At first glance, YouTube can be a bit complicated. It’s a search engine, but it also functions like social media.
YouTube SEO is a huge deal. You want to focus on keyword research and optimization, adding in end cards, linking to other videos and adding in some outbound links when creating content. We even have a few blog posts dedicated to general YouTube SEO tips and how to optimize your video descriptions.
But just like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Facebook – YouTube also uses hashtags.
What are YouTube hashtags?
Just like on other social media platforms, hashtags are used as a way to categorize content and for search purposes. They can be added to both video titles and descriptions. When you click on a hashtag, it takes you to other YouTube videos that are also using that hashtag.
If you haven’t noticed them before, check above a video’s title and in the description box for them.
Do YouTube hashtags help with views?
According to YouTube, they can actually improve your video’s discoverability. The YouTube Creator Academy said they help with SEO and are especially great to use with trending content.
What do hashtags actually do?
- Lead people to your video from other videos categorized with the same hashtag
- Allow your video to rank in searches related to that hashtag
- Provide topic points to viewers so they better understand what your video is about
- Tie videos from your channel together without having to make playlists
How to add hashtags to your YouTube videos
There are two different ways you can add hashtags to help improve your video’s reach on YouTube: directly in the title or in the video’s description box.
Adding hashtags to your YouTube video title
Your video title is a great place for branded hashtags. They’re clickable from your video page, so they’re a good way to organize any content series you’ve created. However, it’s important to not get caught up with hashtags for your title. A relevant title with keywords is still your best bet for SEO here.
Adding hashtags to your YouTube video description
This is our preferred way of using hashtags on YouTube. After optimizing your description box, feel free to include a number of relevant hashtags at the end.
This way, you’re free to use hashtags that might seem out of place in your video title but are still relevant to your content. And don’t worry, YouTube displays the first three hashtags above your video title, so viewers will see them even if they don’t make it to the bottom of your description box.
Best practices for using hashtags on YouTube
- Don’t overdo it, stick to 3-5 relevant hashtags
- Create a branded hashtag to use across multiple videos
- Check out trending videos and see if there are any hashtags that can apply to your content
- Search your hashtags before using them (check for quality content, you don’t want to use hashtags that lead to spam)
Just like every other strategy, it’s important to be smart and keep track of your performance. If you’re already prioritizing SEO and fully optimize your video descriptions, hashtags can be another way to get your videos out in front of more viewers.