Last Updated February 2022 by Crystallace

Hey Girl!

Are you trying increase your blog traffic by increasing the Pinterest traffic to your blog? Keep reading because we are about to do a deep dive into the role Pinterest board names plays in doing that. Plus, my recommendation for the best YouTube Channel for Pinterest tips and the best affordable Pinterest course is in this blog post.

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Pinterest is more than a hub for closet inspiration and food items you never thought to try before. It is more than a place where you can store your love for bird feeders and shoes.

Above all things, Pinterest is a search engine- and a powerful one at that. So, if you are looking to jump into the Pinterest game, get seen, and grow a mass following, then here are a few do’s and dont’s to creating Pinterest board names that may make your end goal that much more obtainable.

How Important are Your Pinterest Board Names?

According to Sproutsocial.com, there are approximately 450 million monthly active users on the Pinterest platform. 450 million monthly! This means that there can be an average of 15 million or more active users on the platform on any given day within a 30-day period.

That’s a lot of people! And what’s even more interesting is that most users are actively looking or are searching for an answer to an immediate need and will more than likely use the Pinterest search field to find solutions.

For Pinterest Creators, this means that the search bar will be a primary ally, and depending on how your boards are ranking in the search results, you may want to make a few adjustments.

How Are Pinterest Boards Ranked?

In simple terms, Pinterest boards are ranked by content quality, keyword search, information relevance, and user interaction and engagement.

Although this is heavily debated as the Pinterest Algorithm has changed drastically within the last couple of years (and months if you’ve been keeping close watch), for the most part, these four categories are the main pieces to the pie.

Here’s why it should matter to you:   

• Pinterest users are searching for answers, and the quality of the content matters.
• Most users will find your Pinterest Board through a keyword search.
• Pinterest boards need to have relevant information.
• User interaction and engagement can result in a higher pinboard ranking.

How Users Search Pinterest

Think back to the last time you needed an urgent answer and searched Google for assistance.

• You type in your question, scrolled up and down the first page, and finally choose a page to review and utilize.
• After a few minutes of scrolling the page, you realized that what you were looking for was not there, and you backed out and continued to search another webpage.

When it comes to the Pinterest platform, the site is similar to Google, as a user can search in three different ways:

1. Keyword Search- typing your request into the search bar
2. Visual Search- searching a particular image by use of the search icon
3. Home Feed Search- Clicking on relevant pins on the homepage will generate more relevant content.

In this way, Pinterest wants to show users the highest content quality first, and they figure this out mainly by knowing:

• 1. How long the user stays on your pin
• 2. If the user clicked on any external links
• 3. If the user saved or printed out the pin

With this information, they can boost or lower your ranking, so when it comes to creating your board, you want to make sure the user gets as much bang for their buck as possible.

How does this pertain to your Pinterest board names? While it may be tempting to use unique Pinterest board names, You want to make sure that the name that you choose for your board matches the content on the inside. For example, if I created a board on acrylic nails and the content is low-quality photos, irrelevant pins, or broken links, users won’t stay on it for long, and your ranking may slowly dwindle downward.

Do: Incorporate Keywords in the Pinterest Board Names

Although a Pinterest creator’s primary goal is to show up on the home feed, most have a better chance of being in the top 5-6 results in the search bar. This means that not only does your pin need to be of good quality, but it also needs to fit within the users’ actual search.

If your board is catered towards a specific niche, such as dog bowls or dog biscuits, make sure you narrow the title down as much as possible to what a user might search for to rank higher.

For example, instead of naming your board ‘dog biscuits,’ you could spice it up by saying:

• Vegan dog biscuits
• Gluten-free dog biscuits
• Homemade dog biscuits 

This will narrow down your board competing with other dog biscuit boards and have a much better chance of showing up in someone’s top 5 search results. This is a trick most SEO bloggers and marketers use to rank higher.

SEO means search engine optimization, and just as the name suggests, it is used for better search result rankings. The main two types of SEO search titles are Short Tail and Long Tail, and without getting too technical, I will show you an example of both using our original ‘dog biscuits’ example:

Short tail SEO for ‘dog biscuits’

• Vegan dog biscuit recipes
• Vegan dog biscuits
• Making vegan dog treats

Long-tail SEO for ‘dog biscuits’

• Budget-friendly vegan dog biscuit recipes
• Easy to make vegan dog treats recipes
• Super quick vegan dog biscuits on a budget

As you can see, niching down may be helpful because if you can get close enough to your ideal user, the higher the chances of your board being pushed towards the top of the search results.

Don’t: Assume High-Quality Pinterest Board Names are Enough to Rank Higher

Truth be told, even if you don’t have the highest quality images, your board may be sprinkled with a few irrelevant pins, and you’re not showing up in the top search results, your boards can still be found with just the board name and user engagement.

Going back to what I said early, Pinterest wants users to stay on the platform as long as possible and counts on creators like yourself to create engaging, interactive, and thought-provoking content. Many creators accomplish this in two ways:

1. They stick with a set ‘theme’ or branding incorporated into each pin found inside the board.  So for a board focused on ‘Small Business Crowdfunding For Women’, every post will be focused on small business crowdfunding, with a set aesthetic to go with it and enticing pins that will make readers want to respond and engage with the pin. Adding posts about haircare and makeup will undermine the board and cause the ranking to fall as your intended audience may wander elsewhere.

2.  Interlinking relevant pins to the pinboard is a no-no. The goal is to keep the users on the platform and in tune as much as possible. Linking pins towards other pins can do just that as it continuously feeds the curiosity train, potentially leading to higher engagement.

Do: Add Pinterest Board Names To Alternative Text

This is the most looked-over gem when it comes to board ranking.

ADD YOUR PINTEREST BOARD NAME TO THE ALTERNATIVE TEXT.

• Alternative text tells users about images shown on the page- it describes them in detail.
  • For example, if you have a picture of a dog eating a biscuit out the palm of someone’s hand outdoors, you can add the alternative text, ‘short haired brown dog sitting in front of a person eating easy to make vegan dog biscuits out of their palm.’ You can be as creative as you want but make sure your board name is in there!

• Alternative text is also searchable in search results on and off the platform.

• Placing your Pinterest board name inside the alternative text will get you an extra boost of searchability as your board name will show up in more places.

Don’t: Adjust Your Pinterest Board Names

If you can, at all costs, refrain from changing or adjusting your Pinterest board names, I suggest you do so. Here’s why:

• Once your Pinterest board names are created, it generates a specific sharing link (custom URL) to track engagement. If you change your board name after your board has begun to circulate, the links will become broken, and potential viewers will not be able to locate your Pinterest board.

• If you have interlinked your pins and then changed the Pinterest board names (causing a break in the link), Pinterest may potentially pull the pins and mark them as hazardous, which may cause your ranking to drop lower.

• You have the potential to confuse your audience and lose followers due to the change in Pinterest board names.  Even subtle changes may spark a reason for your followers to jump ship, so make sure before you make your board public and begin to interact that you make sure that your board is here to stay.

Follow these tips when mapping out your Pinterest board names strategy, and you should have a smoother ride when it comes to ranking!

If you like watching YouTube and you’re interested in learning more great Pinterest tips for increasing your Pinterest traffic, check out Nadalie Bardo’s YouTube Channel below. This is a channel worth binging on.

Also, if you feel like you’re ready to invest in a Pinterest course and get your Pinterest life together, check out this affordable Pinterest Course by Ell. If you are feeling overwhelmed by Pinterest, consider using a Pinterest Virtual Assistant but read this blog post before you hire one.

For some more of my Pinterest tips check out this blog post. Any questions? Let me know in the comments or find me in my Facebook group.