How to Find Your Pinterest Keywords as a Wedding Photographer
The first step to finding success on Pinterest as a wedding or elopement photographer (or anyone trying to use Pinterest professionally for their business) is finding your perfect keywords. Keywords are the key to success (pun fully intended) and the backbone of your Pinterest strategy. They will help your dream clients discover your work. Whether you’re just starting your Pinterest journey or you’ve given it a go, but you aren’t seeing the success you were hoping for, this guide will walk you through a simple yet effective process for researching and selecting the right keywords.
Why Keywords Matter on Pinterest
As you may or may not have already heard Pinterest is a visual search engine and NOT a social media platform. It’s closer to Google than it is to Instagram for example. This means that keywords are soooo important for getting your content in front of the right audience, in your case - people planning their wedding or elopement.
When couples are searching for wedding inspiration, they type in phrases like “romantic elopement in the mountains” or “intimate beach wedding ideas.” By strategically using keywords, you increase the chances of your work appearing in their search results, leading to more visibility, website clicks, and inquiries!
What Keywords Should You Be Using on Pinterest? How to Find Them?
To keep things organized, start by creating a Keyword Bank—a document where you can collect and categorize all the keywords relevant to your wedding photography business. I store my keyword bank as a Google Sheets document, but you could also use Excel! I find that the easiest way to filter and overview all the keywords I have.
Here’s how to begin the research:
Write down the core keywords related to your niche (e.g., wedding photography, elopement photography).
Include location-based keywords (e.g., Chicago wedding photographer, Colorado elopement photographer).
Think about the styles and vibes you typically shoot (e.g., boho wedding, luxury elopement, documentary wedding photography, candid wedding photography, editorial style wedding photography).
I’ve created a Keyword Bank Template to help you get started! 🎁
You’ll find some helpful keywords already in there, but remember, it’s YOUR brand, so only use the ones that make sense for you! And definitely add your own unique keywords too.
While it’s helpful to start with a general list, your keyword strategy should be unique to your brand and services. Ask yourself:
What kinds of weddings or elopements do I love photographing?
Where do I want to book more weddings?
What words describe my editing style or approach to photography?
Use these answers to refine your keyword list, making sure it truly reflects what you offer and the type of clients you want to attract. DO NOT use keywords or publish pins related to work you don’t actually want to promote. For example, it doesn’t make sense pinning a bunch of family or newborn sessions, if you want to book more weddings and elopements!
Keyword Research Using the Pinterest Search Bar
So you have your keyword bank open. Write a keyword at the top of the column and start researching. You can do so using Pinterest’s built-in search bar.
Open Pinterest and type a broad phrase, like wedding photographer or elopement photographer.
Look at the suggested phrases that appear under the search bar—these are popular searches related to your topic!
Write down the most relevant phrases and add them to your Keyword Bank.
Try the alphabet method: Type a keyword and add a letter (e.g., boho wedding a, boho wedding b, etc.) to see more suggestions.
This simple trick helps you discover new keyword variations that couples are actively searching for. Here’s an example of how it looks below!
Pinterest keyword research using the search bar!
Adding letters before or after your search phrase (going alphabetically helps you be organized and stay on track) to get even more relevant keywords to use!
Keep Your Keywords RELEVANT!
Make sure that whichever keywords you end up using, they are relevant to the blog/gallery you’re sharing. For example, do not use forest elopement keywords when the gallery is quite clearly a beach elopement. The more relevant your keywords are to your work, the more likely Pinterest will push them out to the right audience. Pinterest CAN read images, too, so if you try to trick the algorithm - it’s not going to last very long!
I highly recommend researching keywords for each new gallery you’re looking to promote. The keyword bank I shared, while a good start, is a bit limited. So if you want to share a boho style wedding gallery and you notice you don’t have boho wedding related keywords in your keyword bank, take 5-10 minutes before you start scheduling, to make sure you have the best keywords!
Final Thoughts
By taking the time to find the right keywords, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success on Pinterest. With a strong keyword strategy in place, your pins will be more discoverable, attracting the right clients who are looking for exactly what you offer.
And if you want even more in depth guidance on keyword research and exactly how to use them, check out my free Pinterest guide to help you on your DIY journey!