YouTube Video Tags: How to Research and Add Tags to Videos

Tags are an essential component of YouTube videos as they help categorize and identify the content of a video. Though, YouTube’s algorithm takes several factors into account when determining video rankings; tags definitely play a very vital role.

If you are wondering, how to find the best tags for a specific YouTube video and add them then keep reading below. From my years of experience as a Digital Marketing and SEO Strategist, I have shared some proven techniques to find the best and engaging tags for your YouTube videos and how you can use them on your videos. Let’s explore.

What are YouTube Video Tags?

YouTube video tags are keywords or phrases that creators assign to their videos to describe their content and help categorize them. These tags serve as metadata and provide information to YouTube’s algorithm about the video’s topic, making it easier for users to find relevant content through search queries or related video suggestions.

When a user searches for a specific keyword or phrase on YouTube, the platform’s algorithm analyzes the tags, titles, descriptions, and other factors of various videos to determine their relevance and rank them in search results. Including relevant and accurate tags in your video helps increase its visibility and reach a wider audience.

How Video Tags Impact Video Discoverability on YouTube

Video tags play a significant role in impacting the discoverability of YouTube videos. When you assign relevant and accurate tags to your videos, it helps YouTube’s algorithm understand the content and context of your video. This, in turn, improves the chances of your video appearing in search results and related video suggestions when users are searching for or watching content similar to yours.

Here are some ways video tags impact video discoverability on YouTube:

• Search rankings: YouTube’s algorithm considers tags when determining the ranking of videos in search results. If your video tags align with the keywords or phrases users are searching for, there’s a higher likelihood of your video appearing higher in the search results, making it more discoverable.
• Related video suggestions: Tags also influence the related video suggestions that appear alongside or after a video. When a video has relevant and specific tags, it increases the chances of YouTube recommending it to users watching similar content, thereby expanding its reach and potential viewership.
• Niche targeting: By using specific and niche tags, you can attract viewers who are specifically interested in your video’s topic. These tags help you target a specific audience within a broader category, increasing the likelihood of your video being discovered by users with a genuine interest in the content.
• Long-tail keywords: Incorporating long-tail keywords in your video tags can help your video rank higher for more specific search queries. Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific phrases that have lower competition, making it easier for your video to stand out in search results.
• YouTube autocompletion: YouTube’s search bar autocompletes search queries based on popular or relevant keywords. By including tags that align with these autocompleted suggestions, you can increase the visibility of your video to users who are actively searching for related content.

How to Research YouTube Video Tags

Researching YouTube video tags can be helpful in identifying relevant keywords and phrases that can optimize the discoverability of your videos. Here are some steps to research YouTube video tags effectively:

• Understand your video’s content: Begin by thoroughly understanding the content of your video. Identify the main topic, subtopics, and keywords that accurately describe what your video is about. This understanding will form the foundation for your tag research.
• Use YouTube’s search bar: Start typing keywords or phrases related to your video’s topic in the YouTube search bar. Take note of the autocompleted suggestions that appear. These suggestions are based on popular search queries and can provide insights into what users are searching for.
• Explore search results: Review the search results for your target keywords. Look at the tags, titles, descriptions, and thumbnails of the top-ranking videos. Analyze the commonalities among these videos to identify recurring tags or keywords that could be relevant to your content.
• Utilize keyword research tools: Use keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or VidIQ to explore keyword ideas and search volumes. These tools can provide data on search volumes, competition, and related keywords, helping you identify high-traffic and low-competition tags.
• Analyze competitor videos: Look at videos from competitors or creators within your niche who have a similar target audience. Analyze their tags, titles, and descriptions to gather ideas for relevant tags that you can incorporate into your own videos. However, avoid copying tags verbatim and ensure that the tags accurately reflect your video’s unique content.
• Leverage YouTube Analytics: If you already have a YouTube channel, utilize YouTube Analytics to gain insights into the search terms that are driving traffic to your videos. This data can help you identify successful tags that are already performing well for your content.
• Incorporate a mix of popular and niche tags: Strike a balance between popular tags (highly searched) and niche tags (more specific to your video’s topic). This approach can help your video reach a broader audience while also targeting a specific niche.

Tools for Identifying Best Tags for YouTube Videos

There are several tools available that can assist you in identifying the best tags for YouTube videos. Here are some popular ones:

• Google Trends: Google Trends allows you to explore the popularity and search volume of specific keywords over time. By entering keywords related to your video’s topic, you can see how their search interest has changed, helping you choose tags that are currently trending.
• YouTube AutoSuggest: YouTube’s built-in Autosuggest feature is a valuable tool for finding relevant tags. Simply start typing a keyword in the YouTube search bar, and it will provide a dropdown list of suggested search queries. These suggestions can give you insights into popular keywords and phrases that users are searching for.
• Keyword Research Tools: Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and VidIQ offer keyword research features that provide data on search volumes, competition, and related keywords. These tools can help you discover high-traffic tags and identify less competitive keywords to optimize your video’s discoverability.
• TubeBuddy: TubeBuddy is a browser extension that offers a variety of YouTube SEO tools, including tag research. It provides tag suggestions based on keyword research and analyzes the tags used by top-ranking videos in your niche. TubeBuddy also provides data on search volumes and competition for different tags.
• VidIQ: VidIQ is another popular YouTube analytics and SEO tool. It offers features for tag research, including tag suggestions based on keyword input. VidIQ provides insights into search volumes, competition, and trending tags, helping you optimize your video’s tags for maximum visibility.
• YouTube Analytics: YouTube Analytics provides valuable data on the performance of your videos, including the search terms that viewers are using to discover your content. Analyzing these search terms can give you ideas for relevant tags that are already driving traffic to your videos.

How to Find the Tags of An Existing YouTube Video

There are quite a few ways you can find the tags of an existing YouTube video. Let’s check them out!

Use Browser Extensions

• VidIQ: VidIQ is a popular browser extension that provides valuable insights and analytics for YouTube videos. It includes a feature that displays the tags used by a video. Simply install the VidIQ extension, open the YouTube video you’re interested in, and scroll down the page to find the “Tags” section provided by VidIQ.
• TubeBuddy: TubeBuddy is another widely used browser extension for YouTube creators. Similar to VidIQ, it offers a feature that shows the tags used by a video. After installing TubeBuddy, open the YouTube video and look for the “Tags” section provided by TubeBuddy.

View The Page Source

• Right-click on the YouTube video page and select “View Page Source” or “Inspect Element” from the context menu. This will open the browser’s developer tools or source code view.
• In the source code view, use the search function (usually accessible with Ctrl + F or Command + F) and search for keywords like “keywords,” “tags,” or “videoKeywords.” Look for the specific HTML tag associated with the video tags.
• Extract the tags from the content enclosed within the tags. Copy the tags for your reference or research.

Use Third-Party Websites Or Tools

• There are websites and tools available that can provide information on YouTube video tags. One such example is RapidTags (rapidtags.io), where you can enter the URL of a YouTube video, and it will generate a list of tags used by that video.
• Another tool is Social Blade (socialblade.com), which offers analytics and insights for YouTube videos, including the ability to view tags. Enter the YouTube video’s URL into the search bar on Social Blade, and it will display tags used by the video if available.

How to Add Tags to a YouTube Video

Adding tags to a YouTube video is a straightforward process. Here’s how you can add tags to your YouTube video:

• Sign in to your YouTube account: Access your YouTube account by signing in with your credentials.
• Go to YouTube Studio: Click on your profile picture or avatar in the top-right corner of the YouTube homepage, and then select “YouTube Studio” from the drop-down menu. This will take you to YouTube’s creator studio.
• Select the video you want to edit: In the YouTube Studio dashboard, locate the video you want to add tags to, and click on its title or thumbnail to open the video details page.
• Access the video details: On the video details page, click on the “Details” tab in the left sidebar. This will display various settings and information about your video.
• Add tags to your video: Scroll down to the “Tags” section. In this field, you can enter the tags relevant to your video. Separate each tag with a comma. As you type, YouTube may provide suggestions based on popular tags or autocompleted search queries. You can choose to select these suggestions or manually enter your desired tags.
• Save your changes: After adding your tags, click the “Save” button at the top-right corner of the page to save your changes.

It’s important to note that YouTube allows a maximum of 500 characters for tags, and individual tags should not exceed 30 characters. It’s recommended to use relevant and accurate tags that reflect the content of your video. Avoid using misleading or unrelated tags, as this can lead to a poor user experience.

The Closure

In conclusion, YouTube video tags are an important aspect of optimizing your videos for better discoverability. By choosing relevant and accurate tags that reflect the content of your video, you can improve your video’s visibility in search results and related video suggestions. Researching tags using tools like Google Trends, keyword research tools, and analyzing competitor videos can help you identify effective tags for your videos.