← All posts

Pin Keyword Research for Beginners: Find Phrases People Search For

Published 2026-10-16

When first making pins for your own pages, it's tempting to name them whatever sounds nice to you. "Sunday Reset Vibes." "My Favorite Little Planner." They looked pretty. Almost nobody found them.

It took me a while to get why. Visual search sites work a lot like search engines for ideas. Someone types a phrase, and pins that match it show up. If your pin doesn't use the words people actually type, it's sitting in a drawer nobody opens.

That's what keyword research is for, and a ppc keyword research tool is not where I'd start. It sounds technical, but on pin sites it's mostly about paying attention to how real people talk. Here's how I do it now, step by step, with examples you can copy.

Start with what your page is really about

Before you open any search bar, grab a notebook or a blank doc. Write one plain sentence about the page your pin will point to. Not the clever headline. The boring truth.

For example: "This page is a printable weekly planner for busy parents." Or: "This post shows five cheap lunch ideas for work."

Now picture the person who needs that page. What problem do they have right before they search? A tired parent might type "weekly planner for moms" or "family schedule printable." Someone packing lunch at 7 a.m. might type "easy work lunches" or "cheap lunch ideas."

Write down five to ten of these guesses. Don't judge them yet. You'll check them in a minute, and some will turn out to be wrong. That's fine. Mine often are.

Short, natural phrases win more often than you'd think

People don't search in full sentences on pin sites. They type a few words and look at pictures. Think "weekly planner," "meal prep ideas," "small bedroom storage."

Here's my favorite trick, and it works like a free keyword search tool. Go to the search bar on the platform and start typing your phrase slowly. Type "meal prep" and stop. A list of suggestions drops down. Those suggestions come from what people really search for, so they're a strong clue.

When I typed "weekly planner" once, the suggestions included things like "weekly planner printable" and "weekly planner aesthetic." I hadn't thought of the second one at all. It changed how I designed the pin.

A few things I look for in that list:

• Words that show up again and again, like "printable," "easy," or "for beginners"
• Phrases that match my page closely, not just loosely
• Small twists I didn't expect, which often point to a group of people I'd missed

Also try typing a letter after your phrase. "Meal prep a," "meal prep b," and so on. It's a little tedious, but you'll find phrases you'd never guess. You can do this with a cup of coffee, and it takes only about ten minutes.

One thing I'd skip: long, stuffed phrases like "best easy cheap healthy meal prep ideas for the whole week." Nobody types that. It reads badly, and it doesn't help.

Check keyword search volume over the year

Many pin platforms have a trends page, such as Pinterest Trends, which is a simple way to check keyword search volume. It shows how often a phrase gets searched across the year, usually as a simple line chart. If your platform has one, it's worth a look before you commit to a phrase.

You're watching for two kinds of patterns. Some phrases stay fairly steady all year. "Weekly planner" is a good example of the type, since people plan their weeks in March and in August. Others climb and drop with the seasons, like anything about holidays, back to school, or spring cleaning.

Both kinds are useful. Steady phrases are your bread and butter. Seasonal ones can bring a rush of visits for a few weeks if you time them right.

If a phrase barely shows any interest at all, I usually move on. And if a phrase looks wildly popular but has thousands of polished pins already, I'll often pick a slightly narrower version. "Meal prep for one" can be easier to show up for than plain "meal prep." That's my own habit, not a rule. Try both and see.

Plan seasonal pins well ahead

This is the part I got wrong for two years straight. Making a Christmas gift guide pin in mid-December is a common mistake, and it often goes nowhere.

Seasonal searches climb weeks before the actual event. People start looking for Halloween costume ideas long before October 31. So by the time you're thinking about a holiday, the searchers already were.

A good rule of thumb is to have seasonal pins ready six to eight weeks ahead. That gives the platform time to show them to people as interest rises.

Here's a rough way to plan it:

1. List the seasons or events that fit your pages. Back to school, New Year, summer travel, whatever matches.
2. Count back about six to eight weeks from each one.
3. Mark that date as your "pins ready" deadline.
4. Do your keyword checks a week or two before that, so you're not rushing.

If you like having ideas lined up ahead of time, our free gift, the 7-Day Social Media Post Ideas and Weekly Content Planner, is a simple way to start planning a week of posts, and you can grab it from the sign-up box on this page.

Put the phrase where it counts, and write like a person

Once you've picked a main phrase, you need to actually use it. Put it in three places.

The pin title. Put your phrase near the start. "Weekly Planner Printable for Busy Moms" is clearer than "My Go-To Way to Stay Sane: A Weekly Planner Printable." Both are fine to read, but the first one tells the search bar what it is right away.

The first sentence of the description. Use the phrase once, early, in a sentence that sounds normal. Something like: "This weekly planner printable helps you map out school runs, meals and chores on one page." Then add a line or two about what's on the page.

The board name. If the pin goes on a board, give the board a searchable name too. "Weekly Planner Ideas" beats "Stuff I Love."

What I wouldn't do is repeat the phrase five times in a row. It looks spammy to people, and people are the ones deciding whether to click. Write for the human first. If it reads well out loud, you're probably fine.

Keep a short, tidy keyword list

Early on, I had a spreadsheet with something like two hundred keywords in it. It's easy to never look at it. It was just too much.

Now I keep a short list, usually twenty or thirty phrases at most. For each one I track:

• The phrase itself
• The page it points to
• The date I pinned it
• A quick note, like "seasonal, peaks before summer"

That's it. A small list you actually open, whether in Google Sheets or a notes app, beats a huge one you avoid. It also stops you from accidentally making four pins for the same phrase and forgetting the rest of your pages.

If you'd rather have this on paper, there's a pin keyword research and pin planner workbook on our Shop page with a keyword shortlist, a pin title planner and a seasonal calendar. Check the seller's page for the current price and exactly what's included before you decide.

Look back once a month

Set a reminder for the same day each month. Try the first Sunday of the month, since it's usually quiet. Open your list and your pin stats, such as those in Pinterest Business Hub, side by side.

Notice which pins got saves or clicks and which ones just sat there. Look at the phrases on the ones that did well. Was there a pattern? Maybe pins with "printable" in the title did better for you, or maybe "easy" pulled more attention than "simple."

Then reuse what's working. Make a fresh pin design for a page that's doing well, using the same phrase or a close cousin of it. Try a new phrase on a pin that flopped.

Be patient here. Pins can take a while to get going, and no phrase guarantees anything. Some of my best pins did nothing for weeks. Some I was sure about never took off. Keep testing small changes and keep notes.

Tools worth a look for pin keyword research

You can start with nothing but the search bar, but a few tools make it easier to find, plan and track your phrases. Here are some real options, from free to paid.

Pinterest Trends

This is the platform's own trends page, and it suits anyone who wants to see how interest in a phrase moves over the year. Check which regions and time ranges it covers, since what you can see may depend on your account.

Pinterest Business Hub

A good fit if you want to see how your pins are doing next to your keyword list. Check that your account is set up as a business account first, as some tools only show there.

Tailwind

A scheduling tool that suits people who want to line up seasonal pins weeks ahead. Check which platforms and posting limits come with each plan before you sign up.

Canva

Handy for making pin designs with your chosen phrase in the title text. Check which templates and features sit behind the paid plan and which are free.

Google Trends

A free way to compare how phrases rise and fall across the year, which helps with seasonal planning. Check that the data reflects general web searches, not just pin site searches.

Notion

Works well for a short keyword list with columns for the phrase, the page and the pin date. Check that the free plan covers the number of pages and shared access you need.

Google Sheets

A simple, free option if you like a plain spreadsheet to track phrases and monthly notes. Check how you'll keep it tidy, as big sheets get ignored quickly.

Please check current plans and prices on each brand's own site before you choose.

FAQ

How many keywords should I use on one pin?

Stick to one main phrase and maybe one or two related words that fit naturally in the description. More than that usually makes the text clunky. Pick the phrase that matches your page best and build around it.

Do I need paid keyword research tools for pins?

Not to start, and the best free keyword research tool is often the platform's own search bar. The search bar suggestions and the platform's trends page, if it has one, cover a lot. Paid tools exist, but I'd try a free keyword search first so you know what you're actually looking for.

Should I change keywords on old pins?

You can edit titles and descriptions on many platforms, and I sometimes do for older pins that never got going. Often, though, I'd rather make a fresh pin with a new phrase and a new image. That way you can compare the two.

What if my topic has very few searches?

Try describing it in broader, plainer words. People may be searching for the problem, not your exact name for it. If it's still quiet, it might work better as one part of a bigger topic.

Quick recap

Start with a plain sentence about your page. Use the search bar as your keyword search tool to find short phrases people really type, and check trends to see when they're searched. Get seasonal pins ready six to eight weeks early. Put your phrase in the title, the first line of the description and the board name, but write for people. Keep a short list, and check it monthly.

If you want a head start, grab the free 7-Day Social Media Post Ideas and Weekly Content Planner from the sign-up box first. Then, if you'd like a printable way to keep your keyword list and seasonal plans in one spot, take a look at the workbook on our Shop page and see if it suits how you work.

Some links on this site may earn us a commission. Read our disclosure.