YouTube Hashtags: Complete Guide on How to Use Them

Hashtags are all around us. Used by millions of users across all social networks, hashtags easily became a must-have asset that goes in hand with every social media post (blame it on their creator – Chris Messina).

https://twitter.com/chrismessina/status/223115412

YouTube hashtags are not an exception, especially if you want to boost brand awareness and improve your chances of getting your video content noticed.

Here, it applies the same rule as Instagram posts – if your YouTube videos don’t include any hashtags, you will miss out on views and engagement. Why risk it?

After all, YouTube hashtags could differentiate whether your YouTube video will get 10 or 1K likes. 

If YouTube is one of the channels where you focus your marketing efforts, this article is for you!

What are YouTube hashtags?

According to the official definition by Wikipedia:

A hashtag, introduced by the number sign, or hash symbol, #, is a type of metadata tag used on social networks such as Twitter and Instagram and other microblogging services. It lets users apply dynamic, user-generated tagging that helps other users easily find messages with a specific theme or content. Users create and use hashtags by placing a hash symbol in front of a word or unspaced phrase in a message. The hashtag may contain letters, digits, and underscores.

First introduced on YouTube in 2016, the hashtag symbol easily penetrated this social media platform, becoming one of the main ways for YouTube users to follow and join discussions on different topics.

Before we dive into how you can maximize the potential of YouTube hashtags, let’s cover the basics – where and how can you add a hashtag on YouTube?

How do YouTube hashtags work?

A hashtag enables you to find all the YouTube video content where the particular hashtag is mentioned.

There are 2 ways on how you can search and discover YouTube hashtags:

1. Click on a video hashtag to find other videos that use the same hashtag
2. Type a particular hashtag into the YouTube search field, and you will see a list of videos that contain that hashtag.

So, for example, if you click #embedsocial on a video or if you type #embedsocial on the YouTube search bar, you will get a listing of all the YouTube videos that contain this hashtag.

Don’t confuse YouTube with a search engine. It’s more like a community that helps viewers find the most relevant content for them.

How to add hashtags on YouTube?

To add hashtags on a YouTube video, open your Studio editor and go to the video where you want to add a hashtag.

In the edit screen, choose one of the sections below where you can place the hashtag.

3 places where you can insert your YouTube hashtags:

Above YouTube video’s title

As a part of a YouTube video title

Inside a YouTube video description box

Benefits of using YouTube hashtags

No matter if you decide to add your YouTube hashtags in the title, above it, or in a YouTube description box, you will get the following benefits that will quickly level up your digital marketing game:

Boosts your SEO efforts

This is probably the number one reason why a marketer should be obsessed with YouTube hashtags – they will improve your YouTube SEO process help you rank higher in search results, and improve your searchability effortlessly.

Despite standing higher for your target keyword, when a viewer watches a video with a hashtag like yours, the YouTube algorithm will show you up as a related video in the sidebar area. This is great.

Improves content discoverability

Hashtags are really practical. YouTube gives viewers the most relevant video based on the tag they search for. This will save users time and effort when looking to consume content that meets their needs.

Accessible to everyone

Nobody owns hashtags. Anyone on YouTube can view every video, click on hashtags, explore the topic, and comment on any video. Thus, you can use any hashtags you want for your videos. There are no limits.

Best practices for using hashtags on YouTube

Now that you are familiar with the main reasons why you should consider using YouTube hashtags in your next marketing campaign let’s go over some tips and best practices on how you can maximize your hashtag potential.

Stop over-tagging 

Keep it up to a maximum of 15 hashtags (3-4 are recommended). Because the more hashtags you add to your video, the less relevant it becomes for viewers who are searching.   

According to the YouTube community guidelines, if your video has 15+ hashtags, the platform will ignore all the hashtags on that video. Worst case scenario – your video may be removed. 

Use only relevant hashtags

Make sure that every hashtag you use is one way or another closely related to your video. Don’t violate or gamble with YouTube’s spam, deceptive practices & scams policies.

Learn from YouTube influencers and your competitors

Never underestimate the power of YouTube influencers. They are influencers because they understand how the platform works and know what they should do to get more video views and subscribers. Follow what hashtags they use and borrow some trendy and specific hashtags.  

Influencers are not the only ones you should follow. Keep an eye on the competitors in your niche, too. Make sure to pay attention to their video content and remember what YouTube hashtags they are using. Please don’t copy and paste the same tag yourself; use them only for inspiration. 

Using Hashtag Tools generators is also an excellent source for ideas. We are listing the most popular YouTube hashtag tools below.

Tools for finding YouTube hashtags

Nowadays, you don’t need to invent your own hashtags. 

Instead, try some of the YouTube hashtag tools that will suggest the most related hashtags and their search volume so it will be easier for you to decide what to apply to your video.

Here are some of the most popular YouTube hashtag generators:

1. Hashtags for Likes
2. Tags YouTube
3. Keyword Tool
4. Rapid Tags
5. Ksparser

All of the tools above work pretty much the same way – you type the topic of your video, and they give you a list of hashtag ideas you can use. Cool, right?

Please note that these tags are just a suggestion. They may not be the best YouTube hashtags you should use. To create a unique YouTube Marketing strategy, you can always figure out your own hashtags that will fit the video’s purpose.

What are the top YouTube hashtags in 2020?

Currently, these are the top trending hashtags you will notice when exploring YouTube. 

Please note that these hashtags can be location-sensitive and vary over time.

Before you use them, check out if they match the purpose of your video.

• #youtube – 55%
• #youtuber – 9%
• #instagram – 6%
• #music – 5%
• #love – 4%
• #follow – 3%
• #tiktok – 3%
• #youtubers – 3%
• #spotify – 3%

Do more: Embed YouTube hashtag widget on your website

Now that you are familiar with how to find the most relevant YouTube hashtags and implement them in your next video, we have great news – you can do even more with your YouTube hashtags!

Wouldn’t it be great if you could gather all the videos from your YouTube channel that contain certain hashtags and display them in one modern widget on your website?

This is what YouTube hashtag feed generator by EmbedSocial is developed for!

It’s a feature part of the EmbedFeed platform that generates all the videos tagged with the selected hashtags and lets you customize your YouTube hashtag feed with just a few clicks. It can show real-time video content and auto-syncs every time you add another YouTube video. 

And if you are a retailer, we’ve got you covered! The platform lets you fasten your checkout process by adding ‘Buy buttons’ to your YouTube hashtag videos.

To get started, follow this step-by-step tutorial on how to embed YouTube hashtag videos on your website.

And the best. EmbedFeed, as a social media aggregator, supports all major social media networks and can generate social media walls with all your social media content.

Conclusion

If you are trying to create a YouTube video that will rank higher, don’t bet on the power of hashtags only but focus on the video content instead. Viewers are not interested in your hashtags but for the content itself, so make sure you won’t disappoint them! 🙂