How to Find Pinterest Keywords

Stop thinking about Pinterest keywords like you think about Google keywords. They aren’t the same. This guide breaks down exactly how to find the right keywords that will get your Pins discovered by an audience eager to find new ideas, inspiration, and products.

Think Like a Pinner: Why Pinterest Keywords Are Different

Unlike Google, where users search for specific answers or products, people on Pinterest are in a completely different frame of mind. They are browsing, dreaming, and planning for the future. Pinterest isn't just a search engine, it's a visual discovery engine. The keywords used here reflect that mindset - they are aspirational, descriptive, and focused on ideas rather than immediate transactions.

For example, someone might search Google for "buy size 8 red dress," but on Pinterest, they’re searching for "summer wedding guest outfit ideas" or "date night outfit inspiration." Understanding this difference is the first step to mastering Pinterest keyword research. Your goal is to get inside the head of someone who is gathering ideas, not just making a final purchasing decision.

Method 1: The Pinterest Search Bar & Guided Search

Your first and most direct source of keyword intelligence is the Pinterest platform itself. Pinterest actively guides users to what they want with its powerful search features, and you can use these same tools to understand what your audience is looking for.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

1. Start with a Broad Keyword: Go to the Pinterest search bar - preferably in an incognito or private browser window to get unbiased results - and type in a broad topic related to your niche. If you are a food blogger, you might start with "healthy dinners." If you're in home decor, try "living room."
2. Analyze Autocomplete Suggestions: As you type, Pinterest will suggest a dropdown list of popular searches. These aren't random, they are terms that people are actively searching for right now. Pay close attention to these phrases. "Healthy dinners for family," "healthy dinners on a budget," and "healthy dinners quick" are all valuable long-tail keywords.
3. Explore the Guided Search Tiles: After you press enter, look for the row of colorful tiles with words on them directly below the search bar. This is Pinterest's Guided Search. These tiles are modifiers that users frequently add to their original search to narrow down the results. For our "living room" search, you might see tiles like "modern," "farmhouse," "on a budget," or "small."
4. Drill Down Further: Click one of those tiles, like "modern." A new set of tiles will appear, helping you find even more specific, long-tail keywords. You might now see "apartment," "neutral," or "cozy." By clicking through these, you can uncover incredibly niche keyword phrases like "cozy modern living room apartment." That's a highly targeted idea for a Pin!

Actionable Tip: Keep a simple spreadsheet or note to track these keywords. Have columns for your "Seed Keyword" (e.g., "living room"), the "Guided Search Mods" (e.g., modern, small, cozy), and the resulting "Long-Tail Keywords." This will quickly become a bank of content ideas.

Method 2: Let Pinterest Trends Guide Your Strategy

Pinterest is all about catching trends before they peak. The built-in Pinterest Trends tool is incredibly valuable for planning your content calendar, especially for seasonal topics. It shows you the search popularity of specific keywords over time, allowing you to see what's gaining steam.

How to Use Pinterest Trends Effectively

• Check Seasonality: Head to trends.pinterest.com and enter a keyword like "fall decor." The graph will show you a predictable spike starting annually around August. This tells you when you need to start publishing content on that topic. Remember, successful Pins need time to gain traction, so plan to publish seasonal content 45-90 days in advance.
• Discover Rising Trends: Scroll down below the main graph to the "Related trends" section. Here, you’ll find keywords that are gaining popularity faster than others. These are breakout phrases you can capitalize on. You might discover that "moody fall decor" is growing faster than the generic term.
• Compare Keywords: The tool allows you to compare the popularity of up to four different keywords. For instance, you could compare "boho decor," "farmhouse decor," and "scandinavian decor" to see which style is currently most popular or if one is experiencing a seasonal surge.

Method 3: Sneak a Peek With the Ads Keyword Tool (It's Free!)

Even if you never plan on spending a dime on Pinterest ads, the keyword research tool within the Ads Manager is a goldmine. Unlike other methods that rely on suggestion, this tool gives you estimated monthly search volumes, helping you prioritize which keywords to target.

Here’s your roadmap to finding it:

1. Get a Business Account: If you don't have one already, convert your personal account to a free Pinterest Business account.
2. Start a Dummy Campaign: Go to your Ads Manager and click "Create campaign." Don't worry, you won't be charged anything.
3. Navigate to Targeting: Select any campaign objective (e.g., "Consideration") and click continue. On the next screen, scroll down until you see the "Targeting" section. Find the block labeled "Keywords and Interests."
4. Start Your Research: Type a keyword into the search box. The tool will not only show you related keywords but also the approximate monthly search volume for each one. This is amazing data. Suddenly, you can see if "keto recipes" gets more searches than "paleo recipes" and you can adjust your content strategy accordingly.

This method moves you from guessing what's popular to making data-informed decisions about what to name your boards, titles, and descriptions.

Method 4: Analyze What's Already Working for Others

You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Analyzing successful pins, boards, and profiles within your niche offers a clear blueprint for the type of keywords that resonate with your target audience.

A Simple Competitor Analysis Workflow

• Identify Top Accounts: Find 5-10 popular creators, brands, or competitors in your niche. Look for those with high follower counts and strong engagement.
• Examine Their Pin Titles and Descriptions: Read through their recent high-performing pins. What phrases do they use repeatedly? Note how they frame their ideas. Are they using phrases like "easy ways to," "DIY tutorial," or "5 ideas for?"
• Study Their Board Names: Board titles are prime real estate for powerful, category-level keywords. Notice how they organize their content. A fashion blogger might have boards named "Capsule Wardrobe Essentials," "Casual Fall Outfits," and "Minimalist Style Inspo" - all excellent keyword phrases.
• Read Pin Comments: Sometimes the most valuable keywords come directly from the audience. Skim the comments section on popular pins. How are users describing what they like about the content? They might use different phrasing or ask questions that reveal what they were truly looking for, giving you fresh keyword ideas.

Putting It All Together: Where to Strategically Place Your Keywords

Once you've built your list of keywords, the final step is to strategically place them across your Pinterest profile and content so the algorithm can understand what you're about and show your content to the right people.

Here’s your placement checklist:

• Profile Name & Bio: Weave your primary, most-important keywords into your "username" and your bio description. Help users and Pinterest understand exactly what you do at first glance. For example, instead of just "Jane's Blog," try "Jane's Blog | Easy Vegan Recipes."
• Board Titles: Your board titles should be clear and keyword-focused. No cute or clever names. "Vegan Dinner Recipes" is far better for search than "Yummy Tummy Stuff."
• Board Descriptions: Use this space to write a natural-sounding sentence or two that includes relevant long-tail keywords related to the board's main topic.
• Pin Titles: This is arguably the most important location for your primary keyword. Your title is what shows up biggest in a user's feed and heavily influences whether they click. Be direct and clear.
• Pin Descriptions: Write a helpful, user-focused paragraph (2-3 sentences) that naturally includes your primary keyword and a couple of related secondary keywords. Write for a human first, but be mindful of including those terms.
• On the Image Itself: While optional, if you create text overlay pins, be sure the text on the image uses strong captivating keyword-rich language. Pinterest Visual Recognition is another element to consider.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right Pinterest keywords comes down to understanding the dreamer's mindset and systematically using the platform's amazing built-in tools. By using a combination of the search bar, Trends report, Ads tool, and thoughtful competitor analysis, you can build a powerful keyword strategy that gets your Pins discovered again and again.

Once we figure out our keywords, the real work of creating and scheduling all that great content begins. To stay organized with our own content strategy, our team heavily relies on a clean, visual calendar. It's precisely why we built Postbase, it’s designed to manage all our social platforms from one place, letting us plan out our Pinterest strategy without fighting the clunky, outdated interfaces of older tools. It helps us get our researched ideas scheduled and out the door, so we can focus on finding the next great trend.