YouTube has recently added an update to how they display hashtags. This update explains how to use hashtags to get more views for your YouTube videos.
Are you using YouTube hashtags with your videos? If not, you might be leaving tons of views (and money) on the table.So let's put an end to lost views right now by learning everything there is about why and how to use hashtags on YouTube - the right way. And, the YouTube policies you need to be careful with if you want to avoid being penalized, or worse...banned.Here is everything you need to know about YouTube hashtags broken down into the most commonly asked questions and their answers.Jan Fassbender of So geht YouTube explains the dos and don'ts in this video →
YouTube hashtags are an easy way to find videos for a topic you want to learn more about. Hashtags are clickable words or phrases that have a hash (#-pound sign) before it. They are used to identify a specific topic.By clicking on a hashtag you can discover related YouTube videos with that tag. Using a hashtag will keep you from having to browse through pages of unrelated videos, or videos that aren't specific enough to your topic.
On YouTube there are three different ways how hashtags can be displayed:
Via YouTube's mobile app you can also set location hashtags. These hashtags also get displayed above the title. They don't feature a #-sign though.
Adding hashtags to your YouTube video couldn't be easier. You simply add the hashtags to the video's description and after you have uploaded it, they will be displayed above the video's title. Hashtags shown in the title and description will be hyperlinked.
When you enter a hashtag in the video title, the hashtags from the description won't get displayed above the title. The title hashtag overrules them.
Users can then click on the hashtags that are shown in your video's title, above your video, or in the description to go to that hashtag's search page results where they can then watch other related videos.Location hashtags can only be set when uploading a video via your smartphone.
Location hashtags also overrule the hashtags from the description text.
You should use hashtags on YouTube because they improve searchability. Optimized hashtags will give you more visibility on social media for all your related video posts. Using a hashtag will group keywords and related topics together, which makes it easier for a viewer to find.
"Add hashtags in key parts of your description to help viewers find your video. [...] Hashtags are especially great to use with trending content, such as upcoming events or people in the news." YouTube Creator Academy
Hashtags give the viewer the best possible videos for their search without them having to look through pages of unrelated topics or videos that are not specific enough to what their original search was for.Additionally, hashtags make it easier for users to track different posts and events that have similar hashtags. It will also help them to see which ones have gone viral. Basically, hashtags are a significant time saver and a huge convenience for the user.
But there are also possible disadvantages involved with adding hashtags.
"When a viewer clicks on a hashtag they are taking off your video. And they are dropped onto a page that probably doesn't have any other videos listed by your channel.So right there you just killed your accumulated watch time and you hurt your audience retention." Brian G. Johnson
The best hashtags for YouTube are your company brand, popular topics that relate to your video content, and locations. Locations are entered into the video settings upon upload from mobile. Location hashtags overrule all other hashtags that have been entered in the YouTube description text. They are also shown above the video's title as well.
One of the best ways to find hashtags is to look at the trending hashtags on YouTube for inspiration. Doing this will help you develop some of your own hashtags similar to what is already working for someone else. You can also include some specific YouTube hashtags for Instagram also. Just do a quick internet search and you will find the best YouTube hashtags for Instagram.
Here’s a list of the 10 most popular YouTube hashtags that are trending, according to YouTube Autosuggest:
Using tools to search for the most relevant hashtags is the easiest way to find what you need. Tools like RiteTag or Hashtagify will help you find hashtags for YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and more. They give you a wide variety of hashtag options such as hashtags to get seen now, hashtags to get seen over time, even hashtags that very few people are following.
There are several YouTube hashtag policies you need to be careful with; otherwise, even if you were unaware of that policy, you could end up being penalized or banned.
These are just a few of the YouTube hashtag policies you need to be careful with. There are more; therefore, it's best to review the YouTube Community Guidelines before you begin.
After you've posted a hashtag, it might not be visible immediately. If this happens, wait about 10-15 minutes, then reload the page and it should appear.
Yes! Using YouTube hashtags will positively affect your SEO and YouTube rankings. Technically, the purpose of adding hashtags is for searchability. However, the easier it is for people to find your video, the more views, likes, comments, subscribers, and shares you will have, which, in turn, will positively affect your SEO and YouTube rankings. YouTube hashtags make it easier for users to access more quality information and authoritative content that best suits their chosen topic, which is the goal of getting more eyes on your videos.Sometimes it's better to let the professionals handle your YouTube traffic generation. Doing so will save you time and money. There are several YouTube SEO tools and plugins on the market to help you get more views via YouTube SEO. In fact, some YouTube traffic generation services will analyze your videos, check your ranking factors, keyword rankings, provide you with a YouTube SEO action plan, a tag generator, professional thumbnails and more. Not to mention helping you find and use the best possible YouTube hashtags as well.
YouTube does use an algorithm; however, the ranking algorithm is different than the algorithm used for displaying the YouTube search results—the ones that don't have a hashtag. YouTube looks for patterns so you should use some hashtags across all your videos. This will give your videos a higher chance of being suggested right after one of your videos is played.
If you want to see where your video views came from, you can go to the YouTube Analytics, then Traffic Sources, then to the YouTube Search and you will see the hashtags listed there.
Here is a quick summary of everything we've learned.
Adding hashtags to your YouTube videos is a great way to boost your views, likes, shares, comments, YouTube subscribers, and your SEO. Therefore, if you are not using YouTube hashtags, you are leaving money (and views) on the table.Why not add hashtags to your YouTube videos today? It's easy to do, doesn't take much time, and could bring you a huge return on your investment.
"The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action." Alexandre Graham Bell
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