Do you want to attract more views on your YouTube channel and capture a larger audience?

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, it’s important to understand the power of effective keyword research.

YouTube keyword research is more than just finding popular words; it’s about unlocking the secrets to what your potential viewers are really looking for.

In this guide, we’ll understand what YouTube keyword research entails. We will also explore free and paid tools designed to optimize your video content and boost your visibility on YouTube.

Let’s use the power of keyword research and create viral content!

Choosing the right YouTube keyword research tool is crucial for your channel’s growth.

Here are the top features to consider:

• Keyword accuracy: Make sure the tool provides reliable keyword suggestions to avoid targeting low-impact keywords/topics.
• Search volume insights: It’s essential to know how many people are actually searching for the keywords you’re considering. This helps gauge potential viewer interest.
• Competition analysis: A reliable tool will show how competitive a keyword is. You should consider keywords with a lower competition score to improve your chances of ranking.
• Trend identification: YouTube is driven by trends. Your tool should help you quickly identify and act on trending topics and keywords.
• Cost-effectiveness: Whether free or paid, the tool should offer good value for money, balancing features with affordability to fit your budget.

These criteria will guide you in selecting a tool that meets your specific needs and improves your content creation strategy with solid keyword insights.

YouTube Suggest

Have you ever noticed how YouTube predicts your search queries as you type in the search bar?

That’s the YouTube Suggest feature in action, drawing from the most searched terms on the platform to offer you a glimpse of what viewers want. This autocomplete feature is not just a convenience tool; it’s a powerful ally in keyword research.

By simply starting to type a query, YouTube Suggest unveils a variety of related search terms that real users are typing into their search bars.

For example, if you enter “ChatGPT”, you’ll see suggestions like “ChatGPT 4o demo” or “ChatGPT to make money”, which are direct indicators of popular video topics.

This can be particularly useful for beginners trying to find their niche or establish a foothold in crowded content areas.

What makes YouTube Suggest even more valuable is that it’s completely free.

💡 You can experiment with different keywords and phrases to see a range of suggestions, helping you explore broad topics or narrow down to niche subjects. The key here is to look for phrases that balance specificity with a broad appeal, improving your chances of reaching a larger audience.

However, YouTube Suggest does not provide search volume or competition data, which are crucial for assessing the viability of keywords.

To complement this, you can integrate tools like Keywords Everywhere or vidIQ. These extensions can provide valuable data such as search volumes, competition levels, and even SEO metrics right within your YouTube search experience, filling the gaps left by YouTube Suggest.

By combining the intuitive suggestions from YouTube with detailed analytical data from other tools, you can create a robust keyword research strategy that enhances your video’s chances of reaching the right audience.

vidIQ: A comprehensive tool

vidIQ is more than just a keyword research tool; it’s a comprehensive platform designed to boost your YouTube channel’s performance.

It provides an array of tools that help content creators optimize their videos, understand their audience, and stay ahead of the competition.

vidIQ’s keyword research tool is fully integrated into its platform, providing real-time data directly from the YouTube search bar. It offers:

• Keyword suggestions: Helps improve the relevance of your videos by suggesting keywords based on current trends and analytics.
• Trend alerts: Keeps you updated on the latest topics and trends, ensuring your content remains relevant.
• Competitive analysis: Offers insights into your competitors’ performance, the tags they’re using, and how you can optimize your content to gain an edge.
• Keyword scorecard: Gives you a snapshot of a keyword’s potential, helping you prioritize your content efforts more effectively.
• Keyword inspector: A detailed tool that provides a deeper look into specific keywords, including search volume, competition level, and related terms.

Here’s how to use vidIQ effectively:

• Start by entering a phrase into the YouTube search bar, like “How to train a puppy.”
• vidIQ will display useful metrics such as search volume and competition, indicating a keyword’s potential.
• Also, it shows related keywords, matching keywords, and questions to enhance video SEO and uncover fresh content ideas. This is invaluable for new YouTubers trying to find less competitive niches.

vidIQ also offers a range of additional tools to boost your SEO efforts:

• Video scorecard: Reveals vital stats about your video and how it stacks up against competitors.
• SEO title and description recommendations: Uses AI to suggest optimized titles and descriptions for your videos.
• Bulk SEO optimization: Allows you to update multiple videos at once to improve their SEO performance quickly.

Pricing: vidIQ offers a tiered pricing model to accommodate different needs and budgets:

• Trial: 7-day free trial, which offers access to all vidIQ features, including advanced AI tools, expert masterclasses, and personalized AI coaching.
• Boost: $49/month, ideal for creators who are looking to take their channel to the next level and optimize it for maximum visibility and growth. $199 when billed annually ($16.58/month)
• Coaching: $99/month, ideal for creators looking for personalized coaching and support to grow their channel faster. $1188 when billed annually ($99/month)

vidIQ’s integration with YouTube makes it an essential tool for anyone serious about growing their channel through strategic keyword research and SEO optimization.

Semrush keyword analytics for YouTube

Semrush, a leader in SEO space also has YouTube keyword research in its Keyword Analytics tool tailored specifically for YouTube content creators.

It provides detailed insights that help you understand what your audience is searching for and how you can optimize your content to meet those needs.

Here’s what makes Semrush’s tool a must-have for any serious YouTuber:

• Trend analysis: Discover trending terms and associated top videos to keep your content current and engaging.
• Search volume data: With a database of over 25.6 billion keywords, Semrush’s accurate search volume metrics provide a clear indication of potential audience size for chosen keywords, which is essential for gauging content viability.
• Regional insights: Understand keyword popularity down to the country level, helping you tailor your content to specific audiences.
• Competitive data: Learn from the best-performing videos and channels in your niche by analyzing what keywords they’re targeting and how they’re achieving high rankings.

Using Semrush for YouTube is straightforward.

• Begin by entering a seed keyword or phrase into the search bar.
• The tool then returns a list of relevant keywords, complete with search volumes and competition rates. This information is crucial for deciding which keywords to target to maximize your video’s reach and engagement.

👉 Additionally, Semrush integrates with ContentShake AI, allowing you to generate engaging YouTube content scripts using advanced AI technology. This integration makes it a comprehensive solution for both research and content creation.

Pricing: Semrush offers affordable pricing plan for YouTube keywords analytics if you don’t need the full suite of SEO tools. Access to this tool is available for just $10 per month, providing a cost-effective option for dedicated YouTube keyword research.

For those interested in broader SEO capabilities, Semrush’s full plans start at $129.25 per month, but it will be an overkill. You can give Semrush’s 14 day trial a go, if you are not sure if it’s right for you!

Tubebuddy

Let’s talk about Tubebuddy, a fantastic tool for YouTube keyword research that deserves your attention.

Tubebuddy shares many features with VidIQ, making it equally reliable. It offers thumbnail generation, keyword research, video analytics, and more.

Additionally, it provides app integrations, trend alerts, and a handy Chrome extension.

One of Tubebuddy’s stand-out features is its “Keyword Explorer” tool. This tool provides vital keyword metrics: search volume, optimization strength, and competition score.

These are the insights you need to optimize your videos for ranking and to identify potential keyword ranking opportunities.

An interesting fact about Tubebuddy is its ability to reveal the tags used by top-ranking videos. This information gives you a clear path to optimizing your videos for better ranking.

Here’s a quick rundown on how to make the most of Tubebuddy:

• Use it to discover the top-ranking videos for specific keywords.
• Keep up with the trending videos.
• Check out the tags used by top-ranking videos and use the correct tags for your videos.

To get started with Tubebuddy, simply install its Chrome extension. The Starter license gives you a taste of its features.

However, if you want to access all its features, you might want to consider investing in a paid plan.

Under the tools section, you’ll find an array of tools such as the Keyword Explorer, Suggested Shorts, Thumbnail Generator, Video A/B testing, and more.

Pricing: When it comes to pricing, Tubebuddy offers three plans to cater to a variety of needs:

• The Pro plan costs $2.25 per month and is perfect for new YouTube creators.
• The Legend plan costs $14.50 per month and is ideal for established YouTube creators looking to maximize their growth.
• The Enterprise plan provides unlimited access to all Tubebuddy tools with bundled pricing. It’s designed to cater to brands with 3+ channels.

In short, Tubebuddy is a comprehensive tool that can significantly improve your YouTube keyword research game. Give it a try and see how it can transform your YouTube strategy!

Keyword Tool (keywordtool.io)

Let’s focus on Keyword Tool, an easy-to-use platform that eliminates the guesswork from finding YouTube keywords.

It’s a user-friendly tool based on YouTube’s search patterns that helps you improve keyword recommendations.

One of the most attractive features of Keyword Tool is its intuitive interface.

To start, simply select “YouTube” from the dropdown menu at the top. This menu offers a range of options, including Google, Bing, Amazon, and more.

Next, type in your keyword, select the region and language you’re targeting.

The Keyword Tool will present you with a comprehensive list of keyword suggestions, complete with search volumes, trends, average CPC, and competition levels.

But what really sets Keyword Tool apart is its filtering capabilities. It allows you to filter your results to show questions, hashtags, or prepositions.

The filtering capabilities can be a game-changer when it comes to understanding your audience’s needs. For instance, using the hashtag filter can help you uncover popular topics, while the preposition filter can provide more specific keyword suggestions.

For example, instead of a general term like “how to train a puppy,” you might find a more targeted keyword like “How to train a puppy to sit.”

👉 Note that the Keyword Tool does not provide any hashtags related to your Youtube query.

In a nutshell, if you want to simplify your YouTube keyword research process without compromising on insights, give Keyword Tool a try!

Google Trends

Google Trends is a highly effective tool for identifying YouTube trends.

It offers easy navigation and a wealth of information on currently trending and popular topics.

To get started, click on the ‘Explore’ button and select ‘YouTube Search’.

You can narrow down your search by region, time period, and categories to get more specific results.

When analyzing the trend data, you may notice fluctuations in interest for specific keyword or topic over time.

Google Trends also allows you to compare different keywords. This comparative analysis can offer valuable insights into how trends evolve over time.

As shown in the screenshot above, comparing usage of “Trello” and “Notion” can reveal shifts in user preferences to Notion.

Scrolling further down, Google Trends offers a list of related topics and queries.

By clicking on ‘Breakout’, you can explore these keywords in detail and gain deeper insights into user search behaviour.

This can help shape your content strategy and ensure your videos remain relevant and engaging.

The best part about Google Trends is that it’s completely free to use, making it a cost-effective tool for your YouTube keyword research.

YouTube trending pages

The YouTube Trending page is an invaluable resource for YouTube creators seeking insight into trending videos and shorts.

This page showcases emerging creators, trending videos, and shorts, as well as dedicated tabs for music, films, and gaming.

Trending results are localized but not personalized to your profile. Furthermore, the trending list is updated every 15 minutes.

As a YouTube content creator, you can leverage the YouTube Trending page to:

• Discover new topics that can engage your audience
• Recognize trending and viral formats
• Observe how other creators utilize thumbnails, titles, and descriptions to enhance click-through rates.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the path to creating a successful YouTube channel is unique for every content creator.

It’s crucial to maintain a balanced approach, leveraging both free and paid tools to optimize your keyword research and content strategy.

For most people, understanding and leveraging the capabilities of YouTube Suggest can be a powerful starting point. This free tool offers valuable insights into viewer search behavior, helping you create content that resonates with your target audience.

As you progress, investing in more advanced tools like vidIQ or TubeBuddy can provide deeper insights and more extensive features. The vidIQ’s VPH Outliner, for instance, provides real-time data on how popular a keyword is at a given moment, offering crucial guidance on which topics to focus on.

Regardless of the tools you choose, the key is to continuously learn, adapt, and refine your approach based on audience behavior, trends, and performance metrics to ensure the growth and success of your YouTube channel.