Ever stared at your Pinterest analytics and thought, “what are people actually typing into that search bar?”
You’re not alone.
Most Pinterest creators guess at what their audience wants.
They post pretty pins and hope for the best.
But hope isn’t a strategy.
If you want real traffic, you need to know how to find out what your Pinterest audience actually searches, not what you think they search.
Why Guessing Kills Your Pinterest Growth
Here’s the deal.
Pinterest isn’t social media.
It’s a search engine.
People land there looking for answers, ideas, and inspiration.
Not to scroll mindlessly like other platforms.
So if your pin titles and descriptions don’t match what people type, you’re invisible.
Doesn’t matter how gorgeous your image is.
I’ve seen creators spend hours on design and thirty seconds on keywords.
Guess who gets the traffic?
Not them.
Here’s what usually goes wrong:
- You assume your niche language matches Pinterest’s search language
- You copy competitor titles without checking if they actually rank
- You skip the search bar entirely and just post based on gut feeling
- You ignore seasonal search shifts that change every few months
All of this adds up to wasted effort.
The Free Tool Sitting Right In Front Of You
Pinterest literally hands you the answer.
It’s called the search bar.
Type a broad keyword related to your niche.
Watch the autocomplete suggestions pop up.
Those aren’t random.
They’re based on real searches from real users.
Let’s say you’re in the home decor space.
Type “living room” and Pinterest will show you things like:
| Search Term Suggested | Search Intent |
|---|---|
| living room ideas small space | Practical solution |
| living room aesthetic | Style inspiration |
| living room layout | Planning help |
| living room colour schemes | Decision-making |
This is gold.
Each one tells you exactly what people are struggling with.
Use them in your pin titles.
Use them in your descriptions.
Use them in your board names too.
Pinterest Trends Tool: Your Secret Weapon
Most people don’t even know this exists.
Pinterest Trends shows you what’s rising, what’s dropping, and what’s steady.
It’s free.
Go check it out if you haven’t already.
Here’s how I use it:
- I search my main topic and see the trend line over twelve months
- I check related searches at the bottom of the page
- I compare seasonal spikes so I can plan content weeks ahead, not days
- I look at regional data if my audience is location specific
This changes everything about how you plan content.
Instead of reacting, you’re planning ahead of the curve.
Reading Your Own Analytics Properly
Your Pinterest Analytics dashboard already has clues.
Head to the Audience Insights tab.
Look at what’s driving impressions and saves.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what to track:
| Metric | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| Top search terms | What’s already working for your content |
| Impressions by pin | Which keywords Pinterest is pushing |
| Saves vs clicks | Whether people find it useful or just pretty |
| Audience interests | Related topics you haven’t covered yet |
This data is sitting there right now.
Most creators never open this tab.
Big mistake.
Right, let’s crack on with how to find out what your Pinterest audience actually searches.
Because the search bar and Trends tool are just the start.
There’s more happening behind the scenes.
Spying On Competitors The Smart Way
Stop copying.
Start studying.
There’s a massive gap between the two.
Here’s what I mean.
Find three or four accounts in your niche that get proper engagement.
Not the ones with a pretty feed and nothing else.
The ones with genuine saves and comments.
Look at their top pins.
Check the wording in the titles.
Notice the phrases they repeat.
That repetition isn’t an accident.
It means those words are pulling traffic.
Write them down.
Build your own list.
Then check if those same terms show up in the Pinterest search bar too.
If they do, you’ve found a proper keyword worth using.
Using Pinterest Ads Manager Even If You Don’t Run Ads
Sounds odd, I know.
Stay with me.
Pinterest’s Ads Manager has a keyword targeting tool.
You don’t have to spend a penny.
Just create a draft campaign.
Type your keyword into the targeting section.
Pinterest will show you search volume estimates.
It’ll also suggest related terms with their own volume numbers.
This is proper data, not a guess.
Here’s a simple table showing what you might find:
| Keyword | Estimated Monthly Searches | Competition Level |
|---|---|---|
| meal prep ideas | High | High |
| meal prep for beginners | Medium | Low |
| meal prep on a budget | Medium | Medium |
See how the beginner term has less competition?
That’s your opening.
Go after the gaps, not just the big ones.
Talking To Your Actual Audience
Data’s brilliant.
But real conversations beat data every time.
Ask your email list what they’re struggling with.
Ask your Instagram followers the same question.
Their exact words become your next pin titles.
I did this last year with a baking account I helped manage.
Everyone kept saying “why does my banana bread sink in the middle.”
That phrase, word for word, became a pin title.
It outperformed every other pin that month.
Because it matched exactly how people think and speak.
Tracking Search Shifts Over Time
Searches change.
What worked in January won’t work in July.
Set a reminder every few months.
Go back through the search bar.
Check Pinterest Trends again.
Compare against your saved keyword list.
Cross out what’s gone cold.
Add what’s heating up.
This keeps your content fresh instead of stale.
Building A Simple Keyword Bank
Don’t keep this scattered across your head.
Put it in one spreadsheet.
Column one, the keyword.
Column two, where you found it.
Column three, whether you’ve used it yet.
This turns guesswork into a proper system.
One you can hand to a virtual assistant or use yourself every week.
Knowing how to find out what your Pinterest audience actually searches isn’t complicated once you’ve got the system running.
Checking What Other Platforms Are Telling You
Pinterest doesn’t exist in a bubble.
Your audience is also on Google.
They’re also on TikTok.
They’re typing similar questions into all three.
So here’s a trick I use constantly.
I check Google’s “People also ask” boxes for my main topic.
Then I cross-check those questions against Pinterest’s search bar.
Nine times out of ten, there’s overlap.
That overlap tells me the phrase isn’t a fluke.
It’s a genuine pattern in how people think.
Your keyword bank gets stronger every time you add a cross-platform match.
Watching Comment Sections Like A Hawk
Comments are an underused goldmine.
Not just on Pinterest.
Check YouTube comments in your niche too.
Check Facebook group threads.
People type their frustrations word for word.
They don’t dress it up.
They just say what’s bugging them.
Here’s what I look out for:
- Questions that get repeated across multiple posts
- Phrases with strong emotion attached, like “why won’t my…” or “how do I stop…”
- Complaints about something not working the way it should
Grab those exact phrases.
Test them as pin titles.
They tend to hit harder than anything you’d invent yourself.
Mapping Search Intent Against Content Type
Not every keyword needs the same kind of pin.
Some searches want a quick answer.
Some want a full guide.
Get this wrong and your bounce rate climbs.
| Search Type | Best Pin Format |
|---|---|
| Quick fix question | Single tip pin with clear text overlay |
| Broad inspiration search | Carousel or multi-image pin |
| Step-by-step need | Blog link pin with full tutorial |
Match the format to the intent.
Your click-through rate will thank you.
Testing Small Before Going Big
Don’t overhaul your whole strategy overnight.
Pick five keywords from your bank.
Create pins around them.
Give it two weeks.
Check impressions and saves.
Drop what flops.
Double down on what works.
This is how you build momentum without wasting a month on guesswork.
FAQs
Should I check Google trends alongside Pinterest?
Yes, it helps confirm a keyword isn’t just a Pinterest quirk.
How many keywords should I test at once?
Start with five, then scale once you see what’s working.
Do comment sections really help with Pinterest keywords?
Definitely, they show the exact language your audience uses naturally.
Is it worth checking competitor niches outside Pinterest?
Yes, cross-platform research strengthens your understanding of how to find out what your Pinterest audience actually searches.
