When we started our blog it earned nothing. Fast forward under two years and Pinterest is driving a predictable stream of traffic that converts, enough to pay our bills and then some. In this post we’ll walk through exactly how Pinterest turned a hobby site into a $8,539/month business: the timeline, the content strategy that scaled traffic, the growth tactics we leaned on, how revenue breaks down, the tools and systems we use, and the mistakes we made (so you don’t). This is a practical, no-fluff playbook based on what actually worked for us.

My Pinterest Journey And Results

Timeline Of Growth

We started pinning with zero strategy, a handful of pins, inconsistent images, and no keyword work. After we committed to a repeatable system we saw steady progress: within 3 months we went from 0 to our first meaningful clicks (100–300 monthly). By month 9 we were seeing recognizable momentum: several posts consistently getting daily traffic. By month 15 our ad RPMs and affiliate clicks started scaling. Around month 22 we hit $8,539/month in revenue. It wasn’t overnight: it was steady testing, optimization, and reinvestment.

Key Metrics And Monthly Breakdown

Here are the metrics that mattered most for us and what they looked like when we hit the $8.5k month:

• Pinterest-driven monthly pageviews: ~210,000
• Monthly clicks from Pinterest to the blog: ~85,000
• Average pin CTR (click-through to post): 3–4% on winners
• Saves and close-ups per top pin: 4–10k saves, tens of thousands of impressions

Revenue split (approximate) for that $8,539 month:

• Display ads: ~60% (~$5,100)
• Affiliate marketing: ~20% (~$1,700)
• Digital products/courses: ~15% (~$1,280)
• Sponsored posts/partnerships: ~5% (~$430)

Those numbers are the result of repeatable traffic plus conversion-focused pages, which we’ll unpack next.

Content Strategy That Scaled Traffic

Pin Types And Topic Selection

We built content around what Pinterest users were already searching for and then created multiple pin creatives for each high-value post. Our mix included:

• Standard vertical pins (tall images with clear headlines)
• Idea Pins (short multi-page/tutorial-style pieces to build awareness)
• Short video pins showing step-by-step or “before/after” moments
• Rich pins for product posts to give added context

Topic selection followed a simple rule: if Pinterest search suggested it and our keyword research showed intent, we prioritized it. That meant how-to posts, lists, seasonal guides, and products that solve a clear problem.

Keyword Research For Pinterest SEO

Pinterest is a search engine. We stopped guessing and started treating it like one. Our keyword workflow:

1. Use Pinterest search bar autocomplete to see phrase suggestions and long-tail modifiers.
2. Check Pinterest Trends for seasonal interest spikes and evergreen opportunities.
3. Validate intent with Google (are people converting?) and with existing site analytics (which posts already convert?).
4. Build keyword-based pin titles and descriptions: a primary phrase in the title, 2–3 supporting long-tails in the description, and clear calls to action.

This combination of topic selection + keyword-first optimization turned latent impressions into clicks and then pageviews.

Growth Tactics And Optimization

Pin Design, Copywriting, And A/B Testing

Visuals and copy are the conversion levers. We designed pins with contrast, legible fonts, and a single compelling headline. Then we tested variations: different color palettes, headline wording, and CTA treatments. Small changes moved CTRs by 20–60% on winners.

A/B testing approach we used:

• Create 3–5 variants for a top-converting post.
• Run them for 2–3 weeks to gather signal (avoid killing a pin too early).
• Keep winning elements and iterate.

Scheduling, Fresh Pins, And Distribution Strategy

Consistency matters. Our distribution playbook:

• Batch-create pins weekly and schedule them with Tailwind (or a scheduler of choice) to maintain a steady flow.
• Use “fresh pins” often, Pinterest favors new creative, so we regularly publish new variants rather than resharing the same image.
• Mix direct-demand pins (pins that link to a product/affiliate post) with awareness pins (idea pins and video) that funnel into our email list or top posts.

We avoided over-reliance on group boards and focused instead on building a set of niche boards with clear descriptions and keywords. Over time, the algorithm favored us because we showed relevance and consistent engagement.

Monetization Breakdown: How The Revenue Was Made

Display Ads And RPM Optimization

Display ads were the largest slice of revenue. We improved RPMs by:

• Prioritizing longer, high-intent posts that attracted sustained traffic
• Improving site speed and mobile experience (ads perform better with faster pages)
• Testing ad layouts (fewer intrusive ads, better placement within content for viewability)

We worked with ad partners suited to our traffic profile and continuously tested layouts to lift RPM.

Affiliate Marketing And Product Funnels

Affiliate revenue came from deep product reviews, comparison posts, and resource pages. We built product funnels by:

• Linking to affiliates in high-intent content
• Adding comparison tables and best-of lists
• Using strong, natural CTAs and email sequences that re-surface top affiliate posts

Conversion landed in the 1–4% range for intent-heavy posts: optimizing copy and adding social proof moved that higher.

Digital Products, Courses, And Sponsored Work

Creating a few low-friction digital products (printables, small workshops) gave us higher-margin revenue. We promoted these via dedicated pins and email sequences. Sponsored work was smaller but valuable when aligned with our niche, we picked partnerships that felt authentic and always disclosed them.

Systems, Tools, And Workflow I Use

Essential Tools, Plugins, And Analytics

Our stack is straightforward and focused on scale:

• Canva for fast pin creation
• Tailwind for scheduling and SmartSchedule
• Pinterest Analytics + Google Analytics for traffic attribution
• A/B testing tracking in a simple spreadsheet (what we tested and results)
• Email platform (ConvertKit or MailerLite) to capture and nurture visitors
• WordPress plugins for speed (caching, image optimization) and ad management

Weekly Workflow And Content Calendar

We run a weekly rhythm that keeps growth predictable:

• Monday: Keyword research and topic selection for 1–2 posts
• Tuesday–Wednesday: Create post(s) and 3–5 pin variants
• Thursday: Schedule pins, set up Tailwind queues, and finalize descriptions
• Friday: Analytics review (top pins, CTR changes, page performance)
• Weekly time-blocks for product or course work

Keeping this cadence makes the system repeatable, and scalable when we hire help.

Common Mistakes I Made And How To Avoid Them

Quick Fixes And Priority Changes For Faster Results

Mistake 1: Treating Pinterest like social media. Fix: Treat it as search, prioritize keywords and intent.

Mistake 2: Relying on one pin creative. Fix: Make variations and fresh pins regularly.

Mistake 3: Monetizing too early with low-value offers. Fix: Build a foundation of useful, high-converting content first.

Mistake 4: Not tracking conversions properly. Fix: Tag important pages, use UTM links on pins, and check Google Analytics weekly.

If you apply those quick fixes, you’ll accelerate learning and get to revenue milestones faster.

Conclusion

Pinterest took our blog from zero to $8,539/month because we treated it like a search engine, built repeatable systems, optimized creatives, and focused on conversion-centered content. You don’t need viral luck, you need a process: keyword-first content, multiple pin creatives, disciplined scheduling, and continual monetization experiments. If we could do it while learning on the fly, you can, too. Start small, measure everything, iterate, and scale what converts.