Researching keywords for YouTube is crucial for ensuring that your videos attract many viewers and receive numerous comments. With millions of users and countless videos uploaded daily, standing out on YouTube necessitates strategic “youtube keyword research”.
To get noticed, employing the right keywords is essential. Creators can enhance their video titles, descriptions, and tags by understanding their audience’s preferences and incorporating relevant keywords. This improves visibility in search results and attracts more viewers.
Effective YouTube keyword research can significantly increase your channel’s reach and viewer engagement. In this post, we’ll explore methods for YouTube keyword research, discuss tools that facilitate this process, and provide tips for optimizing your videos.
How YouTube’s Search Engine Works?
When we talk about YouTube, we’re not just talking about a website where people share videos. It’s the second most popular website in the world. YouTube is like a search engine. It uses an advanced algorithm to decide which videos should be popular.
This method is about paying attention to two important things: engagement and relevance. This means that your video should be interesting to the person searching for it and should also keep them watching. The YouTube algorithm looks at different things to decide how many people see your video,
- Watchtime
- Click-through rate
- User engagement
- Length of the video
YouTube tries to keep people watching videos for a long time by showing them stuff they’ll like and want to interact with. It’s really important to understand this if you want your videos to do well.
Is Keyword Research for YouTube and Standard SEO Different?
Researching keywords for YouTube is different than researching keywords for Google. When people go on YouTube, they usually want to watch videos that teach them something, make them happy, fix a problem, or answer their questions.
This means they use specific keywords for videos. For instance, “how to polish white shoes” or “how to set up a PS”. But this is where it becomes more intriguing. In YouTube SEO, we find words that are specific to the video.
These are words that explain how to do something, like a guide or example. They may not be popular on Google, but they are very popular on YouTube. It’s important to know that people want video answers, so your content should give them that.
When looking for keywords for YouTube, keep in mind that users are looking for video content to learn something. Commonly used search terms on YouTube with high search volume include words like “101”, “how to”, and “tutorial”.
So, it’s important to use the right keywords to match what people are looking for when they search on YouTube for educational or exploratory videos. Using the above words along with your title can really make your YouTube videos more popular.
How to Choose the Right Keywords for YouTube?
Choosing the right keywords is very important for your YouTube strategy to work well. You want to find the keywords that will attract your desired audience to watch your videos.
Picking the right keywords is both a science and an art. It means knowing your content, your audience, and how YouTube’s search engine works. When figuring out what words to use for YouTube, follow these important steps:
Set Clear Goals
To pick the best words for YouTube, first decide what you want to achieve. Figure out why you are making videos and what you want them to do, like getting more people to watch, subscribe, or interact with your videos.
Know who you are trying to reach and what they like, are interested in, and how they look for things. First find words that people search for a lot and don’t have a lot of competition. Pay attention to long, detailed keywords that are related to your specific industry and the people who are interested in it.
By deciding what you want to achieve and doing research on what words people use, you can pick the best words to make your YouTube videos show up to the right people. Having a clear goal at the start of your plan will help you to reach it efficiently.
Understand Your Audience
Choosing the best keywords for YouTube is important, so it’s important to know who your viewers are. First, study the people you want to reach, like what they like, what they choose, and how they search for things.
Focus on the subjects they talk about and the words they use. Use YouTube Analytics to learn about who is watching your videos, how long they are watching for, and how much they are interacting with your content.
Survey or talk to your audience on social media to get their feedback and know what they need. By knowing your audience, you can find important words that they like. This can help your videos show up in search results and bring in viewers who really like your content.
Use Keyword Tools
Use different keyword research tools to find the best keywords for YouTube. Use search suggestions to find out what people are searching for related to your videos. Tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or TubeBuddy can give useful information about how many people are searching for a certain keyword, how much competition there is, and what the current trends are.
Watch more videos to find the words that attract a lot of viewers. Use these tools to make a list of important words that many people are searching for, and that are not too hard to compete with. By using data to find the best keywords, you can make your YouTube videos easier to find in searches and get more people to watch them.
Study Your Competition
To find the best keywords for YouTube, look at what your competitors are using. Examine the words they use in their video titles, descriptions, and tags to see what they are focused on. Make sure to notice what they talk about and how they talk about it to keep their audience interested.
You can use TubeBuddy or VidIQ to see how well your competitors are doing and find out what keywords are helping them succeed. Search for areas where you can make your content stand out and focus on using keywords that haven’t been used much.
It is not always necessary to use new words for your YouTube videos. By looking at what other people are doing, especially your competitors, you can learn how to use the best words to get more people to watch your YouTube videos in your area.
Focus on Long-tail Keywords
Choose long phrases as keywords for YouTube to make it easier to find the right videos. These are special phrases that are focused on certain topics or the things that people are interested in.
Long-tail keywords are easier to rank for and attract specific viewers because they have less competition and show higher intent. Try to find specific long-tail keywords that relate to your content.
Use these important words in your video titles, tags, and descriptions to help people find your videos when they search. By using long-tail keywords, you can get more people interested in your videos on YouTube, which can make them more successful.
Leverage YouTube’s Suggestions
Use YouTube’s suggestions to choose the best keywords for your videos. Type a word or phrase in the search bar and see the suggestions that come up. These ideas come from what real people have searched for online.
They tell us what topics and words are popular. Also, go to the bottom of the search results page to find similar searches, which can give you more keywords to use. By using YouTube’s suggestions, you can find popular keywords to make your videos easier to find and more interesting for viewers.
Optimize Your Content
To pick the best words for YouTube, make sure your videos are focused on those words. Use the chosen keywords in a natural way in your video titles, descriptions, and tags. Make sure your video titles are interesting and show what the video is about so people will want to watch them.
Write about things in detail, including important words, so people can easily find them when they search. Use tags cleverly to make your content more relevant to the keywords you have chosen. By using the best keywords in your videos, you can help more people find and watch them on YouTube.
Monitor and Adapt
To find the best keywords for YouTube, watch how they work and change your plan if needed. Consistently keep an eye on how well your videos are doing using YouTube Analytics and other tracking tools.
Keep an eye on numbers like how many people are watching, how long they are watching, and how many stick around to see if your keywords are working well. Look at which words are bringing the most people to your website and getting them to interact, then change your word strategy to fit.
Try using different words and strategies to see what works best for your videos and the people who watch it. By always checking and changing your keywords, you can make your videos perform better and get more people to watch them on YouTube.
Understand Usage of Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords
When choosing keywords, you need to find a balance between how many people are searching for them and how many other websites are using them. Short-tail keywords are general and many people look for them, but there are a lot of other websites using them too.
Think about staying healthy and fit, it’s a big topic with lots of people searching for information and lots of videos trying to get noticed. Long-tail keywords are very specific and detailed, such as “morning exercise for 60+ people”.
They may not be searched for as much, but there is also less competition, so it’s easier for your video to get noticed. The important thing is to find a balance where the keywords you choose are popular enough to attract viewers, but not so competitive that your video gets lost among other content.
Choose Keywords That are Relevant
The most important thing for YouTube keyword research is to use relevant keywords. Choose keywords that accurately describe your video and who it is meant for. This means knowing everything about the content of your video and who you want to reach with it.
Using the right keywords that match your video and what your viewers like will help you get more views and keep people interested in your content. Being relevant makes people watch for a longer time, be more interested, and have a better connection with the audience.
Learn Search Intent
Understanding search intent means to know what your viewers are thinking. What do people want when they search on YouTube? Do they want to learn something, solve a problem, watch something entertaining, or find a review of a product?
Figuring this out can help you choose the right keywords for your videos that match what your audience wants. Understanding what people are looking for when they use search engines can help you improve your marketing on YouTube in different ways.
It helps you make content that answers your audience’s questions, helps with their problems, and fits with what they are looking for, so your channel is a useful source in your area of interest. This makes the users visit your channel.
7 YouTube Keyword Research Tools
It’s easier to find good keywords for YouTube if you have the right tools. These tools can help you find out which keywords people are looking for on YouTube, check out the competition, and see how well your chosen words might do. If you need a free tool to find keywords for YouTube, one of the below tools will help,
AnswerThePublic
This tool gives you questions that people are asking about your keyword. It’s great for YouTubers because it helps you know what people are searching for and what questions your videos can answer. This can help you make content that your audience will like. For any keyword, it displays the various types of questions related to your keyword and how you can answer them to get the best SEO outcomes.
Keywords Everywhere
This tool helps you see important words while you browse the internet. It tells you how many people are searching for your keywords, how many other websites are using the same keywords, and if the popularity of those keywords is going up or down. It also includes data from YouTube. It’s a helpful tool for seeing how good your keywords are as you search.
Google Keyword Planner
It is a very helpful tool for finding the right words to use in YouTube videos. It is mainly made for Google Ads, but it also gives information about how often people search for something, how many other people are competing for the same thing, and suggests words that are related to the topic you are searching for in YouTube. You can use these keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags.
Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is really good for finding keywords for Google and YouTube. You can use it to get ideas for keywords, see how many people are searching for them, and figure out how hard it would be to get your website to show up when people search for those keywords. It can help you find specific keywords that have the right amount of people searching for them and are not too hard to rank for.
Also Read: 10 Best Ubersuggest Alternatives to Try in 2024
TubeBuddy
Created for YouTube, TubeBuddy provides a set of tools that make it easy to find the right keywords and optimize videos. This tool tells you how well certain words are doing on YouTube and suggests tags for your videos. It also helps you see how well you rank for specific terms.
VidIQ
VidIQ is a tool used to help you grow your YouTube channel by providing analytics, keyword research, and optimization tips. It is similar to TubeBuddy, but it has its own special ideas and tips. It helps you see what your competitors are doing well and gives you ideas for words and tags to make your videos easier to find.
Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
This is a powerful tool that gives a lot of information about how many people are searching for certain words on YouTube, how hard it is to compete for those keywords, and how much traffic you could get from using those keywords. Users can find new keywords and see how difficult it is to rank for them by typing in words or URLs of their competitors.
Also Read: 5 Google Tips To Improve Video SEO (VSEO)
Implementing Keyword Strategy for YouTube
Now that you have your keywords, the next step is to use them in your YouTube videos to help more people see and interact with your content. Here are some practical tips to make your videos more likely to be clicked on and improved:
Title Optimization
Choosing the right title for your video is important because it’s the first thing people see. Be sure to use your main keyword in a way that sounds natural and keeps the reader interested. The title needs to be easy to understand, interesting, and make people want to click on it.
Good Description
The video description is not just for putting links. Use it to include your keywords, especially at the beginning of your content. But make sure to still give the viewer something useful and tell them what the video is about. Description is a place where you can add the important keywords related to your video.
Categories and Tags
Use your important words as tags to help organize your video on YouTube. This helps more people find your video when they are looking at similar videos. Think how a user would search for your video. You can have the most intelligent caption and description for your video but if the keywords used in them are not searched for, then people won’t be able to find your video easily.
Interesting Thumbnails
Even though they’re not exactly about the words you use, if you make custom thumbnails that catch people’s attention, more people will click on your video. If your video is as good as it looks in the thumbnail and title, more people will probably watch it, which can help it become more popular.
Keywords in Spoken Content
Use the words you want to be known for in your YouTube videos because YouTube’s system will also look at the words you say in the video to decide how to rank it. Using your main keywords in your video in a natural way can make it easier for people to find. Using your keywords when you talk also puts them in written records, which can improve your website’s search engine ranking.
Final Thoughts
YouTube keyword research is really important for making successful videos. By doing a lot of research on keywords, creators can find words and phrases that people are searching for and that match what the audience likes and wants.
Finding the right words to use on YouTube is a very important part of making a successful content plan. Don’t just try to get people to watch, aim to connect with and help your intended audience. Your videos can stand out and connect with people if you do it right.
As YouTube gets bigger and changes, it’s important to do keyword research to stay competitive and make sure your videos reach a lot of people. By using keyword research in their videos, creators can improve their chances of doing well on YouTube and reaching their goals with their content.
FAQs
Can I use the same keywords for YouTube and Google?
Some keywords are used on both YouTube and Google, but it’s important to research different words for each platform. When choosing keywords, think about what people are looking for on YouTube and how they search for it.
How do I find popular words for YouTube?
You can discover popular words for YouTube by using tools like Google Trends, checking out YouTube’s trending section, and keeping an eye on popular topics in your area of interest or industry.
What is the job of tags in YouTube keyword research?
Tags on YouTube help make your video show up in search results when people search for specific words. Each tag will have many videos linked to it. Add the right tags to your video so that more people can find it when they search for it.
What factors should I think about when selecting YouTube keywords?
When selecting YouTube keywords, think about how well they match your videos, how often people search for them, how many other channels are using them, and what your viewers are looking for. Pay attention to using longer keywords that relate to your specific area of expertise and to what your target audience is interested in.
How many times should I update my YouTube keywords?
It’s a good idea to keep updating your YouTube keyword research often to stay updated with what people are searching for. Keep an eye on how well your keywords are doing and change your plan if needed to stay visible and keep people interested.
