How to Write SEO-Friendly Pinterest Pin Titles

A Pin title has about half a second to do two jobs at once: tell Pinterest what it's about, and tell a human why they'd care. Most titles only manage one. A strong SEO-friendly Pinterest Pin title leads with a specific benefit, uses the main search phrase near the start and promises only what the page delivers.

What makes a Pinterest Pin title SEO-friendly?

A title is SEO-friendly when it names the topic in words people actually search and still reads like something a person would click. It comes down to a four-part formula:

• Specific topic. Say exactly what the Pin is about, not the general category around it.
• Useful benefit. Tell the reader what they get, such as an answer, a method, a list or an idea.
• Natural keyword. Use the phrase people search for, worded the way you would say it.
• Accurate promise. Claim only what the page behind the Pin delivers.

Choose the phrase before you write the title. If you need help finding it, start with Pinterest keyword research tools for small businesses or the guide to long-tail keywords on Pinterest.

How do you write a Pin title in five steps?

Lead with what the Pin gives the reader, then work the keyword in around it.

1. Lead with a specific, accurate benefit or answer. Pick the one thing the reader gets and put it first.
2. Use the primary phrase naturally near the beginning. Put it early so a skimming reader sees it, but keep the wording natural.
3. Add context that sets the Pin apart from similar content. An audience, a format or an occasion is often enough.
4. Keep the promise aligned with the destination page. If the title says checklist, the page needs to be a real checklist.
5. Write for clarity first and keywords second. If a keyword makes the title awkward, reword it.

What does a weak title look like next to a strong one?

A weak title is vague or too broad. A strong one gives the topic, the audience or the benefit in a few words.

Which Pin title mistakes should you check for first?

Check these four before you publish:

• Repeating the same keyword several times in one title.
• Writing a vague title such as "You Need This", which names no topic and no benefit.
• Promising something the landing page does not deliver.
• Reusing one title and description across every Pin creative for a page.

The third is the easiest to miss. Open the linked page and read your title as if you had just clicked it: does the page give you what the title promised?

Should the title and the description say the same thing?

No. The title is the hook and the description does the explaining, so they should share a core phrase without repeating each other word for word. The guide to writing Pinterest descriptions covers that second half. The words printed on the Pin image are a third, separate job, which the guide to designing Pinterest Pins covers.

What if you would rather have someone review your titles?

The Pinterest SEO Audit from Marie Glow Studio looks at your current Pin titles and descriptions, and also at your profile, boards and keywords. You receive one document within 4 business days, with a ranked 30 day action plan. The audit tells you what to change but does not make the changes for you, so you or your team do that work.

No title can promise traffic or sales. What a title can do is make the subject and the benefit clear at a glance, so the people who do see the Pin can tell quickly whether it is for them. The rest of the result depends on the page, the account and the topic.