When it comes to Pinterest marketing, keywords have always been at the core of how content gets discovered. In this episode of the Simple Pin Podcast, I’m diving into part two of our troubleshooting series—this time, all about keywords. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your pins actually show up for the right people, it’s time to talk strategy. Keywords are the backbone of Pinterest search, helping surface pins when users are searching or browsing their home feed. Without them, Pinterest would be a chaotic gallery of pretty pictures. But how do we make sure we’re using keywords well—and intentionally?
Why Keyword Strategy Often Gets Skipped
I get it—we’ve all been there. You’ve created your podcast, filmed a video, made a Pinterest image, and now you’re supposed to write a compelling description? At that point, I’m just ready to hit publish. But skipping over this step is where a lot of people go wrong. Over the years, I’ve seen how easy it is to fall into the trap of just slapping something up and moving on. But after nine years of talking about Pinterest keywords (and more episodes than I can count!), I know that taking just 5–10 extra minutes here can make all the difference in performance.
What’s Not Working—and Why
The biggest issue I see is that people either don’t know where to find good keywords or they’re relying on Instagram-style auto-posts that don’t translate well to Pinterest. Instagram captions aren’t built with Pinterest SEO in mind, so these auto-pins often fall flat. Then people throw their hands up and say, “Pinterest doesn’t work for me.” But before you give up, slow down. Be intentional. This extra effort upfront helps you avoid frustration down the line.
How to Find and Use the Right Keywords
Thankfully, there are tools to make keyword research easier. Pinterest has two great native tools: the Pinterest Trends Tool (trends.pinterest.com) and the search bar itself, which shows popular suggestions. Tailwind and other platforms also offer helpful keyword features. If you’re short on time, you can create a list of commonly used keywords and reuse variations of optimized descriptions. AI tools like Claude (my personal favorite) or ChatGPT can help generate keyword-rich descriptions, but always review them to make sure they sound natural. And don’t forget—Pinterest allows up to 500 characters in a description, so use that space wisely.
Final Thoughts: Slow Down and Be Intentional
If you’ve been listening for a while, you already know that keywords matter. But maybe you’ve fallen into the habit of ignoring them or rushing through. This is your reminder to slow down and get specific. Be thoughtful about the keywords you use so your content actually reaches the people searching for it. And if you’re new to Pinterest, don’t worry—we’ve got a free keyword guide on our site to help you get started. Next week, we’ll wrap up our troubleshooting series with a focus on content. See you then!
Do you recommend long descriptions? Or short but kw optimized is fine?
Pinterest allows 500 characters max for descriptions, but you definitely don’t need to fill all that space! We recommend around 2-3 sentences that are keyword rich but still sound natural and conversational.