How to Do YouTube Keyword Research?
Welcome to our friendly guide for YouTube keyword research. If you are just starting out or looking to level up your YouTube SEO video strategy to full maximum, this is the right guide for you.
Discovering the right YouTube keywords can unlock video impressions and views by using very relevant, low competition keyword phrases that drive targeted views, keeping watch time percentages higher.
In this YouTube keyword research guide, a simple and easy step-by-step process will be outlined below to follow using our free YouTube Keyword Tool. No fluff, just some quick actionable steps to find YouTube keywords that viewers actually search for.
With KTD - YouTube keyword research turns vague ideas into searchable videos - rich with keywords that rank faster. Ready to start researching for YouTube keywords? Great, let's dive in.
YouTube Keyword Tool Input Overview: Country, Language, and enter your Seed Keyword.
Why YouTube Keyword Research Matters for your YouTube Channel Success
YouTube is the world's second largest search engine, and the largest video search engine with billions of daily searches reaching 2.85 billion monthly active users worldwide.
YouTube keyword research is not about chasing trends or stuffing as keyword phrases that will fit. No, it is about understanding exactly what your audience is searching for.
More specifically, YouTube Keyword Research is finding exactly which keywords your viewers are using to search for video content right now.
Once you know what YouTube keywords are being to search for YouTube videos - treat that like GOLD and use those keywords to create video content viewers truly want and will love. In doing so, you'll be giving YouTube's algorithm crystal clear, relevant signals through targeted YouTube keywords. Do that consistently, and your videos reach the right viewers faster, making channel growth far more predictable and scalable.
That being said, not all keywords are created equal. Focus on high relevant seed keywords as your starting point to generate long-tail keyword variations. Use your core topic ideas as keywords seeds - which helps you find specific keyword phrases like "how to bake sourdough bread for beginners at home" instead of just "bread baking." Using long-tail keywords can increase the probability to generate search volume with fewer competitors, and therefore leading to quicker rankings and loyal subscribers.
Pro tip: Aim for keywords with a Difficulty Score ≤6 (easy to rank) and Relevancy ≥90% to your niche. Our tool makes this effortless.
For more on building a full YouTube SEO strategy, check out our Ultimate YouTube SEO Guide.
Step-by-Step: How to Do YouTube Keyword Research with Our Tool
Our YouTube Keyword Tool pulls real-time keyword suggestion from YouTube autocomplete across 54 countries and 84 languages. It's free to start with 2 searches per day. Sign up for free here and for unlimited access check out our paid lifetime access plans.
Step 1: Choose Your Seed Keyword and Search
- Open the YouTube Keyword Tool (YouTube should be selected as the keyword source).
- Pick your country (e.g., United States) and language (e.g., English).
- Enter a seed keyword - a broad, relevant term tied to your niche and video content. Example: If you are into fitness, start with "home workouts" or "* home workouts" or "home * workouts" as the input seed keyword.
- When ready, click the Search icon (or press the Enter key) to start the real-time keyword search.
- Why keyword seeds? They act as a magnet for related long-tails, revealing search terms like "home workouts for beginners no equipment 10 minutes."
Step 1 Screenshot: Finding keywords for the seed keyword "home workouts."
Step 2: Generate and Explore Keyword Ideas
Upgrade your seed keyword to the next level by inserting an asterisk (*) as a wildcard (e.g., "home workouts *" or "* home workouts"). This simulates mid query cursor placement asking YouTube to fill in the blanks, pulling in hyper specific keyword suggestions far beyond any standard autocomplete request.
Massive Competitive Advantages using an Asterisk (*) as a Wildcard:
- Keywords Competitors Miss: Surfaces ultra niche, low competition, long-tail keyword phrases other tools can't access.
- Pioneered in 2012: We were the first to implement wildcard support when Google introduced the cp parameter for their autocomplete service.
- Explosion of Results: 2 to 3x more keyword ideas, with 40 to 60% long-tails (5+ words) that are untapped sources of search traffic.
In 2012, Google introduced the cp (Cursor Position) parameter to handle mid-sentence edits in autocomplete. KTD was the first keyword tool to leverage this for wildcard searches, giving users an unmatched edge ever since.
Pro Tip: Try different placements like "* home workouts" for prefix ideas or "home * workouts" for internal gaps.
Here are real examples of low competition long-tail YouTube keywords found using the * wildcard on the seed keyword "home workouts" and "* home workouts" (sorted by easiest to rank first):
| Keyword | Difficulty | Relevancy Score | Autocomplete Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 min warm up for at home workouts | 2 | 82.53 | 1 |
| 8 minute warm up for at home workouts | 2 | 82.53 | 1 |
| how to increase breast size easy home workouts | 2 | 82.52 | 1 |
| zumba workouts to do at home | 4 | 87.54 | 1 |
| 30 minute workout at home workouts | 4 | 87.53 | 1 |
| 60 plus dynamic at home workouts | 4 | 87.53 | 1 |
| best at home workouts for men | 4 | 87.53 | 1 |
| quick at home workouts for women | 4 | 87.53 | 1 |
| at home workouts for women | 5 | 90.04 | 1 |
| do home workouts really work | 5 | 90.04 | 1 |
| good home workouts for men | 5 | 90.04 | 1 |
| in home workouts for women | 5 | 90.04 | 1 |
| marcy 990 home gym workouts | 5 | 90.04 | 1 |
| simple home workouts for men | 5 | 90.04 | 1 |
| bowflex xceed home gym workouts | 5 | 90.03 | 1 |
| easy home workouts for beginners | 5 | 90.03 | 1 |
| mens home workouts without equipment | 5 | 90.03 | 1 |
| 7 days home workout | 6 | 92.55 | 1 |
| nike at home workouts | 6 | 92.55 | 1 |
| ymca at home workouts | 6 | 92.55 | 1 |
These ultra-specific phrases (many with Difficulty ≤5) are prime targets for new YouTube channels. They are easy to rank for and yet highly targeted.
Wildcard Search: "* home workouts" reveals deeper long-tail ideas.
Keyword Results Explosion: Hundreds of additional unique keywords generated in seconds.
Step 3: Apply Golden Filters for Highly Targeted Keywords
Refine your YouTube keyword list with these proven filters:
| Filter | Description | Recommended Value | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word Count | Targets longer phrases | ≥ 4 | Higher intent, lower competition |
| Difficulty | Ranking ease | ≤ 6 | Quick wins for smaller channels |
| Score | Match to seed | ≥ 80% | Stays on-topic |
| Autocomplete Position | Suggestion rank | ≤ 3 | Drives most search traffic |
Golden Filters Applied: Narrow down to keywords that are easy to rank for.
Step 4: Snowball for More Ideas
- Take a strong keyword result (e.g., "quick home workouts") and use it as a new seed.
-
Use the asterisk (*) wildcard to generate additional seed keywords.
- * quick home workouts
- quick * home workouts
- quick home * workouts
- Apply stricter filters (Word Count ≥ 6) and (Difficulty ≤ 6).
- Repeat monthly to build 6 to 12 months of content ideas.
Export your final keyword list to CSV and track performance in YouTube Analytics.
Common Beginner Mistakes and Fixes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Seed keywords with too many words | Seed phrase word count ≤ 4 |
| Ignoring filters | Always apply the golden filters |
| Not using the * wildcard | Use it every search for maximum reach |
| No testing | Target 3 to 5 keywords per video and monitor results |
Next Steps: Turn Research into Videos
With your YouTube keyword list ready, optimize titles, descriptions, and tags. Explore the Ultimate YouTube SEO Guide for advanced YouTube SEO tactics using keywords or return to the YouTube Keyword Research Hub for additional keyword guides.