10 Best YouTube Keyword Tools
To work in concert with YouTube’s algorithm, you need to be using YouTube keyword tools and ensuring that your content incorporates the right keywords.
What Are YouTube Keywords?
Per YouTube, adding descriptive keywords (or tags) to your videos is a way of helping viewers find your content.
In a nutshell, keywords provide YouTube with information and context about your video content. Then, the algorithm considers those keywords and uses them to deliver your content to the right audience.
YouTube favors videos that are well-liked. According to YouTube Creator Academy, the algorithm follows the audience by paying attention to things like:
- What they watch
- What they don’t watch
- How much time they spend watching a video
- What they like and dislike
- What they’re not interested in
YouTube recommends that creators consider what their target audience likes. Take advantage of relevant search terms that your audience uses to find content.
What Is YouTube Keyword Research?
YouTube keyword research is an SEO practice that you can perform to find the most relevant search terms and discover alternate phrases that people use when looking for information.
YouTube keyword research refers to the process of learning what search terms people use when looking for video content. This reveals exactly what your target audience is searching for and how they’re phrasing things, which enables you to incorporate those keywords directly into your video’s name, tags, transcript, and description.
Through keyword research, you can be confident that the content you’re producing aligns with what your target audience is searching for.
Why Are YouTube Keywords Important?
YouTube keywords are essential for getting your content in front of the right audience. If you create a YouTube advertisement, for instance, you of course want it to successfully reach the people it’s intended for.
Optimizing your videos for search is a great way of using YouTube marketing and elevating your brand awareness and recognition.
10 Best YouTube Keyword Tools
To get started using keywords for YouTube, here are the 10 of the best keyword tools:
1. TubeBuddy
TubeBuddy is a free browser extension for Google Chrome that works directly alongside YouTube. It’s equipped with a keyword explorer, which helps you find long-tail keywords that will best optimize your video for YouTube.
The extension also conducts a best practice audit, which ensures your content is following YouTube’s recommendations. It suggests tags for videos and can translate your video’s title and description into other languages.
Although there’s a free version, TubeBuddy also offers a Pro version for $7.20/month, a Star version for $15.20/month, and a Legend version for $39.20/month.
2. Keywordtool.io
Another great keyword tool for YouTube is Keywordtool.io, which autocomplete data to rank hundreds of YouTube keywords by popularity. Then, it provides comprehensive lists of keywords categorized as keyword suggestions, questions, prepositions, and hashtags.
Keywordtool.io is a great tool to maximize your YouTube SEO efforts, but the free version is limited. You can upgrade to the Pro Basic version for $68/year.
3. VidIQ
VidIQ is another Google Chrome extension that works similarly to TubeBuddy. It mainly helps creators determine the best keywords for improving content searchability. When searching for a keyword, the extension reveals the term’s search volume, competition, overall keyword score, related queries, keyword stats, and the tags from top-ranking videos.
VidIQ is great for confirming that you’re using the right keywords for your video content. The tool offers a free version, or you can subscribe to their Pro plan for $7.50/month.
4. YouTube Autosuggest
Another great YouTube keyword tool is simply taking advantage of YouTube autosuggest. After you type a keyword into the YouTube search box, a dropdown menu appears suggesting additional phrases.
These suggested terms come directly from relevant search queries that users have previously searched for, making them a great resource for optimizing your content.
Although YouTube doesn’t reveal the volumes of these search terms, manually typing in the search box for autosuggestions is tedious but completely free.
5. Google Trends
Google Trends is another free resource for YouTube keyword research. When searching for keywords, you can narrow the results to only YouTube searches, which is perfect for creators.
Use Google Trends to compare the relative popularity of keywords, or use its Trends feature to discover new potential topics.
6. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
Ahrefs Keywords Explorer pulls from a database of over 640 million YouTube keywords. Part of an all-in-one SEO toolset, the keyword tool provides search volumes for 10 different search engines (including YouTube).
This tool also includes relevant search phrases that use your keyword, a difficulty score, and a “clicks” metric. However, because the database is so large, Keywords Explorer is priced a bit higher with plans starting at $99/month.
7. Keyword Keg
Keyword Keg uses your inputted keyword to generate relevant search phrases and data. It presents things like search volume, Google AdWords cost per click, and overall keyword power.
This tool allows you to view a sample of results for free, but it costs $40-$280/month for a complete package.
8. Kparser
Kparser is another YouTube keyword search tool that can be used to find keywords and suggestions for long-tail keywords in specific fields. This is an especially great tool for international users as it allows you to generate keywords based on geography or location.
Kparser’s basic features are free, or you can pay $4.99/month to see all the data.
9. Keywords Everywhere
Keywords Everywhere is another free Google Chrome extension that reveals useful keyword data. This tool calculates a term’s search volume, cost per click, and competitiveness, making it ideal for validating your existing keywords.
10. Keyword Tool Dominator
A keyword generator tool that’s great for first-timers, Keyword Tool Dominator will return a list of relevant terms that are related to yours.
Using the free version, you can perform three searches/day. If you’d like unlimited searches, upgrade your plan for a one-time fee of $39.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about YouTube keywords.
1. What is the best YouTube keyword tool?
TubeBuddy is at the top of our list for the best YouTube keyword tool, and here’s why:
- It’s easy to use. The extension operates using a simple system that’s ideal for beginners. Compared to more complicated, harder-to-use options, this tool is designed to make your keyword research painless.
- It’s comprehensive. The extension combines many different features in a single program, making it a great all-in-one keyword research tool.
- It’s free. Although you can pay for more advanced versions, you don’t have to. You can get started with TubeBuddy at no cost.
2. How do you use the keyword tool on YouTube?
There’s a keyword tool already built into the YouTube platform and using it is fairly straightforward. All you have to do is select your preferred language and countries, then enter your keyword or phrase. From there, click “Get Keyword Ideas,” and you will be presented with a lengthy list of keyword suggestions.
3. Is there a keyword planner for YouTube?
Although Google Ads offers a free keyword planner tool that allows you to research and discover new keywords, there isn’t a version specifically for YouTube. We recommend using one of the YouTube keyword tools mentioned above to plan your YouTube keyword strategy.
4. Where do I find YouTube keywords?
There are a variety of tools that you can use to find the best YouTube keywords. Try any of the resources listed in this article to find terms relevant to your content, or you can use the tool that’s already built into the YouTube platform.
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Become a YouTube Keyword Expert
Learning how to perform keyword research is easy with self-paced, affordable online programs like Simplilearn’s Advanced Social Media Certification Training, your best bet to get the level of professional training needed to navigate the social media seas.
The course provides critical information for beginner and intermediate social media marketers, and teaches you how to design ads, schedule and manage your channels, and understand web analytics so you can keep posting content your audience loves. Set yourself up for success by taking the time to learn with Simplilearn!
Understanding the Power of vidIQ
vidIQ isn’t just another YouTube add-on — it’s a data-driven assistant that helps creators understand what works and what doesn’t. It analyzes keywords, tags, competitors, and performance metrics to guide your strategy like a personal YouTube coach.
When I first started, I relied on guesswork. With vidIQ, I now rely on data — and that’s a big difference.
Setting Up vidIQ the Right Way
Setting up vidIQ is simple. After signing up, I connected it directly to my YouTube channel. Within minutes, it started analyzing my videos, providing keyword recommendations, and suggesting improvements.
The integration was seamless, and the insights were instant — from video SEO scores to engagement metrics. ▶ | Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀
Exploring the vidIQ Dashboard
The dashboard is like the control room of your YouTube strategy. It gives you:
- Real-time analytics
- Channel audit scores
- Tag suggestions
- Competitor tracking
Each section tells a story about how your content performs — and where it can improve.
Keyword Research: The Secret Sauce
Keywords are the backbone of YouTube SEO. Before vidIQ, I picked keywords randomly. Now, I use Keyword Inspector to find low-competition, high-search-volume keywords.
For example, instead of targeting “YouTube growth,” I went after “how to get more YouTube views fast,” which had less competition and higher engagement potential. ▶ | Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀
Optimizing Titles and Tags
A catchy title grabs attention — but a keyword-optimized title grabs clicks.
With vidIQ, I learned to blend curiosity and SEO. For example, changing my video title from “Improve YouTube Views” to “How I Got 10K Views in 7 Days Using vidIQ” made a massive difference.
The tag suggestion feature also ensures you rank for multiple related keywords.
Thumbnail Optimization with vidIQ
Your thumbnail is your first impression. vidIQ’s thumbnail comparison tool showed me how my designs stacked up against others in my niche.
By analyzing color contrasts, facial expressions, and text size, I learned what attracts clicks — and my click-through rate (CTR) skyrocketed!
▶ | Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀
Competitor Analysis Made Easy
vidIQ lets you “spy” ethically on your competitors. I could see their tags, rankings, and engagement levels.
By studying what top creators in my niche were doing right, I modeled my strategy accordingly — and soon, my videos began ranking alongside theirs.
The vidIQ Score — Your Growth Indicator
Every video gets a vidIQ score, which reflects its optimization quality.
At first, my scores hovered around 45/100. After refining my keywords, titles, and tags, I pushed them to over 80 — and the results spoke for themselves. Higher scores = higher visibility.
Boosting Engagement with vidIQ Features
Beyond analytics, vidIQ helps you boost engagement using tools like:
- Trend alerts — stay ahead of what’s hot
- Comment productivity tools — reply faster, stay active
- Video cards/end screen tips — improve session time
Using these features made my channel feel more alive and interactive.
▶ | Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀
Understanding the Best Time to Upload
Timing matters. vidIQ’s “Best Time to Post” feature helped me identify when my audience was most active.
Before using it, I uploaded videos randomly. Now, I post strategically — usually when engagement peaks. My average view count tripled.
How vidIQ Helped Me Get More Views
Here’s the fun part — results.
Before using vidIQ:
- My average views per video: ~500
- Watch time: 12 hours/week
After 60 days of using vidIQ:
- Average views: 2,500+
- Watch time: 50+ hours/week
It wasn’t magic — it was method. vidIQ gave me clarity, focus, and the confidence to optimize intelligently.
Pro Tips for Maximizing vidIQ’s Potential
- Pair vidIQ with YouTube Studio for deeper analytics.
- Track your competitors weekly.
- A/B test thumbnails regularly.
- Stay consistent — success compounds over time.
vidIQ is powerful, but consistency is your secret weapon.
▶ | Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t stuff keywords into your title or description.
- Don’t ignore your audience retention rate.
- Don’t rely solely on automation — creativity still matters.
vidIQ helps you grow, but your content quality keeps viewers coming back.
Conclusion
Getting more views on YouTube isn’t about luck — it’s about strategy. With vidIQ, you get a data-backed blueprint for success.
From keyword research to upload timing, it simplifies growth for creators at any level. If I could scale my channel using it, so can you.
Start small, stay consistent, and let vidIQ be your silent growth partner.
FAQs
1. Is vidIQ free to use?
Yes! It has a free version with great features, though premium plans unlock deeper analytics and keyword data.
2. Can vidIQ guarantee more views?
No tool can guarantee views, but vidIQ gives you the insights needed to make that growth happen.
3. Is vidIQ safe for my YouTube channel?
Absolutely. It’s an official YouTube-certified tool trusted by millions of creators.
4. Does vidIQ work for all niches?
Yes — from gaming to education to vlogging, it adapts to any content type.
5. How long does it take to see results?
If you apply vidIQ’s suggestions consistently, you’ll start noticing results within a few weeks.
I am Anika Professional an SEO expert with more than 5 years of experience. Contact me to take your business to a better position.
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