In my last post about how to find keywords for your blog, we looked at a couple super easy methods to find keywords on Google and Pinterest. Today, I want to dive a little deeper into how to use Pinterest keywords! When I started Pinterest marketing for my home improvement blog, my traffic grew to 30,000 page views/month. Hollaaaa! Without further adieu, here are 6 places to use Pinterest keywords.
How to Use Pinterest Keywords
Note: This post may contain affiliate links.
Think of it this way: We want everything on your Pinterest profile to be searchable. Like we discussed in my last post about keyword research tips, we need to find words and phrases people are plugging into the Pinterest search bar and use those phrases across all our content. That’s SEO!
#1: Your Name
Yes, ma’am! Make sure your name tells who you are, but you can add a couple identifying keywords. Pro tip: Go into the Pinterest mobile app and change your name there – it will give you more characters than if you try to change your name via an internet browser.
#2: Profile Description
Don’t miss your profile description! Instead of writing, “I’m Hayley and I love coffee and pinning!”, use this space to plug in some descriptive keywords about your blog. This will help your potential readers find your profile and your content!
#3: Board Names
Back when I started my Pinterest account, I had Pinterest board names like, “My indecisive hair life,” for hairstyles I liked. It’s funny and kinda cute, but that is not searchable. When I revamped my Pinterest for my blog, I got rid of irrelevant Pinterest boards and renamed my existing boards to searchable phrases – keywords! In the home improvement world, many people are looking for “inspiration,” so I kept with that theme for my boards.
#4: Board Descriptions
Yes, friend! You can write a keyword-rich description for your Pinterest boards that will help them show up in the search bar! Use your keywords in easy-to-read sentences and include as many applicable keywords as you can while still feeling natural.
#5: Pin Descriptions
This is my favorite place to use Pinterest keywords – the pin description! These keywords can be ultra-focused on that pin’s content. I try to make my pin descriptions as long as Pinterest will allow and use 3-4 hashtags at the end. Make sure your pin description is still readable and not a huge list of keywords.
#6: The Image’s Alt Text
When you’re editing a post in WordPress, go to the image’s edit options. There, you’ll find a spot to enter alternative text, or, “alt text.” Alt text has a couple purposes…
- For accessibility. For those who are unable to see, programs will read the alt text of an image.
- For SEO. Alt text is, basically, your image described in words. The alt text follows your image around on the internet, like to Pinterest, and helps search engines know what your image is about.
PS – See that box that says Pinterest Text? That’s thanks to a WordPress plugin called Tasty Pins! It makes it super easy to add your Pinterest description. Plus, if anyone decides to pin that image, the description will auto-fill, making that pin already keyworded and ready to go by anyone who pins it. Woohoo!
Did ya learn somethin’?
I can’t stress enough the importance of optimizing your content for Pinterest keywords. You can share tons of images and have a nicely-curated Pinterest profile, but if Pinterest can’t understand the content you’re sharing, it’s pointless! SO, go optimize your profile, grab my keyword planner (if you haven’t already) and make yourself a bomb-ass Pinterest profile.
Sandy I BeautyBlissandChaos
30 Nov 2018Just signed up to receive your keyword planner and cannot wait to use it! Will be going over my Pinterest boards and updating the description and board names. I was unfamiliar with the wordpress plugin for adding “Pinterest Text.” Took a lot of great tips that I will be implementing. Thank you so much for sharing!
hayley
4 Dec 2018Hi Sandy – Thanks so much! I hope you find it super useful and you’re able to kick butt on Pinterest. Best of luck! 🙂
Kristi @ your Mom biz
22 Jan 2019Single best post I’ve ever seen on Pinterest keywords. I’ve been wondering how everyone seems to have longer names than what I’m allowed, lol! Game changer for sure! And I had no idea about the Tasty Pins plugin. You’ve been a tremendous help. Thank you so much, Hayley.
hayley
22 Jan 2019Wow! What a compliment! Thank you so much, Kristi! The Tasty Pins plugin is the BEST! I have it for my other blog and am really feeling the loss of not having it here, too. Will probably be buying a 2nd license soon! Best of luck! 🙂
visit my website
5 Jan 2020You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!