How to Define Effective YouTube Tags
SeoGue.com - YouTube tags are one of the key elements of YouTube SEO. They help YouTube understand what your video is about and show it to the right audience. But how do you define effective YouTube tags that can boost your video’s visibility and reach?
In this article, we’ll show you how to use YouTube tags strategically, how to find the best tags for your videos, and how to track and optimize your tag performance. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear idea of how to use YouTube tags to grow your YouTube channel and reach more viewers.
What are YouTube tags and why do they matter?
YouTube tags are keywords or phrases that you add to your video’s metadata when you upload it. They describe the content and context of your video, such as the topic, category, genre, style, etc. For example, if you have a video about how to make a cake, you might use tags like “baking”, “cake recipe”, “how to make a cake”, “dessert”, etc.
YouTube tags are important for two main reasons: they help YouTube understand your video and they help your video rank in YouTube search.
First, YouTube tags help YouTube’s algorithm understand what your video is about and how it relates to other videos on the platform. This helps YouTube show your video to the right audience, such as people who are interested in your topic, people who watch similar videos, or people who are subscribed to your channel. YouTube tags also help YouTube group your video with other relevant videos in playlists, recommendations, and suggested videos.
Second, YouTube tags help your video rank in YouTube search results. YouTube search is the second largest search engine in the world, with over 2 billion monthly active users searching for videos on all sorts of topics. Tags for YouTube help your video show up in these search results when people type in keywords related to your video. For example, if someone searches for “how to make a cake”, YouTube will use your tags to determine if your video is relevant and rank it accordingly.
Therefore, using effective YouTube tags can increase your video’s discoverability and exposure on YouTube, which can lead to more views, engagement, and subscribers.
How to add tags to YouTube videos
Adding tags to YouTube videos is a simple process that you can do when you upload or edit your video. Here are the steps:
- Go to YouTube and hover over your profile picture. Select YouTube Studio from the drop-down menu.
- Select Content from the left menu.
- To edit an existing video, simply hover over it and click Details.
To upload a new video, click Create and select Upload videos. - Scroll down the video details page and click Show More.
- Add relevant tags up to 500 characters total in the Tags section. You can separate tags with commas or enter them one by one.
- When you’re done, click Save in the top-right corner of your screen.
You can also use tools like vidIQ or TubeBuddy to help you add tags to your videos. These tools can suggest relevant tags based on your video title, description, and keywords. They can also show you the ranking potential and competition level of each tag, as well as the tags used by other popular videos in your niche.
How to find popular YouTube tags
Finding popular YouTube tags is not as easy as it sounds. You can’t just use any tag that comes to mind or copy the tags from other videos. You need to use tags that are relevant, specific, and popular for your video and target audience.
Here are some tips on how to find popular YouTube tags:
- Use keyword research tools.
You can use tools like Google Trends, Keyword Tool, or Ahrefs to find popular keywords related to your video topic. These tools can show you the search volume, trend, and competition level of each keyword on Google and YouTube. You can use these keywords as potential tags for your video or as inspiration for more ideas. - Analyze competitor videos.
You can also look at what tags other successful videos in your niche are using. This can give you an idea of what keywords are popular and relevant for your audience. You can use tools like Social Blade or vidIQ to see the tags of any YouTube video. However, don’t just copy the tags from other videos. Make sure they are suitable for your video and add your own unique tags as well. - Use YouTube autocomplete.
Another way to find popular YouTube tags is to use YouTube’s autocomplete feature. This is when you type something in the YouTube search bar and YouTube suggests some possible completions. These suggestions are based on what people are searching for on YouTube, so they can be good indicators of popular keywords and tags. For example, if you type “how to make a cake”, YouTube will suggest some variations like “how to make a cake without oven”, “how to make a cake at home”, or “how to make a cake in a mug”. You can use these suggestions as tags or as ideas for more specific tags.
The key to finding popular YouTube tags is to use a combination of tools and methods, and to experiment with different keywords and phrases. You can also test and optimize your tags over time based on your video performance and analytics.
How to track the performance of YouTube tags
Once you have added tags to your YouTube videos, you need to track their performance and see how they affect your video’s ranking, views, and engagement. This can help you identify what tags are working well and what tags need improvement.
Here are some ways to track the performance of YouTube tags:
- Use YouTube Analytics.
You can use YouTube Analytics to see how your videos are performing in terms of views, watch time, impressions, click-through rate, retention, and more. You can also see where your traffic is coming from, such as YouTube search, suggested videos, playlists, etc. This can help you understand how your tags are influencing your video’s discoverability and reach. - Use third-party tools.
You can also use tools like Youtube Hastag Generator or TubeBuddy to track the performance of your YouTube tags. These tools can show you the ranking position of each tag in YouTube search results, as well as the ranking potential and competition level of each tag. They can also show you the tags used by other popular videos in your niche and suggest new tags based on your video content. - Use A/B testing.
You can also use A/B testing to compare the performance of different sets of tags for your videos. You can use tools like YouTube Studio or vidIQ to create and run A/B tests for your videos. You can test different variables, such as the number of tags, the order of tags, the length of tags, etc. You can then measure the results based on metrics like views, watch time, impressions, click-through rate, etc.
Tracking the performance of your YouTube tags can help you optimize them over time and improve your video’s SEO and growth.
Tips for using YouTube tags
To wrap up this article, here are some best practices and tips for using YouTube tags:
- Don’t use too many tags.
Don’t go overboard when adding tags to your YouTube videos. Remember that tags are designed to help YouTube understand your video content. And if you hand them 20+ tags, they’re going to have a hard time knowing what your video is actually about. Instead, stick to 5-8 tags that accurately describe your video’s topic. These should be a mix of focused and broad keywords that you found from video keyword research. - Use your target keyword as the first tag.
Some studies have found a small but significant relationship between YouTube tags and ranking in YouTube search results. And some experts believe that YouTube pays the most attention to your first tag. Therefore, it makes sense to use your target keyword as the first tag for your video. This can help YouTube understand what your video is about and rank it accordingly. - Use a mix of broad and focused tags.
Focused tags (like “get bigger biceps” or “how to start a blog”) help YouTube figure out your video’s specific topic. But it’s important to use broad tags too. Broad tags help give YouTube important context about your video. For example, let’s say the primary keyword for your video is: “how to do a pushup”. You’d want to use that keyword (and variations) in your tags. You’d also want to throw in a couple of broad tags that describe your video’s broad category or high-level topic. In this case, broad tags would be terms like “fitness” and “workouts”. - Use long-tail keywords.
Long-tail keywords are keywords that are longer and more specific than short-tail keywords. For example, “how to make a chocolate cake” is a long-tail keyword, while “cake” is a short-tail keyword. Long-tail keywords are usually less competitive and more relevant to your video content. They can help you rank for more specific and targeted searches, and attract more qualified and engaged viewers. - Use branded tags.
Branded tags are tags that include your channel name, your niche, or your unique value proposition. For example, if your channel name is “The Fitness Guru”, you can use tags like “The Fitness Guru”, “Fitness Guru”, or “Fitness Tips by The Fitness Guru”. Branded tags can help you build your brand awareness and authority on YouTube. They can also help YouTube associate your videos with your channel and show them more often to your subscribers and fans. - Update your tags regularly.
YouTube tags are not a set-it-and-forget-it thing. You need to update them regularly to keep up with the latest trends, keywords, and audience preferences. You can use tools like Google Trends or Youtube Trends to monitor the popularity and performance of your tags over time. You can also use YouTube Analytics to see how your tags affect your video’s ranking, views, and engagement. You can then tweak, add, or remove tags as needed to optimize your video’s SEO and growth.
Conclusion
YouTube tags are one of the most important factors of YouTube SEO. They help YouTube understand what your video is about and show it to the right audience. They also help your video rank in YouTube search results and increase your video’s visibility and reach.
To define effective YouTube tags, you need to use a combination of tools and methods to find popular and relevant keywords for your video topic. You also need to track and optimize your tag performance over time based on your video analytics and feedback.
By following the tips and best practices in this article, you can use YouTube tags strategically to grow your YouTube channel and reach more viewers.
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