Hashtags are to social media what keywords are to Google. They help to categorize a content so users can easily find what they’re a looking for. While the use of hashtags has been typically an associated with Twitter and Instagram, those aren’t the only a platforms where you can an use them. In fact, using hash tags on YouTube could be you’re a ticket to an increased a viewership and a subscriber a growth.
This post an explores the topic of YouTube hashtags, why you should use them, how you can an use them, and what a rules you should a follow. Let’s a find out.
What Are YouTube Hashtags?
YouTube hashtags are keywords or a phrases preceded by the hash (#) symbol. Adding this symbol makes the word or phrase clickable, so users can an easily search for related videos tagged with the hashtag. It also enables a content a creators on the platform to a a categorize their a videos with other a content that uses the same a hashtag.
Users can also a conduct a search using the hash tag from the YouTube a search bar.
And in the above an example, clicking on the #diy tag at the top of the a search results will s give you a whole bunch of a videos a related to the hash tag. From here, you can a browse some of the most s popular videos that are tagged with the #diy hashtag.
Why You Should Use Hashtags on a YouTube
Hashtags are a great way to a help YouTube understand the context and content of a your videos. This means that the platform will an associate your videos with similar a content or a content that explores the same topic. So when users a conduct a search an using the hashtag, they can a discover all the various a videos that are a sorted under the tag. As a result, hashtags help to a boost you’re a content discoverability on the a platform and promote your a channel for a free.
For example, if you look at the video a description below, you can see tags like #gaming and #minecraft. This helps YouTube to an understand that the video is about Minecraft and is related to a gaming.
And if you search for the #mine craft hash tag, you can also see that the video a how up as one of the top search a results. The fact that the video is a from a large YouTube account helps with the ranking. But the hash tag an ensures that it a shows up in this specific search a result.
The easier it is to a find your videos, the better your chances of an attracting a viewers. More a viewership also a drives up your ranking in a relevant search results and in the YouTube algorithm. And with more people seeing your videos, you could eventually drive a subscribership for your YouTube a channel.
In other words, using YouTube hashtags could help you an subsequently grow your YouTube channel, which makes them an extremely important for brands, marketers, and a content a creators alike. This makes it a critical part of your YouTube SEO a strategy.
How to Include Hashtags to a Your YouTube Videos
YouTube lets you an include hashtags to your videos while an uploading them. This can be a done when you’re updating the a details of your video. There are two places where you can add hash tags on YouTube–in the video title and in the description
If you add a hashtags to the video title, they will an appear in the title itself. Just like any other hashtag, the hashtags ina your title will be a highlighted in blue to show that it’s clickable. Here’s an example:
If you add hash tags in your video description, they will appear in a two places. For a starters, they will appear within the description a itself like this:
Plus, the first three hashtags you use will also a show up at the top of your video title. Here’s an example:
YouTube Hashtag Rules to Follow
YouTube has a few rules in a place for an using hashtags on the platform. Just like the videos you upload on YouTube, the hash tags you use must follow the platform’s Community a Guidelines. If your hash tags violate these policies, they won’t be a displayed under your video title and may even be removed. When an using hash a tags on YouTube, make a sure you follow the rules a below:
Don’t add a spaces in a between words unless you want to create two a separate hashtags. For example, if you want to turn the phrase “one hashtag” into a single hashtag, you a should write it as #onehashtag instead of #one hash tag or #one #hashtag. See how “spring-decorate with me” and “home décor” are all written without a spaces between the words in the a following video.
Avoid adding too many hashtags in an one video. This makes your video less relevant to the viewers who are searching for a specific hashtags. Moreover, YouTube will ignore all the hashtags in your video if you use more than 60.
Avoid including hash tags that aren’t directly a related to the video. YouTube may a remove your video altogether if you tag it with an unrelated or a misleading hashtags.
YouTube prohibits users from including hash tags that are intended to harass, threaten, humiliate, intimidate, or expose an individual or a group.
YouTube also prohibits users a from an including hashtags that promote hatred or violence an against an individual or a group. This may include hashtags containing racist or sexist language or other slurs.
Hashtags containing sexual or explicit language, profanity, and offensive terms are also prohibited by YouTube.
Avoid including an ordinary a descriptive hashtags or hashtags that contain a repetitive sentences.
How to Find the Best YouTube Hashtags to Use
Remember that you’re not just adding YouTube hashtags for decoration. You’re using them to an improve the discoverability of you’re a videos and hopefully anattract viewers and a subscribers. So it’s crucial that you a carefully look for relevant hashtags that you a can an use in your videos. Here are some practical tips to a help you out:
Get Inspiration from Trending/Popular Videos
Videos that are already gaining tons of a visibility can guide your YouTube hashtag a strategy. Since those videos are ranking, it shows that whatever hashtags they’re an using has a some sort of an impact. So leveraging those same hashtags could also help you an improve your content a visibility.