information here! This is a great resource for those looking to up their Pinterest game. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
-Tara B | breakthroughloading.com
I’m so glad it was helpful. I so appreciate your lovely comment!
I am on a mission to improve my pinterest engagement- this post gives me some new tools to use. Thanks- I’m pinning for later!
I’m glad it gave you some actionable tips. It can definitely be some trial and error.
This is so helpful! I get confused about keyword research and you did such a good job of laying out all the possibilities. I love the point about starting early for seasonal trends too. Thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome, I’m so glad it was helpful. It’s hard (if you are like me) to think that far ahead but its so good for your content on Pinterest!
I’ve paid money for courses with less information than this! Great post and this is definitely the way to go for Pinterest kw research
That is an amazing compliment, thank you so much. I’m glad it was helpful!
This is such a great post! So helpful! Thanks for sharing all your secrets!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy it the post gave you some valuable info. 🙂
This post is so informative. I like the way you have organized the information and I will be saving this to reference back later!
Thank you for the comment, I’m so happy the article was helpful!
This post is clear, precise and laid out in terms I can easily understand. I didn’t realize I could use ads to find keywords. Can’t wait to try these techniques!
I’m so glad it was helpful!