When it comes to Pinterest marketing and using Pinterest for your business, optimizing your Pinterest profile is one of the first steps. Your profile needs to be honed using the right keywords so that Pinterest can start to understand what your account is about and the type of content you share. As a visual search engine, this helps Pinterest know who to show your content to. Here are the ways that you need to optimize your Pinterest profile.
Pinterest Keywords and Keyword Research
Before we can start optimizing your Pinterest profile, we first need to do a keyword research to know what to optimize your account for. My favorite and the easiest method for finding keywords specific to Pinterest is doing the alphabet search method. Open Google Sheets and start building your list.
Log into Pinterest and start typing a keyword into the search bar to see what drops down. These are the top trending keywords that include that keyword. Next, add a space and the letter ‘a’ after the keyword to see what drops down now.
Make a note of any relevant keywords that drop down, remove the ‘a’ and add a ‘b.’ Keep going until you’ve gone through the alphabet, and by the end, you should have a nice list of keywords and keyword phrases to use.
When doing keyword research, think about your audience and what keywords they would be using and searching for to find you and your content.
Pinterest Profile Optimization
Now that we have done some keyword research and know what keywords we want to optimize your account, we can optimize your profile.
Here are the most important areas to optimize:
1) Your Pinterest Profile Display Name
We have 65 characters to play with here, and we want to add one of your top keywords that describes what you do and what type of content you create. Here are a couple of examples:
- Kara | Home Decor Candles and Gifts – okay
- Kara | Home Decor Inspiration & Gifts – better
- Hannah | Mindset Coach for Women – okay
- Hannah | Personal Development & Mindset Tips – better
Tips:
- If you have a local business (i.e., wedding photographers), include location in your name too!
- You have 65 characters available, don’t waste them on fun, but keyword-less names
2) About Your Profile Bio Section
This field allows 160 characters and should include the most relevant keywords, plus gives the reader (and Pinterest!) an idea about what you do. Try not to keyword-stuff. You want it to sound natural.
Here are a couple of examples for the above profile examples:
- Home decor ideas and inspiration for creating a home you love. Gift ideas and soy candles for every special event, party, or celebration.
- Helping women who are struggling with personal development, overcoming mindset obstacles, and wanting to live a happier life.
3) Your Board Titles
Your Pinterest board titles should be descriptive and include keywords. Think about what board titles and keywords fit your content and consider what other boards your audience would be interested in.
For example, a mom blogger who focuses on kid’s crafts might also have boards on parenting tips, motherhood quotes, etc. Those boards won’t fit their content but do fit with their target audience.
4) Your Board Descriptions
Your board descriptions should not only include keywords but also offer value to your followers. Your board descriptions should be written in sentence form, not just a string of keywords, as Pinterest would consider that keyword-stuffing.
You want to make sure that the boards you create have content worth following and are relevant to the topics they’re about, as well.
5) Lastly, your Profile Photo
What photo are you using for your account? Is it your logo? A photo used from a past vacation?
Try to find a pic that shows YOU and your personality. Most people want to see a face. It helps to personalize your brand. This is why an About page is so important on a website, too.
Okay, that should help Pinterest to help you find the right people. Don’t stress about getting the right words and keywords in there on the first try. It can always be changed or revamped. Just be sure that if your business changes, your profile does too.