Hashtag Generator - TubeRanker

YouTube Hashtag Generator Tool

YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally, just after Google, and it competes with Facebook regarding monthly active users in many countries. These facts alone highlight why YouTube is a crucial channel for any marketer.

Optimizing your videos to make them easily discoverable is key to maximizing your exposure on YouTube.

It’s important to view YouTube less as a typical social media platform (even though it is one) and more as a search engine. This sets it apart from other social platforms where searching is less common. For most YouTube users, the first thing they do when they open the app or website is perform a keyword search.

What are YouTube Hashtags?

With 500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute (!!!), it’s crucial to do everything possible to help users find your videos in the vast ocean of content. Hashtags on YouTube function similarly to how they work on other social media platforms, grouping similar videos around topics or themes. There are two ways to add hashtags to your videos:

Video Description

Adding hashtags to your YouTube videos is typically done within the video description. There’s no special field for hashtags; you include them in the text of your description. For example, SEOptimer has added three hashtags at the bottom of their video description.

You can add up to 15 hashtags in the description, but the first 3 hashtags are the most important because YouTube takes these first 3 hashtags and adds them as clickable links above your video title:

Clicking these hashtags takes you to a hashtag page showing all other videos on YouTube which use the hashtag, so be mindful of how active your competitors are on the hashtags you use and try to include a mix of competitive and unique hashtags:

Here’s a recommendation for how to assign your first three YouTube hashtags:

Use a brand hashtag (e.g., #seoptimer)
Use a popular category hashtag (e.g., #seo)
Use a niche or unique category hashtag (e.g., #seotools)

Video title

You can also include hashtags in the video title, which will take precedence over any hashtags in the video description. However, this method is less common. Reserve it to highlight a specific hashtag or if it’s crucial for your brand. In most cases, we recommend using the first method: adding hashtags in the video description instead of the title.

Why are YouTube Hashtags important and do they work?

YouTube hashtags can help make your videos more discoverable. As YouTube is mainly a video search engine, it considers various factors to rank videos on the search results page. Hashtags are one of these factors, so using them along with other elements like the video title and description can improve your video SEO.

Hashtags provide context to YouTube about your video’s content and also help viewers by reinforcing the topics and themes covered in your video.

Backlinko conducted a study on the effectiveness of hashtags in improving search rankings:

In this study, videos that ranked #1 in search results often used YouTube hashtags. While other factors are involved, this indicates that hashtags should be part of your overall YouTube SEO strategy, along with other best practices.

What does the YouTube Hashtag Generator do?

The YouTube Hashtag Generator suggests hashtags based on your main keyword. It scans popular trending YouTube videos related to your keyword to find relevant hashtags that people are searching for. Using these hashtags can boost your video’s discoverability.

Just enter your target keyword and select from a list of trendy hashtags. You can choose up to 15, but focusing on relevance rather than quantity is best. As mentioned earlier, pay attention to the first 3 hashtags, which will be displayed above your video title. In most cases, 3 hashtags are enough.

Click each hashtag you want to use, then click ‘Copy Selected.’ This will load the hashtags into your clipboard. Then, go to YouTube and paste the hashtags into your video description.

How to use the Hashtags on YouTube?

On YouTube, hashtags work similarly to those on other social media platforms. You can turn any word into a clickable hashtag by placing the pound sign (#) in front of it. However, you’re limited to using just letters and numbers in your hashtag—special characters and spaces aren’t allowed.

For hashtags with multiple words, like “mortgage broker,” simply remove the space: #mortgagebroker. When using multiple hashtags in a row, there’s no need for commas or semicolons; use a space to separate them or include them naturally in a sentence. Here are two correct examples:

Example 1: #mortgagebank #mortgagebroker #homeloans
Example 2: Here at #mortgagebank, we strive to offer competitive #homeloans to first-home buyers. Schedule a call with a #mortgagebroker to discuss your individual needs.

Hashtag Optimization Principles

The YouTube Hashtag Generator simplifies optimization by suggesting highly searched hashtags related to your keyword. To refine your hashtag list, try using different keywords in the Generator.

Experiment with keywords, starting broad (category or industry level) and then narrowing them down to sub-categories or niche topics. This can uncover more hashtag opportunities for your list.

Also, analyze competitors to see the hashtags they use. Look at other channels in your niche, like news sources, publishers, influencers, or vloggers, to understand the diversity of hashtags used.