Whether you\u2019re starting a channel just for fun or using YouTube as a traffic source for your business, its potential is vast. Nearly 5 billion people are on the platform monthly – that\u2019s a lot of eyeballs you could direct towards your offerings.<\/p>\n
However, the stark reality is that very few small channels ever actually get discovered. These channels are nothing more than an echo chamber where all the creator\u2019s hard work is for nothing.<\/p>\n
The good news? You can avoid this by learning how to do keyword research for YouTube and optimizing your channel and videos accordingly! It\u2019s as simple as using our YouTube keyword research tool<\/a> and plugging in a phrase associated with your video.<\/p>\n From there, you\u2019ll be met with search volume, keyword difficulty, and other metrics to inform your strategy. By incorporating these in your video description, title, tags, and more, you\u2019ll drive organic traffic to your videos – and with it, the potential to turn viewers into paying customers!<\/p>\n Learn more about how to do YouTube keyword research below and jumpstart your journey to growing your channel with our free SEO tools<\/a> today!<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a moment to cover the basics with YouTube keyword research – what are keywords in the first place, and what role do they play in helping you grow your channel to reach your goals?<\/p>\n Keywords are specific words or phrases your ideal viewers (or customers) use to describe the content of your video.<\/p>\n For instance, if you’re creating a video about \u201chow to bake a chocolate cake\u201d, relevant keywords might include \u201cchocolate cake recipe\u201d, \u201cchocolate cake baking tips\u201d, or \u201ceasy chocolate cake.\u201d They might even type in \u201chow to bake a chocolate cake\u201d itself.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at this article you\u2019re currently reading as another example. The topic is on performing YouTube keyword research, so you may have searched any of the following to get here today:<\/p>\n or anything in between.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the challenge with keywords – there are so many different ways your audience can find you. Thus, you need a consistent, streamlined approach to uncovering the top keywords<\/a> for your niche. That\u2019s where research comes into play.<\/p>\n Keyword research is the process you utilize to actually find the specific phrases that align with your channel or a specific video topic. It\u2019s not just about finding these phrases, though – effective research also involves assessing search volume, difficulty, relevancy, and more.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll walk you through the basics of how to do YouTube keyword research in just a few moments – let\u2019s quickly touch on why it\u2019s so important in the first place, though.<\/p>\n If your goal is to grow your channel and get discovered, an effective strategy for uncovering relevant, high-traffic keywords that you can feasibly rank for is non-negotiable. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n In other words, if you want to see an ROI from YouTube or use the channel to become known as an authority in a certain space, you can\u2019t overlook the role of keywords. So, let\u2019s get into how to do keyword research for YouTube!<\/p>\n While it can feel overwhelming getting started with keyword research as a complete beginner, our tools here at KeySearch make it as easy as possible.<\/p>\n All you need to do is get set up with one of our accounts and you\u2019ll gain insights into the best keywords for your specific channel in a few clicks. It\u2019s one of the best investments you can make in your channel. Think of it as your own YouTube keyword planner.<\/p>\n So, without any further ado, here\u2019s how to do YouTube keyword research with KeySearch.<\/p>\n You need a clear idea of what you\u2019re going to create a video for before you can even start with keyword research. Or, you can use keyword research to come up with video ideas – there\u2019s no right or wrong answer as to whether the chicken or the egg comes first with YouTube KW research!<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t already narrowed down your audience, use our niche finder<\/a> as a starting point. From there, you can start to do some research into the type of content that will resonate with that niche. Here are some good questions to ask yourself:<\/p>\n For example, if your channel focuses on baking, a video topic might be \u201cBake a Chocolate Cake.\u201d The more specific and clear your topic, the easier it will be to find relevant keywords.<\/p>\n So you\u2019ve got a video topic in mind – great. But how do you turn that topic into a list of relevant keywords? Let\u2019s think back to our chocolate cake concept. You can use something as simple as \u201cbake chocolate cake,\u201d or even \u201cchocolate cake,\u201d as your seed phrase. You just need something that broadly describes what you want to create a video about.<\/p>\n Then, plug that into the KeySearch tool and filter your results by the YouTube algorithm. Part of what makes our tool so unique is you can tailor your research to the specific platform you\u2019re trying to rank on (we also have an Amazon keyword tool<\/a>, Pinterest keyword tool<\/a>, eBay SEO tool<\/a>, and more).<\/p>\n But why does this matter? Because it pulls data directly from YouTube. This means you\u2019re getting as accurate and reliable data as possible, setting you up for success.<\/p>\n After you submit your search, you\u2019ll be greeted by an array of keyword opportunities that may align with your seed phrase – along with relevant data like search volume, difficulty, etc.<\/p>\n When we plugged in \u201cchocolate cake,\u201d here were some of the possibilities we found:<\/p>\n There were 695 different keywords – that\u2019s a lot of opportunities. So, let\u2019s talk about putting some filters in place to help you narrow down your list of keywords to something more digestible.<\/p>\n After generating keyword ideas, the next step is to evaluate these keywords based on search volume, difficulty, and relevancy. Here\u2019s the role each plays:<\/p>\n If you want to filter through fewer keywords and just find ones that meet your goals, you can apply filters like:<\/p>\n There\u2019s no great relevance metric; it is something you\u2019ll have to use your judgment for. For example, one of the keywords we found was \u201cchocolate cake price\u201d – if you want to make a video with a recipe, this keyword probably doesn\u2019t make sense.<\/p>\n Similarly, we found \u201cwhite chocolate cake recipe\u201d – but if you want a lava cake, this won\u2019t be a relevant keyword either. Logic is truly the best way to assess relevancy.<\/p>\n At this point, you should have a list of solid keyword opportunities – it\u2019s just a matter of creating a sense of organization and dividing efforts into primary vs. secondary keywords:<\/p>\n We have a free keyword grouping tool<\/a> that can streamline the process of compiling your keyword list – you also gain access to separate tools for uncovering LSI keywords<\/a> and long-tail keywords<\/a> specifically. There are so many different ways to conduct YouTube keyword research with KeySearch!<\/p>\n But – let\u2019s take a moment to look at a few other ways you can find keywords before talking about what to actually do with your findings.<\/p>\n Maybe you want to round out your keyword strategy with other methods – while KeySearch really does have all the solutions you need, here are a few other ways to find YouTube keywords.<\/p>\n Go to YouTube and begin typing your seed phrase in the search bar. YouTube will automatically suggest popular searches related to that phrase.<\/p>\n These are actual queries that users are entering, making them highly relevant. For instance, if you type \u201cchocolate cake,\u201d you might see suggestions like \u201cchocolate cake recipe,\u201d \u201cchocolate cake without eggs,\u201d and \u201cchocolate cake in a mug.\u201d<\/p>\n Experiment with different variations of your seed phrase to uncover a broader range of keywords. For example, try “best chocolate cake” or “easy chocolate cake” to see what other suggestions come up.<\/p>\n Your competitors can be a goldmine of keyword ideas. Analyzing their top-performing videos can reveal which keywords they are targeting and what is working well in your niche.<\/p>\n Find channels that are successful in your niche. Look for channels with high engagement, views, and subscriber counts. Then, study their titles, descriptions, and tags. There are even tools that can extract this data in bulk on your behalf.<\/p>\n Google offers several tools that can complement your YouTube keyword research, including their keyword planner. While it\u2019s primarily used for paid ads, it can also offer valuable insights for keywords that are relevant to your niche. Just keep in mind that data is specific to Google, not YouTube.<\/p>\n Google Trends is another way you can find keywords, specifically assessing their popularity over time. You can compare the relative popularity of different keywords and see how interest changes seasonally.<\/p>\n For instance, if \u201choliday baking recipes\u201d spikes every December, you can plan your content calendar accordingly and come up with a recipe specific for Christmas time.<\/p>\n There you have it – how to do keyword research for YouTube. At this point, you should have a detailed list of keyword opportunities, either for your channel itself or for a specific video topic. Now what? It\u2019s just a matter of optimizing your channel and videos accordingly!<\/p>\n Start with the title of your video, which is the first thing viewers and YouTube\u2019s algorithm notice. Put your primary keyword in the title naturally. For example, if your keyword is \u201cchocolate cake recipe,\u201d a good title could be \u201cThe Chocolate Cake Recipe That Never Fails to Earn Compliments.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a good title because the keyword is prominently placed up front (earlier in the title is better), but also because it\u2019s engaging. You can put yourself in the mind of your target audience – chances are, they want to impress someone with their cake, and you hold the secret recipe to make it happen.<\/p>\n Video descriptions also help YouTube understand the content of your video. Incorporate your primary keyword naturally in the first few sentences of your description. Include secondary keywords throughout the rest of the text without keyword stuffing.<\/p>\n Explain what your video is about, include links to related content, and provide any additional information that might be useful to your viewers – including timestamps, which provide a great user experience.<\/p>\n Tags help YouTube categorize your video and understand its content, improving your video\u2019s searchability. Use a combination of primary and secondary keywords as tags. Be sure to avoid using irrelevant tags, as this can confuse YouTube and lead to your video being miscategorized.<\/p>\n While not directly related to keywords, thumbnails and captions can significantly impact your video\u2019s performance. This is just good YouTube channel advice in general.<\/p>\n Craft visually appealing thumbnails that accurately represent your video\u2019s content and hook the viewer in. A good thumbnail can increase click-through rates.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, adding captions makes your video more accessible and improves viewer engagement. They also provide YouTube with more text to crawl, which can aid in SEO.<\/p>\n The work is not done even after you\u2019ve optimized your video to perfection. You need to set up keyword tracking so you can assess how your efforts are paying off over time.<\/p>\n KeySearch has rank tracking incorporated right into the software to facilitate this. Give the video a few days or weeks of being live and see how it performs before tweaking anything. One of the biggest mistakes new YouTube channels make is not giving the algorithm time to understand their video and making changes prematurely.<\/p>\n Over time you can experiment with different titles, descriptions, and tags to see what works best. A\/B testing can help you find the most effective strategies for your channel.<\/p>\n That does it for our guide on how to do keyword research for YouTube. This is an essential task for small channels just getting started and large businesses using YouTube to drive traffic to other offerings alike.<\/p>\n By understanding and using the right keywords, you can improve your video\u2019s visibility, attract a targeted audience, and outperform competitors. Implement these keywords effectively in titles, descriptions, and tags, and continually monitor and adjust your strategy based on performance data.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re trying to perform YouTube keyword research or Etsy keyword research, we have the tools you need to bring out the full potential of your channel. You can check keyword density, use our robots.txt generator, duplicate content finder, or anything else you need to strategize and execute. See how our software stacks up to the competition below:<\/p>\n Otherwise, get started with KeySearch today. Put the guesswork in the past and start optimizing your videos with clarity in just a few clicks!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Whether you\u2019re starting a channel just for fun or using YouTube as a traffic source for your business, its potential is vast. Nearly 5 billion people are on the platform monthly – that\u2019s a lot of eyeballs you could direct towards your offerings. However, the stark reality is that very few small channels ever actually…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is YouTube Keyword Research and Why is it Important?<\/h2>\n
What are Keywords?<\/h3>\n
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Overview of Keyword Research<\/h3>\n
Why Finding the Right Keywords is Key for Growing Your Channel<\/h3>\n
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How to Do Keyword Research for YouTube: Step-by-Step Guide<\/h2>\n
Figure Out Your Video\u2019s Topic<\/h3>\n
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Plug a Seed Phrase into KeySearch\u2019s YouTube Tool<\/h3>\n
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Assess Search Volume, Difficulty, and Relevancy<\/h3>\n
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Come Up With a List of Primary and Secondary Keywords<\/h3>\n
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More Ways to Research Keywords for YouTube<\/h3>\n
Use YouTube Autocomplete<\/h4>\n
Analyze Competitor Videos<\/h4>\n
Google\u2019s Keyword Planner and Trends<\/h4>\n
Now What?<\/h3>\n
The Title<\/h4>\n
The Description<\/h4>\n
The Tags<\/h4>\n
The Thumbnails and Captions<\/h4>\n
Track and Analyze Your Performance<\/h4>\n
Wrapping Up Our Guide on How to Do YouTube Keyword Research<\/h2>\n
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