Hello Reader,

When it comes to SEO, most bloggers think Google first.
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That’s fine until they try to apply the same rules on Pinterest.

Here’s the truth: the two platforms share search principles, but not data.​
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Tools like Keywords Everywhere (one of my personal Google favorites) pull their numbers from Google’s API — not Pinterest’s. That means the volume, difficulty, and suggestions you see are for Google search behavior, not for Pinterest users.

Pinterest has its own ecosystem, its own user intent, and its own search language — and that’s why so many “Pinterest SEO” tutorials lead creators in circles.

So how do you find real Pinterest data?
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There are only four reliable sources right now:

1. Pinterest Search Bar — Start typing your topic and watch what the predictive suggestions show you. Those phrases come directly from real user searches.
2. Pinterest Trends Tool — Great for seasonality and understanding when people search for a topic.
3. Pinterest Ads Manager — Use the keyword targeting tool to see related keyword ideas and audience volume (even if you’re not running ads).
4. Tailwind’s New Keyword Tool — Released this year, built using Pinterest’s API, and currently expanding. It’s the first third-party tool that shows Pinterest-specific keyword volume that you can trust.

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If you want a solid workflow, start here:
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→ Find your Google SEO keywords first.
→ Then take those keywords to Pinterest and validate them using the tools above.

For example, here's a keyword for a blog post I wrote recently: bone church Milan

It has decent search volume on Google at 1000/month and a low competition at .16 out of 1.

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Now let's look at Pinterest.

The keyword only comes up in the search bar and it's the only one.

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However, when I search for the actual church name more variations come up.

Now in this instance I wouldn't create a board for this keyword or the other "bone church Milan", instead I would create a board on Italy Travel Guides or possibly Churches & Cathedrals in Italy.

This would give you a place to put your Pins on this topic while also possibly expanding blogs to include other churches or cathedrals you might visit.
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If your topic appears in Pinterest search results (even if it's the only one like the example above) and has active content, add it to your keyword plan for both your blog content and Pinterest Pins.

How about we do one more?

Car camping essentials on Google is a high competition and high volume. I might write a blog post on this if it were a really niche post. For example, car camping essentials for the Sonoran desert or the Grand Canyon. I'm speaking to a more niche audience while still covering car camping for this blog post.

For Pinterest, this is also a popular keyword...

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It has even more search volume on Pinterest than Google.

I would most definitely create a Pinterest board with lots of Pinterest Pins for this blog post and more blog posts that I might create too.

This overlap between blog SEO and Pinterest SEO is the sweet spot.
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It’s where your content ranks on both search engines — Google brings in long-term readers, and Pinterest keeps new ones discovering you every day.

Tomorrow, I’m going into detail about Pinterest strategy for a travel blog, showing what you need to focus on in order to get the most out of the platform.

Keep an eye on your inbox for the link — this one’s going to save you hours of guesswork.

Cheers,

Heather

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