How to Do Pinterest Keyword Research

(And Why Most Brands Get It Wrong)

Pinterest keyword research is one of the most misunderstood parts of Pinterest marketing.

Most brands treat Pinterest like a social platform.

It is not.

Pinterest is a search engine, which means visibility is driven by keywords, not followers, not posting frequency, and not engagement tricks.

If your content is not aligned with how people search, your Pins will struggle to gain traction no matter how strong your visuals are.

This is why understanding how to do Pinterest keyword research is not a technical extra. It is the foundation of Pinterest performance.

Why Pinterest Keyword Research Is So Important

Pinterest relies on keywords to understand, categorise, and distribute content.

Unlike other platforms, Pinterest cannot interpret your visuals alone. It uses text signals to determine what your content represents and who it should be shown to.

Without keyword clarity, Pinterest has limited context.

With strong keyword alignment, your content becomes discoverable, searchable, and capable of driving traffic long after publication.

This is why brands that understand how to find popular keywords on Pinterest consistently outperform those that rely purely on design or volume.

Pinterest Discovery Is Built on Search Behaviour

Pinterest is not driven by virality.

It is driven by relevance.

Users actively search for ideas, products, solutions, and inspiration. Pinterest then ranks and surfaces content based on keyword matching and behavioural signals.

Which means your objective is not simply to publish content.

Your objective is to match search intent.

Keyword research is how you uncover that intent.

How to Find Pinterest Keywords for Free

Pinterest itself provides the most reliable keyword data.

The platform continuously reveals how users search, what phrases are connected, and how topics are structured.

In practical terms, effective keyword research involves:

• Using the Pinterest search bar and studying auto-suggested phrases

• Observing predictive search queries

• Opening Pinterest in incognito mode to reduce personalisation bias

• Exploring related keyword nodes and topic groupings

• Reviewing keyword patterns in high-ranking Pins

Another frequently overlooked source of keyword insight is video tags.

Pinterest video content often contains highly valuable keyword signals.

Studying the tags associated with well-performing videos can reveal how Pinterest classifies content and what language is being prioritised.

For a full walkthrough of this process, watch the video below.

How to Find Popular Keywords on Pinterest

Many marketers assume keyword popularity requires external tools.

On Pinterest, the platform itself is the primary research engine.

Popular keywords reveal themselves through:

• Search bar predictions

• Guided search suggestions

• Related search tiles

• Consistently recurring phrases

• High-visibility content patterns

Pinterest is effectively showing you what users are already searching for.

The skill lies in recognising and structuring these signals.

How to Use Keywords on Pinterest

Finding keywords is only half the process.

Correct placement is what transforms research into visibility.

Pinterest reads keywords across multiple surfaces. Strategic distribution matters far more than keyword stuffing.

Keywords should be used naturally, clearly, and contextually.

Where Keywords Go on Pinterest

Pinterest uses keywords to index and rank your content. Placement directly influences discoverability.

Your keywords should appear in:

• Pin titles

• Pin descriptions

• Board titles

• Board descriptions

• Profile bio•

Image descriptions (where applicable)

• Video titles and descriptions

• Video tags

Each of these areas acts as a classification signal.

Well-structured keyword placement helps Pinterest understand exactly what your content represents and when it should be surfaced.

(I’ll add a diagram here)

How to Use Keywords and Hashtags on Pinterest

Hashtags on Pinterest function differently than on traditional social platforms.

They are not the primary discovery mechanism.

Keywords carry the dominant weight.

Hashtags can support categorisation and context, but they should complement keyword strategy rather than replace it.

Effective Pinterest optimisation therefore involves understanding how to use keywords and hashtags on Pinterest together, without overloading descriptions or diluting relevance.

In most cases, clarity and search alignment outperform excessive tagging.

Why Social Media Managers Should Pay Close Attention to This

Pinterest keyword research often falls into a grey area between SEO and social media.

Which means social teams are frequently responsible for performance without being given search-driven frameworks.

Understanding keywords shifts Pinterest from a guessing game into a structured visibility system.

Instead of hoping Pins perform, you begin designing discoverability.

This is a strategic skill, not a posting tactic.

Watch the Full Breakdown

For the complete step-by-step process, including live keyword discovery examples and visual demonstrations, watch the full tutorial:

Need Help Applying This to Your Brand?

If Pinterest keyword research feels confusing, inconsistent, or frustratingly slow, this is exactly the kind of problem we can diagnose quickly.

Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we can explore your niche, your search opportunities, and your visibility gaps.

Book your free call here!