So you’re ready to start using Pinterest to drive traffic — brilliant. But before you design a single pin, there’s groundwork to lay. Get your account set up right from day one, and everything you do afterward works harder for you. Skip this step, and you’ll be fighting an uphill battle against your own profile.
Here’s exactly how to do it.
Step 1: Switch to a Business Account
If you’re serious about using Pinterest for traffic and affiliate income, a personal account won’t cut it. Creating a business account is completely free and only takes a few minutes, and it’s necessary to connect your website, giving you access to analytics and shopping features that personal accounts don’t have.
A business account also lets you claim your website and unlock Rich Pins, which pull extra metadata — like blog titles or product prices — directly into your pins.
Once you’re set up, claim your site. Go to Settings, then Claimed Accounts, then Website, and add the verification code to your site header (or use a plugin if you’re on WordPress). This tells Pinterest your content is trustworthy, which matters more than people realise.
Step 2: Get Your Display Name and Bio Working for You
This is the part most people rush past — and it’s a mistake, because your display name should include your most important keyword. “Sarah Johnson” performs worse for discovery than “Sarah Johnson | Home Decor Tips,” for example.
Your bio works the same way. You only have a small amount of space, so weave in 2-3 of your most important keywords naturally while explaining who you serve and what you do. A good example might read something like: helping busy home cooks find quick, affordable dinner ideas and easy meal prep tips to save time during the week.
The golden rule across the board: think less about sounding clever and more about sounding like something someone would actually type into the search bar.
Step 3: Build Boards That Actually Rank
This is where most new Pinterest accounts quietly fail. They create five or six broad boards — “Home,” “Food,” “Style” — and wonder why nothing happens.
Don’t name a board “Food.” Name it “Easy Weeknight Dinners for Busy Parents.” Board titles aren’t the place to be clever or poetic — they need to be straightforward and loaded with the keywords you’ve researched.
Keep boards focused and specific. A board titled “Home Decor” is too broad to rank well for any specific search, but a board titled “Boho Living Room Decor Ideas” ranks for a specific audience with specific intent.
How many boards should you build? Aim for 10 to 20 boards when starting out, each with a clear, specific topic.
And don’t leave your boards empty. Add 10 to 30 existing pins to each board before you start actively using Pinterest for marketing — boards with existing content look established to both the algorithm and to visitors who click through to your profile.
Step 4: Write Board Descriptions That Talk to the Algorithm
Most people skip the board description entirely. Don’t — it’s some of the most valuable, and most underused, real estate on Pinterest. This is your chance to speak directly to the algorithm.
Write two to three sentences describing exactly what the board covers, including natural variations of your primary keyword. Write in natural, complete sentences, weaving in 3-5 related keywords, and tell people who the board is for and what kind of inspiration or solutions they can expect to find.
Step 5: Find Your Keywords (Without Paying for Tools)
You don’t need expensive software to find what people are searching for. Pinterest’s own search bar is your best free keyword tool — type in a term related to your niche and watch the autocomplete suggestions, which are trending keywords in real time.
You can also use the Guided Search bubbles that appear when you search a term — these are popular sub-keywords you can fold straight into your titles, descriptions, and board names.
This is exactly the kind of free keyword research our Pinterest cheat sheet walks you through in more depth, alongside the next step — getting your pins designed so they actually convert clicks, not just saves.
Why All This Matters Before You Pin a Single Image
Pinterest’s AI has become sophisticated at identifying a pin’s topic from its visual content, text overlay, title, and description together — so the foundation you build now affects how every future pin performs. Get the account structure right first, and your content does the heavy lifting later.
In the next article, we’ll get into pin design — what actually makes someone stop scrolling and click through, and the tools that make it possible even if you’ve never designed anything in your life.
In the meantime, if you want the full step-by-step system — including the exact account setup checklist and keyword strategy — grab our free cheat sheet below.
Download the free Zero-Cost Pinterest Affiliate Cheat Sheet here.
Daily Waffle is your home for honest, practical guides to making your content — and your traffic — work harder. Catch up on the rest of the Pinterest series below.
Photo by Bastian Riccardi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-a-smartphone-screen-displaying-social-media-app-folder-15406294/