• Best Overall
    VidIQ icon

    VidIQ

    • VidIQ offers a suite of analytics tools that can help you track the performance of your videos. Moreover, you can also understand your audience.
  • Versatile
    TubeBuddy icon

    TubeBuddy

    • TubeBuddy is a suite of tools designed to help creators optimize their YouTube channels and videos for growth. It helps you brainstorm video ideas.
  • 100% Free
    KeywordTool.io 1

    KeywordTool.io

    • KeywordTool.io is a free online tool for keyword research. It specifically focuses on generating long-tail keywords that can attract targeted viewers.

Do you know how many videos are available on YouTube? Multiple sources claim that it’s over 1 billion. Yes, you heard that right. 

No matter how engaging and unique videos you create, you will always find a dozen other videos covering the same topic. 

With such a competitive landscape, YouTube is no longer a source of entertainment. Now, it has become a powerful search engine.

Like other search engines, YouTube uses algorithms to rank videos. To stay ahead of the competition, you must use the best YouTube keyword research tool. These keywords will not only make your videos go viral but also help you tap into consumer behavior. 

If you’re not using a keyword research tool, you might be missing many relevant audiences. In this article, I have listed the seven best YouTube keyword tools. 

Rank higher with a YouTube Keyword Research Tool

The best YouTube keyword research tool will help you understand the popular search items. Depending on the chosen keywords, you will know the most trending terms amongst your target audience. 

Without keywords, your efforts of adding captions to your YouTube videos and publishing them will be in vain. But, with these tools, you can pinpoint the most relevant keywords for your video content. Thus, you will be able to optimize your videos more effectively. 

As a result, your videos will start ranking higher in YouTube search results. Consequently, you can attract more viewers to your videos and grow your YouTube channel

Additionally, a keyword-rich YouTube channel will rank in Google search engine results pages, further enhancing your reach and impact. 

Best YouTube Keyword Tools for YouTube

Just like you won’t choose any random keyword tool for your content marketing, the same goes for YouTube. The best YouTube keyword generator tool will determine the outcome of your YouTube video marketing campaign

Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you need to know the best options in the market. Let’s take a look at the best YouTube keyword research tools. 

1. VidIQ

VidIQ is the best YouTube keyword research tool, hands down! It can help YouTube content creators like you improve the scalability of your YouTube videos. In short, it can maximize your viewers. 

YouTube keyword research tool vidIQ

When you use VidIQ to search keywords, it will fetch keyword data from YouTube to give you relevant insights. The best thing about VidIQ is its transparency regarding the chosen keywords. 

VidIQ

VidIQ logo
  • Instant channel audits
  • Unlimited AI title recommendation
  • Trend alerts
  • 24/7 chat support

For instance, when you search a keyword, you will see relevant statistics. These include its monthly search volume data, competition level, keyword stats, overall keyword score, related queries, and tags. 

VidIQ dashboard

You can also check the best-performing videos for that specific keyword. The SERP results will help you find new keyword ideas with low competition. 

Pros

  • VidIQ is known for its simple and intuitive interface
  • Automates scheduling processes
  • Title, description, and tag optimization
  • Connects with various tools

Cons

  • The free plan has limited features

If you want to investigate a specific keyword, VidIQ will also prove beneficial. For example, it will allow you to view the search volume reports for the past year and month. 

VidIQ Pricing Plan

  • Basic: $0

  • Pro: $7.50/month

  • Boost: $39/month

  • Max: $79/month

While VidIQ offers flexible pricing plans, I believe the free plan lacks numerous basic features. Also, the pricing plan will differ from one country to another.

Why use VidIQ?
  • VidIQ is specifically designed for YouTube SEO, tailoring its features and data to the platform's algorithms and search behavior. This can provide more relevant insights compared to general SEO tools.

Marketers and YT content creators use VidIQ to ensure they are optimizing their content with the perfect keywords. You can also do some competitive research to achieve higher search rankings. 

2. TubeBuddy

TubeBuddy is the perfect option for video SEO enthusiasts. This keyword research tool for YouTube can accompany you throughout the entire keyword research process. 

TubeBuddy

TubeBuddy is a Google Chrome browser extension and works directly with YouTube. It comes with an advanced keyword explorer that will help you grow your audience by suggesting the most relevant keywords. 

TubeBuddy

TubeBuddy logo
  • Keyword explorer
  • Tag rankings
  • Search rank tracking
  • Video A/B alerts

This YouTube keyword research tool is designed to highlight the trending keywords and tags as per your search queries. Besides basic functionality, TubeBuddy offers an intuitive dashboard. 

Pros

  • Simple browser extension
  • Track your video's ranking for specific keywords over time
  • TubeBuddy can analyze competitor videos
  • The generated keywords can help your videos rank better

Cons

  • The free plan is not great

The dashboard shows the score of the keywords and search items. Moreover, it shows their search history, competition level, and other crucial metrics. 

TubeBuddy Pricing Plan

  • Pro: $2.25/month

  • Legend: $14.50/month

TubeBuddy also audits regularly to ensure your content follows YT’s rules and regulations. With this tool, you can also publish and optimize your video content. 

Why use TubeBuddy?
  • As a Chrome extension, TubeBuddy integrates directly into YouTube Studio. This allows you to research keywords and optimize your videos all within the same platform, saving you time and effort switching between tools.

TubeBuddy is a Chrome extension, so you don’t need to worry about a hectic or lengthy installation process. Just add the plugin to Chrome, and you’re good to go. 

Contrary to popular belief, TubeBuddy won't let you download videos. You need to use specific Youtube video downloaders for this purpose.

3. KeywordTool.io

KeywordTool.io is another popular keyword research tool. It uses base terms to generate relevant and popular search phrases. 

KeywordTool

Whenever you search for YouTube videos, you get a recommendation list. These suggestions depend on the search queries of other people from the past. 

KeywordTool.io

keyword tool logo new
  • Search volume data
  • Competition data
  • 50 API requests per day
  • Multiple user accounts

KeywordTool.io uses similar data to generate relevant reports, reflecting the users' interests. This helps content creators improve their keyword strategy and boost marketing efforts. 

Pros

  • Known for its simple and intuitive interface
  • Low downtime
  • Helps you find relevant keywords
  • More cost-effective

Cons

  • A steep learning curve for beginners

This tool can categorize the keyword list based on hashtags, suggestions, questions, and prepositions. It can also sort relevant keywords according to their popularity. 

KeywordTool.io Pricing Plan

  • Basic: $69/month

  • Plus: $79/month

  • Business: $159/month

KeywordTool.io allows you to export the data and reports as a CSV file if you want additional analysis. But if you're eager to create high-quality videos first, use AI video generator tools.

Why use KeywordTool.io?
  • KeywordTool.io offers a free tier that allows you to generate a decent amount of long-tail keyword suggestions for your seed keyword. This is a good option if you're on a tight budget or just starting with keyword research and want to explore some ideas.

Are you looking for a free version with excellent features? KeywordTool.io may prove the perfect choice for you. However, the advanced features are available only for paid plans. 

4. Ahrefs

Every professional marketer has heard of Ahrefs. It’s one of the most popular SEO tools, offering competitor analysis, keyword search, and keyword identification features.

With an extensive user base, I know you can rely on Ahrefs too. It is one of the few tools that focuses on keyword stemming.

Ahrefs

Now, Ahrefs also comes with a YouTube keyword research tool. It’s so advanced that the tool shows search volumes from 170 countries. 

Ahrefs

ahrefs logo
  • AI keyword suggestions
  • Keyword clusters
  • Keywords explorer
  • Competitive analysis

You can find the most valuable and relevant keyword to use in your YouTube video. Thanks to the intuitive and simple dashboard, even beginners can manage it easily. 

Pros

  • Ahrefs provides in-depth data on YouTube search volume
  • Ahrefs can suggest video content ideas based on trending keywords
  • See what keywords similar channels are ranking for
  • Integrates with other SEO tools

Cons

  • It can have a steeper learning curve for beginners

All you need to do is enter your keywords in the search bar, and Ahrefs will fetch data to give you the results. It will also shop overall clicks around each keyword and its search volume. 

Ahrefs Pricing Plan

  • Free: $0

  • Lite: starts at $99/month

  • Standard: starts at $199/month

  • Advanced: starts at $399/month

  • Enterprise: Talk to sales

One of Ahrefs's most distinguishing features is that it provides highly accurate results. The number of clicks and average monthly volume Ahrefs provides will be highly accurate. 

Why use Ahrefs?
  • Ahrefs doesn't just show competitor keywords. It allows you to see the top-ranking videos for those keywords, analyze their content strategy, and identify potential weaknesses you can exploit. This gives you valuable insights to create content that stands out and outranks competitors.

When you use Ahrefs, you can know which keywords to use and which to avoid. Depending on the low clicks and high clicks, you can choose the most relevant ones. 

5. YouTube Keyword Tool Dominator

YouTube Keyword Tool Dominator is an excellent YouTube keyword research tool. Just like identifying keywords in blog posts, this tool helps content creators and marketers identify the best keywords for YouTube. 

Keyword tool dominator

The best thing about the Dominator keyword tool for YouTube is that it’s not restricted only to YouTube. You can search keywords for Amazon, Etsy, and other platforms. 

Keyword Tool Dominator

YouTube dominator
  • Search engine difficulty rank
  • Autocomplete position rank
  • Keyword density checker
  • Keyword export

YouTube Keyword Tool Dominator leverages YouTube Autocomplete service. This finds the keywords directly from YouTube. 

Pros

  • Free access to keyword suggestions
  • Supports multiple search engines along with YT
  • Identify the perfect long-tail keywords
  • Popularity score for each keyword

Cons

  • The popularity score is inconsistent

While it lacks features, I like its simple and intuitive interface. This is why it’s a perfect choice for learners and beginners. 

Dominator Pricing Plan

  • Free: $0

  • Plus: $34/year or $98 one-time

  • Pro: $58/year or $128 one-time

  • Max: $78/year or $144 one-time

You can search for the terms in the search bar, and the platform will generate a list of suggested keywords. It always offers keyword suggestions relevant to your topics. 

Why use Dominator?
  • The biggest advantage is the zero cost. This makes it accessible to anyone starting with YouTube SEO and limited budget. The interface is straightforward, allowing you to quickly generate keyword ideas.

You can also add keywords and create a custom list. After you’re done, you can export the file for future reference. 

6. Google Trends

Google Trends is another free YouTube keyword research tool you can rely on. It will undoubtedly help you find the best keywords for your video content. 

Google trends

While most people use Google Trends for search engine optimization, you can filter the results to make them YouTube video-specific. 

Google trends dashboard

The process is also super simple: Type the related phrases, choose your preferred date range, and narrow down the search to YouTube. 

Google trends
  • Search term comparison
  • Geographic filtering
  • Search by category
  • Related queries

As long as you choose YouTube specifically, this YouTube keyword research tool will generate a list of related topics and queries. 

Pros

  • Google Trends highlights searches with rising popularity.
  • Analyze how different video topic idea
  • See how search trends vary by location
  • There's no cost involved

Cons

  • Limited YouTube-specific data

Another great feature of Google Trends is that it periodically displays search interests for all the terms. This way, you can determine whether a keyword has become less popular or more popular over time. 

  • Free: $0

Google Trends is the only YouTube keyword research tool on my list that provides free services. And I mean, it’s completely free. No need to worry about any trial period or monthly subscription. 

Why use Google Trends?
  • While Google Trends doesn't show YouTube-specific search volume, it can reveal trending topics that often translate into popular YouTube video content. If a topic is spiking in searches overall, there's a good chance people are looking for videos on that subject.

By using Google Trends strategically alongside other SEO tools, you can get a better understanding of search trends and audience interest, ultimately helping you create YouTube content that resonates with viewers.

7. Keyword Keg

Keyword Keg is a keyword research tool that features a suite of 5 different tools. They can help with your advanced keyword research process. 

Keyword keg

Keyword Keg collects data from 12 APIs. For YouTube, it uses explicitly a tag generator. It focuses primarily on input keywords to find relevant phrases and search terms. 

Keyword Keg

keyword keg logo
  • Multiple seed keywords
  • Import keywords and export data
  • Intent categorization
  • Sort & filter

The tool will fetch all relevant data when you write the keywords in the search bar. Thus, you will get a comprehensive list of keywords within a few seconds. 

Pros

  • Keyword keg comes with multiple source API integration
  • The tool helps identify long-tail keywords
  • It manages large lists of keywords efficiently
  • Higher-tier plans allow competitor analysis

Cons

  • The free plan offers basic functionality with limited access

Keyword Keg will also highlight other essential aspects, such as search volume, cost-per-click, keyword score, etc. This information lets you find the best keywords for your video description, title, and tags. 

Keyword Keg Pricing Plan

  • Free: $0

  • SEO Freelancer: $38/month

  • SEO Consultant: $76/month

  • SEO Expert: $194/month

  • SEO Agency: $762/month

One standout feature of Keyword Keg is that you can filter results. This way, you can get keywords most relevant to the buyer's intent. 

Why use Keyword Keg?
  • Keyword Keg goes beyond basic search suggestions. It can pull data from 11 different APIs, including YouTube search suggestions, Google Keyword Planner, and even Amazon or eBay searches. This allows for a broader perspective on potential keywords.

Keyword Keg will also give you shortlisted keywords. These primary keywords are more likely to convert you than the others. You can also check if your chosen keywords are trending or not. 

8. Keywords Everywhere

Keywords Everywhere, a Chrome and Firefox plugin with specialized functions, is one of the most popular tools for conducting YouTube keyword research.

Keyword everywhere

It discovers relevant keyword statistics such as competition, search volume, and cost-per-click.

Keywords Everywhere

Logo 1
  • Browser extension
  • Competitor research
  • Supports 15+ websites
  • High-quality keywords

Instead of recommending new keywords and categories, it provides consumers with easily accessible data. Searching for a term or phrase immediately provides relevant information, which you can use to confirm your current keywords.

Pros

  • It's a browser extension that integrates with platforms
  • It shows you important metrics
  • You can know which keywords are relevant to your YouTube videos
  • You can choose which data points you want to see

Cons

  • The credits expire after a year

It contains a Search Insights Widget feature that provides more useful statistics for each search. This information helps you understand what your films are up against.

Pricing Plan

  • Bronze: $1.75/month

  • Silver: $6/month

  • Gold: $25/month

  • Platinum: $80/month

With such impressive capabilities, Keywords Everywhere merits a spot in your keyword research toolkit.

Why use Keywords Everywhere?
  • Overall, Keywords Everywhere is a good option for beginners and those on a tight budget. This is because it's relatively more cost-effective than other YouTube keyword research tools in the market.

It provides valuable keyword data in an easy-to-use format. However, if you need more advanced features or in-depth data, you might be better off with a more comprehensive SEO tool.

9. TubeRanker

TubeRanker is a YouTube keyword research and optimization tool that helps YouTube producers improve the exposure of their videos.

TubeRanker

Furthermore, it offers customers a variety of analytics tools to assist them in analyzing the performance of their channel and its content. Just like keywords rank your blogs better, they can also rank your YouTube video better.

TubeRanker

TubeRanker logo
  • YouTube SEO
  • Tga generator
  • Rank tracker
  • Channel auditing

TubeRanker not only gives keyword statistics, but also thorough information on trending keywords, competitive research, and search engine optimization.

Pros

  • A suite of tools designed to enhance YouTube SEO
  • It can brainstorm video ideas and help you choose a relevant one
  • It can track your video rankings and performance over time
  • Interface is intuitive and user-friendly

Cons

  • The data provided by TubeRanker is not highly accurate

This enables users to rapidly determine the most effective video titles and tactics for increasing traffic and audience engagement.

TubeRanker Pricing Plan

  • Basic: $19/month

  • Advanced: $49/month

TubeRanker also provides tips on how to utilize the data to increase your YouTube rating and engagement.

Why use TubeRanker?
  • TubeRanker is designed specifically for YouTube SEO. It offers tools to research keywords, analyze competitors, optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags, all with the aim of ranking higher in YouTube search results.

Finally, it emphasizes top-performing titles, channels, techniques, and how to incorporate them into your work. This makes it an indispensable tool for any professional involved in making effective YouTube video.

Ready to use the best YouTube Keyword Research Tool?

Using the right keywords is necessary to monetize your YouTube videos for better engagement and visibility. 

Fortunately, you can use these keywords to identify the most popular phrases, words, and long-tail keywords to include in your YouTube video. 

Remember that each tool comes with unique features and drawbacks. Some offer compelling insights, while others provide advanced analytics.  

I hope you have found a dedicated YouTube keyword research tool for your needs. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Frequently Asked Questions

While there are numerous tools available in the market, VidIQ is undoubtedly the best YouTube keyword research tool you can find.

You need to conduct thorough keyword research to find the best-performing keywords to be included in your YouTube videos.

Make sure you use a reliable and reputed YouTube keyword research tool. These tools are equipped with advanced features that will help you identity the best keywords for your YouTube marketing campaign.

Yes, VidIQ has YouTube certification and is completely legal.

Yes, KeywordTool provides a free version.