How To Use Keywords On Pinterest In 2023

Let me guess..

You’ve been sharing your blog’s content on Pinterest for months, but you’re still not getting new traffic..  Now you’re starting to think that Pinterest just isn’t the right platform to grow your blog.

Guess what?

You are not alone.

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If Pinterest isn’t your #1 source of blog traffic you’re probably using it wrong.  Let’s change that.

Download your free guide to create the perfect Pinterest profile!

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Everything You Need To Know About Using Keywords On Pinterest

If you follow my blog, you already know that I’m a huge Pinterest fan and it has been one of the key factors in helping me grow my blog into a successful business.

If you follow other bloggers that are monetizing successfully, then you know that I’m not the only one that is thriving with the help of Pinterest.

So why can’t you seem to make any head-way with harnessing that power for your blog?  After all, you’ve been pinning content daily for months.

Shouldn’t you have thousands of followers by now?  Or at least be seeing steady growth on your Pinterest account?

Instead, you’re stuck at less than 300 followers and the only action your pins are getting comes from participating in Facebook group promotion threads.

Related Post: The Truth About Blogger Facebook Groups Revealed

Are all of these bloggers bragging about their Pinterest growth just full of crap?

I can’t speak for anyone else, but my success with using Pinterest is real!  For more than a year, over 50% of my traffic has been coming from Pinterest.  Pinterest brings me A LOT more traffic than any other source, including Facebook.

This is crazy, considering I only spend about 15 minutes a day on Pinterest!!  The best part, all of that traffic is FREE.

Pinterest Is A Search Engine

In order to be successful on Pinterest you have to understand what Pinterest IS NOT.

Pinterest is a search engine and NOT a social media platform.

What does that mean exactly and why does it matter?

Think of it as a visual Google.  Pinterest users are looking for new ideas and inspiration, and not really using it to make friends or give opinions on hot topics.

Users search for ideas using keywords, just like you search for things on Google. Based on those keywords, Pinterest shows the user pin images related to that topic.

That means you need to use SEO (search engine optimization) strategies to grow on Pinterest. If you’re not using keywords effectively on Pinterest, you’ve just discovered the #1 reason you are failing on Pinterest.

Without the help of keywords, your profile, your boards, and your content will never be found on Pinterest.

Your Pinterest account is virtually invisible to all of the users that would appreciate your content!

That means whenever someone searches for content in your niche, your pins will never show up.

Being successful on Pinterest requires using the right strategies.  Once you know what they are and implement them, your Pinterest presence will grow on auto-pilot, driving more traffic to your blog, getting you more email subscribers and customers.

Are you using Pinterest to help grow your blog? Without the help of keywords on Pinterest, your profile, your boards and your content will never be found.Click To Tweet

I know a lot of you just felt like a knife is twisting in your gut because you don’t know diddly-squat about using keywords on Pinterest.

Don’t worry, I’m going to help you fix that and it’s not as bad as you think.

Finding The Right Keywords On Pinterest

Luckily, it’s much easier to rank for keywords on Pinterest than it is to get on the first page of Google.

Here’s all of the information you need to know about using keywords on Pinterest.

Use Long-Tail Keywords

When using keywords on Pinterest, choose long-tail keywords (2-4 word phrases).  Find the right keywords by thinking like a consumer.

For example, I recently wrote a post titled “How To Use Tailwind Tribes To Explode Your Growth On Pinterest“.

To determine which keywords to use for my post, so that my pins will be found,  I have to ask myself “What would a reader have to be looking for to find my pin”?  Here are my ideas:

• Tailwind Tribes
• Pinterest Strategies
• Pinterest Tips

Those are all good examples of phrases a pinner might type in the Smart Search to find information like mine.  I could use those terms as my keywords, but those topics are pretty broad.  Most likely, my pin won’t show up anywhere near the top of the results since it’s a new pin.

Popular Search Terms

Pinterest’s Smart Search actually suggests popular search phrases as soon as you start typing a topic into the search bar.

Easy, right?  But here’s the catch.

Because Pinterest is a search engine, the search results for a given topic are going to return the most popular pins first.  Just like Google shows the most popular results for a search.  Same concept.

There are thousands of other people pinning similar content to yours.  They’ve been using Pinterest for years, have a thousands of followers, and higher engagement on their pins for the same keywords.

A user may have to scroll through hundreds, or even thousands of results to get to your pin, and we both know that’s just not going to happen.

It will take time for your pins to start ranking at the top of the search results for the most popular searches.

More Targeted Keywords

That doesn’t mean that you can’t gain traction with the help of keywords quickly.

In fact, the more targeted that you can get with your keywords, the better.  By using less common, but still relevant keyword suggestions, you have a better chance of showing up in pinner’s feeds.

How do you find more targeted keywords to use?  Pinterest Smart Search will give you those keyword ideas, too!

As I mentioned, when I type the topic “Tailwind Tribes” into the Smart Search, Pinterest will immediately start showing me search suggestions for popular keywords.  But once I hit “enter”, I’ll get several more examples of targeted keyword suggestions that I can use for my post.

You’ll have a better chance of your pin showing up near the top of search results by using these more targeted searches.

Use Multiple Keywords

Once you’ve found several options for relevant keywords, how many should you include?

I suggest using one or two of the most popular search phrases and two or three of the more targeted keywords.  This mix will give your pin maximum opportunity to appear in the Smart Search.

Keywords Recap

I know I’ve just given you a lot of information about using keywords on Pinterest, so let’s recap.

For every pin that you create for your blog content, you want to include a keyword-rich pin description.

1. Determine the main topic of your blog post
2. Go to Pinterest and type the topic into the Smart Search
3. Write down the search suggestions that are relevant to your post
4. Hit enter
5. Write down all of the new suggestions relevant to your content
6. Choose 3 -5 keywords total, from Step 3 and Step 5
7. Add the keywords to the beginning of your description
8. Write a few sentences to further describe your blog post

Where Do You Use Keywords On Pinterest?

To really start seeing results on Pinterest with the help of keywords, you need to use them everywhere, not just in your pin descriptions.

You can use the same Smart Search technique discussed above to find the right keywords for all of the suggestions below.

Business Name

Your Business Name on your Pinterest profile should include a few keywords that best represent your blog content and expertise.

About You

Your Pinterest profile includes an About You section.  This is your opportunity to tell your target audience on Pinterest how your blog is going to address their pain points. Use keywords to make your point.

Get a free guide for my best tips to create a Pinterest profile that stands out from the competition!

You are limited to 160 characters, so make sure your brand’s message is clear.

Be sure to add a link to your best opt-in offer at the end of your bio.

Board Titles

Your board titles should be short (usually 2-4 words) and clearly describe the type of content that is pinned there.

Board titles are searchable, so using keywords will get your boards found.

Don’t use board names that are vague or that don’t clearly describe the topic.

 

Board Description

Your board description is your chance to “keyword-stuff”.  Include all of the different keywords that represent the types of pins users will find on the board.

The image below is my description for my Entrepreneur Tips board.

 

Board Cover Description

Your board cover is considered a pin so the description is searchable.

Use the same description that you use for the actual board description so that all of the relevant keywords for the board are included.

Pin Description

Your pin description should include 3 – 5 keyword phrases that represent the content that the pin links to.

Write a few sentences to further describe the benefits of your post and include a CTA (call-to-action) to entice pinners to click-through.

 

Blog Post Title

If you have rich pins enabled on your website (you should) your blog post title will automatically appear below your pin on Pinterest.

You should already be using keywords in your blog post title and content, as well as the link to your post.

Image Alt-Text

In the “Alt-Text” section of the pinnable images on your WordPress website, you should include your full pin description, including the keywords.  You can access the “Alt-Text” field in the Attachment Details of your media library or in the Image-Edit screen.

 

When someone shares your image to Pinterest from your website, the image alt-text will pre-fill the pin description area.

Without it, the pin description will likely remain empty since readers probably won’t take the time to write in a description.  Even if they do, it probably won’t be a keyword-rich description.

Your image alt-tags keep you in control of your content and how it appears when shared on Pinterest.

Note: Some social sharing plugins will use the image “Description” as the pin description.  To avoid any confusion, copy and paste the “Alt-text” information into the “Description” section.  This way, no matter which field your plugin pulls information from, your pins will always include a description.

 

Success On Pinterest

No matter what your experience has been like so far, with the right strategies in place you can increase your blog traffic exponentially with Pinterest.

It doesn’t matter what your niche is, Pinterest users are looking for content just like yours.  By using keywords on Pinterest, your profile and pins will start showing up in search results.

Keywords Aren’t Everything

In this post, the focus has been on using keywords on Pinterest to get more visibility for your pins.

However, using keywords isn’t the only strategy that impacts your growth.

Thousands of bloggers, including myself, have taken our blog to the next level with the help of Pinterest.  We’ve figured out the strategies that make growth and success on Pinterest inevitable.

Related Post: How To Create The Perfect Pinterest Image In 5 Easy Steps

There is a systematic approach to using Pinterest that will drive a ton of traffic to your website.  Not just any traffic – but your target market!  That means more email subscribers that are interested in your content, your products, and your services.

It took me almost two years to learn what I now know about Pinterest.  We’re talking countless hours of research on everything I could find about Pinterest and lots of trial and error.

I now use what I’ve learned to help my blog coaching clients increase their traffic and get more email subscribers.

Get More Personalized Help With Using Keywords On Pinterest

The Pinterest algorithm is always changing.  That means you need to be using the most up-to-date marketing strategies to get the best results.  If you’re still feeling stuck after reading this guide, you may be interested in my Pinterest Audit + Success Guide.  It’s perfect for you if you want a complete and personalized road-map for Pinterest success!

Conclusion For How To Use Keywords On Pinterest

Using keywords is an absolute necessity for your content to be found on Pinterest.  If you’re not using keywords, you are missing out on a huge opportunity to increase your blog traffic for free.

What Do You Think About This Topic?

Which Pinterest strategies do you think are essential for success?  Are you already using keyword strategies on Pinterest?  If so, have you noticed an increase in your growth?

I’d love to get your feedback on this topic.  Please leave your answers in the comment section below.

By the way, you can follow me on Pinterest for more blogging and social media tips.  If you pin this post to your favorite group board, it will make my day!

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