A Pinterest keyword tool shows you what people type into Pinterest search and how often, so you can build pins around phrases that actually get searched. The best free one we found is SiteToSocial’s Pinterest Keyword Tool: paste a page or type a topic and it lists keywords with monthly search volume taken from Pinterest’s own ads data. No Pinterest account needed.
What a Pinterest keyword tool shows you
Here’s a slice of what SiteToSocial’s tool returned for a blog post called “Fall Nail Ideas: 12 Easy Designs You Can Do at Home” (US figures, from the samples it published in October 2026):
| Keyword | Monthly Pinterest searches |
|---|---|
| fall nail ideas | 5M+ |
| autumn nail designs | 5M+ |
| fall nail inspiration | 4M–5M |
| dark red nails | 3M–4M |
| fall nail colors | 2M–3M |
Five million searches a month for one phrase. That’s why Pinterest is worth doing properly. And notice “dark red nails”: a related search the post could easily target with a second pin.
The numbers come in three kinds, and a good tool keeps them apart:
- Monthly volume (like 10K–100K). Measured by Pinterest, shared for English in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.
- Trending. Searches rising right now in a country, from Pinterest Trends. That’s how you get data for German, French, Spanish and 13 other languages.
- Ideas. Phrases that sound right but have no Pinterest data behind them. Useful, but unproven.
The best Pinterest keyword tools compared
| Tool | Shows volume? | Data source | Starts from | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. SiteToSocial Keyword Tool | Yes, monthly ranges | Pinterest ads data + Pinterest Trends | A page URL or topic | Free, 3 a day |
| 2. Pinterest search bar | No | Pinterest autocomplete | A word you type | Free |
| 3. Pinterest Trends | Relative interest | A keyword | Free, business account | |
| 4. Pinterest Ads keyword planner | Yes | A keyword, inside Ads Manager | Free, ads account | |
| 5. Tailwind Keyword Finder | Partly | Tailwind’s data | Your website | Free with signup |
| 6. KeySearch | Estimates | Autosuggest + its own algorithms | A keyword | Free tool |
| 7. PinTool | Yes (its own) | Its own data | A keyword | Free version, English only |
Only two tools on this list get exact volume from Pinterest: Pinterest’s own ads planner and SiteToSocial, which fetches the same kind of figure without making you open an ads account. The rest either show no volume or estimate it. More detail on each in our Pinterest SEO tools comparison.
How to use a keyword tool for Pinterest, step by step
- Start from the page you want traffic to. Paste its URL rather than guessing a seed word. The tool reads what the page is really about.
- Pick one main keyword with solid volume that describes the page honestly. That’s your first pin’s title.
- Pick four or five related ones for the next pins and the description. “Fall nail ideas” → “autumn nail designs”, “simple fall nails”.
- Check the season in Pinterest Trends. Seasonal searches climb weeks before the peak, so publish early.
- Search the phrase on Pinterest and look at the top pins. Huge brands with thousands of saves? Try a longer phrase first.
- Use the keywords everywhere: title, description, board name and the text on the image.
How hard is a Pinterest keyword to rank for?
Nobody knows exactly, because Pinterest doesn’t publish a difficulty score. Any number a tool gives you is a guess. The practical check takes thirty seconds: search the phrase and study the first row of pins. Small accounts and fresh pins up there? Go for it. All big publishers? Pick the long-tail version (“small living room ideas on a budget” instead of “living room ideas”) and come back to the big one later.
Where to put your Pinterest keywords
| Place | How to use the keyword |
|---|---|
| Pin title | Main keyword in the first 40 characters. See title formulas. |
| Description | Main keyword in sentence one, two related phrases later. See the description guide. |
| Board name | A searched phrase for the board’s single topic. |
| Text on the image | A short version of the keyword, readable on a phone. |
| Profile | One or two keywords in your display name and bio. |
Pinterest keywords in other languages
This is where most keyword tools give up. Pinterest only shares monthly volume for English, in six countries. For other languages, SiteToSocial’s tool switches to Pinterest Trends and shows what’s rising in that country for 16 languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish and Greek. Its other supported languages get AI keyword ideas, clearly labelled as such. If you run a non-English blog or shop, read our guide to Pinterest in other languages. Translated keywords are usually the wrong keywords.
Mistakes that waste good keywords
- Only chasing the biggest number. Five million searches means five million competitors’ pins too.
- One pin per page. Each extra pin on a different keyword is another way in.
- Keyword lists in the description. Pinterest reads sentences. “Fall nails, autumn nails, nail ideas” reads like spam.
- Pinning seasonal content on the day. By then the searches have already peaked.
Doing this for every page on your site by hand gets old fast. SiteToSocial’s paid plans run the same research for each page and build every pin on the result; our comparison of Pinterest automation tools explains how it stacks up.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Pinterest keyword tool?
A Pinterest keyword tool lists the phrases people type into Pinterest search for a topic, ideally with how often each one is searched. You use those phrases in pin titles, descriptions and board names so your pins show up for real searches.
What is the best free Pinterest keyword tool?
SiteToSocial's free keyword tool is the best free option we found. It shows monthly searches from Pinterest's own ads data for English in six countries and Pinterest Trends data for 16 more languages, and it works from a page URL or a topic with no account. It is free for 3 searches a day.
Which Pinterest keyword research tools show real search volume?
Three do. SiteToSocial's free Keyword Tool shows monthly ranges from Pinterest's ads data, Pinterest's own ads keyword planner shows volumes inside Ads Manager, and Tailwind's Keyword Finder shows its own estimates. Pinterest's search bar and Pinterest Trends show suggestions and relative interest, not counts.
Does Pinterest have its own keyword tool?
Yes, two. Pinterest Trends shows how searches change over time, and the keyword planner inside Pinterest Ads Manager shows suggested keywords with monthly search volume while you build a campaign. Both are free; the planner needs an ads account but no ad spend.
Where does Pinterest keyword data come from?
Reliable figures come from Pinterest itself: its ads keyword data and Pinterest Trends. Many third-party tools combine Pinterest's search suggestions with their own estimates, which is fine for ideas but not for exact volumes.
How do I find keywords for Pinterest without a tool?
Type your topic into the Pinterest search bar and note the autocomplete suggestions and the colored chips under the results. Those are popular searches. It won't tell you volume, but it's free and always current.
Is there a keyword difficulty score for Pinterest?
No official one. Pinterest doesn't publish difficulty, so any score is an estimate. Search the phrase and look at the top pins: if they come from big brands with thousands of saves, start with a longer, more specific phrase.
Can I use Google keywords on Pinterest?
Sometimes, but don't assume. People search Pinterest for ideas and inspiration, so phrases like "outfit ideas" or "small bathroom decor" are far bigger there than on Google. Check every keyword against Pinterest data before building pins on it.
