YouTube is used by around 25 million Polish people every day, and among them are people interested in what you offer! Imagine that you create great video content. However, nobody watches them because you fail to position them properly. The key to success on YouTube, just like in Google search, is keywords. These determine whether your videos will be found by the right audience. In this article, you will learn how to effectively choose keywords on YouTube to increase the reach of your videos and gain more subscribers.
Why are keywords so important on YT?
YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world. To increase the visibility of your content, you need to carry out positioning activities, just as you do on Google.
These activities are vSEO (Video Search Engine Optimisation). Their aim is to gain high positions in the YouTube search results. As with the standard SEOkeywords play an important role in the positioning of material on YT. They should be used in the title, description and tags added to the video. However, this is not all that needs to be done to increase the visibility of content.
YouTube's algorithms work similarly to those of Google's search engine. Keywords help the algorithms understand what your video is about and decide which content is most relevant to the user. With the right keywords, your videos can appear in search results, in recommendations and on the YouTube homepage.
What does it look like from the user side?
Here's how positioning influences users and how their actions can shape search results:
1. Information search - Content
Users start by entering queries into a search engine (e.g. Google, YouTube). The keywords entered are analysed by algorithms that try to provide the most relevant results. Good positioning of the content means that it appears higher in the search results, which increases the chances of it being visited by users.
2. clicks - YouTube users' search results
Users tend to click on the first few search results. CTR (Click-Through Rate), or click-through rate, is higher for results at the top of the page. The better optimised the content, the higher it can appear, which increases the chances of getting more clicks.
3. time spent on the site
Search engine algorithms take into account the time users spend on a page. If users spend more time on a page, it means that the content is valuable and engaging.

The importance of SEO on a YouTube channel
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of optimising content to increase its visibility in search results. On YouTube, SEO includes not only keyword selection, but also optimisation of titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails and other elements. By taking care of SEO, you can significantly increase the number of impressions and subscriptions.
How do you find the right keywords?
Choosing the right keywords is key to success on YouTube. Here are some proven methods to help you find the best keywords for your videos:
1. use keyword research tools:
There are many tools that can help you find the right keywords. Some of the most popular are:
- Google Keyword Planner: This tool is free and allows you to find keywords that are frequently searched on Google and also on YouTube.
- TubeBuddy: This is a browser extension that helps with keyword analysis, optimising titles, descriptions and tags.
- VidIQ: Another popular tool that offers advanced keyword analysis and SEO optimisation features for YouTube.
2. Analyse the competition:
Take a look at what keywords your competitors are using. See which videos are performing best and what phrases they are using. You can do this by looking at the titles, descriptions and tags of popular videos in your niche.
3. use YouTube Autocomplete:
YouTube's autocomplete function can be a great source of keyword inspiration. Type in a few letters or words related to your topic and see what phrases are suggested. These are phrases that are frequently searched for by users.
Optimisation of titles and descriptions on YouTube
Once you have a list of keywords, it's time to optimise the title and description of your videos. Remember that the title and description are the first elements users see, so they need to be attractive and enticing to click on.
Creating attractive titles
The title should be in line with the content of the video, catchy and intriguing. In addition, it should contain the most important keyword. It must fit into a maximum of 50-70 characters with spaces to be displayed correctly. Here are some guidelines:
- Use numbers and specifics (e.g. "5 ways to...").
- Ask questions (e.g. "Do you know how...").
- Use emotions (e.g. "The shocking truth about...").
- Avoid clickbait - the title should reflect the actual content of the video.

Optimisation of descriptions
The description is where you can describe in more detail what your video is about. It's also worth including keywords here, but remember to keep the text natural and easy to read. Here are some tips:
- Place the main keyword at the beginning of the description.
- Add links to other videos that may be of interest to viewers.
- Use the description section to encourage viewers to subscribe and interact.
Meaning and selection of tags
Tags are a key element because they indicate to the platform what the video is about and to whom it should appear. If the video does not have the tags completed, its chances of showing up high in search results are reduced. You have a maximum of 500 characters with spaces to use in the tags field. Remember to use both general and more specific tags. They can relate to a video topic, category or brand.
Tags should be added in a special field at the time of adding the video, separating them with commas. The maximum number of tags added is 15. For maximum effectiveness, mix general tags with precise, highly targeted tags.
Not sure how to choose tags? Try the free tools - YouTube tag generators e.g. TubeRanker or RapidTags. All you have to do is type in the words describing the content of the video and the tools will automatically generate a list of tags for you.
You should also 'confront' your tags with those of your competitors.
To check competitors' tags:
- Enter competitor's channel profile
- select a specific video
- click right mouse button → view page source
- in the window that appears, use the shortcut cmd + f or ctrl + f
- In the search bar that appears, type: keywords
- you will see the tags that were used for a particular video
Monitor and analyse the results!
The final step in the keyword optimisation process is to monitor and analyse the results. Regularly check how your videos are performing in the search results and which keywords are yielding the best results. You can do this with tools such as TubeBuddy or VidIQ, which offer detailed reports and analysis.
Choosing the right keywords on YouTube is the key to success. They can help your videos achieve greater visibility, attract more viewers and increase subscribers. Remember to use keyword analysis tools, optimise titles and descriptions and monitor results. With these steps, your videos are likely to achieve success on YouTube.