How to Do Pinterest Keyword Research

This is the actual process, start to finish: not just “use keywords,” but where to find them and how to know which ones are worth using. Pinterest keyword research means finding the phrases your customers type into Pinterest search, then choosing the few that match what you sell.

How do you choose one topic and search intent to start with?

Pick one primary topic and the search intent behind it, and tie the choice to a real offer or resource on your website. Search intent is what the person wants when they type a phrase: ideas, a how-to, or something to buy. A topic like “Pinterest SEO for handmade product businesses” works because you can point to a page that delivers on it.

If you cannot name the page a phrase would lead to, choose a different phrase. Research one topic per sitting, so your notes stay usable instead of turning into a long, mixed list.

Where do you find Pinterest keywords?

Collect related phrases from Pinterest's own search suggestions and trend signals, and write each one down. Collect first and sort afterward, so you do not discard a phrase before you have seen the whole list. Type your topic into the search bar and note what Pinterest suggests as you type, then note the related searches shown after you press enter. Use wording a customer would understand, and confirm every phrase describes your content accurately.

A phrase can be popular and still be wrong for you. If it does not fit your page, leave it out. The free options are covered in full in Pinterest keyword research tools for small businesses.

How do you know which keywords are worth using?

Choose phrases that are relevant to your page, clear about what the searcher wants and specific enough to describe one need. Compare “small business ideas” with “Pinterest SEO for handmade product businesses”. The first could mean almost anything, while the second is easy to match to a reader and to a page.

A practical filter is three questions. Does this phrase describe a page I have? Does it say what the searcher wants? Would I use these exact words to describe the page? Keep the phrases that pass all three.

Broad phrases are hard for a small account to stand out for, so add detail until the phrase describes a single situation. For a walk-through of adding that detail, see finding long-tail keywords on Pinterest.

Where do the keywords you choose go?

Put each phrase into your profile, your boards, the wording of each Pin and the page it links to, in a way that reads naturally. Keep the image and the page matched to what the phrase promises, so nobody clicks and lands somewhere unrelated. Say the phrase aloud inside its sentence, and if it sounds forced, rewrite the sentence.

Keep a running note of which phrase you chose for which Pin and page, so future content stays organized. Every spot to use is listed in where to use keywords on Pinterest.

How do you review and refine your Pinterest keywords?

Go back to your running note of which phrase you chose for which Pin and page, and sort each phrase into keep, swap or narrow. Keep the phrases that still describe the page accurately, swap the ones that turned out to be off topic, and narrow any that are too broad to describe one situation. Then update the note so the next round starts from what you learned.

A realistic sense of the pace is in how long Pinterest SEO takes to work. Nothing in this process guarantees traffic or sales, because the pace and the outcome vary with your niche, how crowded it is and how regularly you publish.

You do not have to run this research alone. Keyword research is included in Pinterest Business Account Setup and in every tier of Monthly Pinterest Management, and the Pinterest SEO Audit reviews the keywords your account already uses and ranks what to fix in a 30 day plan.