YouTube Keyword Research: How to Find Video Keywords and the 7 Best Tools

How YouTube search differs from Google

People search YouTube to watch someone do something. That shapes the keywords. "How to", "tutorial", "review", "vs", "unboxing", "for beginners", and "explained" appear far more often than on Google. Product names and brand names are heavy. Long questions are common because people speak to their phones.

YouTube also ranks on signals Google does not: watch time, click-through rate on the thumbnail, and engagement. A keyword in the title helps YouTube understand the video. It does not carry the video on its own. The research below finds topics with demand. The video still has to hold people.

How to do YouTube keyword research, step by step

1. 1

   Start with your topic, not a keyword

   Write the subject of the video in three words, such as "sourdough starter". That is your seed.

2. 2

   Pull YouTube autocomplete

   Type the seed into YouTube search and note every suggestion. Then add "how to", "best", and each letter of the alphabet after it. A tool does this in one click.

3. 3

   Add search volume

   Run the list through a YouTube keyword tool that shows monthly searches on YouTube, not Google. Keep phrases with real volume.

4. 4

   Check the competition

   Search each phrase on YouTube. Note the view counts and channel sizes in the top five. If they are all huge, take a longer phrase.

5. 5

   Check Google too

   Search the phrase on Google. If videos appear in the results, a good video can rank in both places.

6. 6

   Pick one primary phrase and two secondary ones

   Primary in the title and the first line of the description. Secondary phrases in the description and tags.

7. 7

   Track the result

   Note the video's position for the phrase after a week and a month. Adjust the title or thumbnail if it stalls.

The 7 best YouTube keyword research tools

1. Zutrix YouTube keyword tool (free)

The YouTube keyword tool runs your seed through YouTube autocomplete with question words and letters, then shows a monthly volume next to each phrase. It replaces an hour of typing suggestions into a spreadsheet. It does not show competition inside YouTube, so pair it with a manual look at the top results. The Google Suggest tool does the same for Google, which is how you find phrases that can rank in both.

2. YouTube autocomplete itself (free)

Type a seed into YouTube and read the ten suggestions. They are drawn from real searches and updated constantly. Add a space and a letter to see more. It is free and always current. The only cost is time, and no volume is shown.

3. vidIQ

vidIQ is a browser extension that shows search volume, competition, and a score for any keyword inside YouTube, plus data on competitor videos. The free tier covers basic research. Paid plans start around $10 a month and add daily ideas and trend alerts. It is the tool most full-time creators use.

4. TubeBuddy

TubeBuddy is the other big creator extension. Its Keyword Explorer scores phrases on volume and competition, and its tag tools suggest and rank tags. Free tier available, paid from about $5 a month. Pick vidIQ or TubeBuddy, not both.

5. Keyword Tool Dominator

Keyword Tool Dominator pulls YouTube autocomplete in bulk and has a free tier with daily limits. It shows suggestions and a rough popularity score. Useful for wide lists on a big topic.

6. Google Trends with the YouTube filter

Google Trends can switch from web search to YouTube search. It shows relative interest over time and by region. No absolute volume, but it tells you whether a topic is rising, seasonal, or dying before you film it.

7. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, YouTube mode

Ahrefs lets you switch Keywords Explorer to YouTube and shows estimated search volume from its clickstream data. It is the only way to research YouTube and Google keywords in the same tool with the same method. The Starter plan is $29 a month. See Ahrefs pricing.

Picking a YouTube keyword you can win

Volume is only half the choice. A phrase with 50,000 monthly searches and ten videos from million-subscriber channels in the top ten is not available to a new channel. A phrase with 2,000 searches and a top ten of small channels with old videos is. Look for topics where the top results are more than two years old, have fewer than 100,000 views, or come from channels smaller than yours.

Using the keyword in the video

Once you have the phrase, it goes in four places. The title, near the start, written the way a person would say it. The first two lines of the description, which YouTube shows before the fold. The spoken words in the first 30 seconds, since YouTube transcribes audio. And the file name and thumbnail text, which help a little. Tags matter less than they used to, so add a handful and stop.