How Important Are YouTube Channel Keywords?

There are a lot of small features that exist on YouTube that many people do not know about. One such feature is channel keywords. How important are YouTube channel keywords, you ask? Well, as I've said many times before, small things can have a big impact. If you want to achieve more success on YouTube, channel keywords are something you should know about.

Channel keywords can help the YouTube algorithm recognize the types of videos you create. When the algorithm has an easier time determining what types of videos you create, it can promote your channel more effectively. If you're trying to grow a YouTube channel, utilizing the channel keywords feature is in your best interest.

As I said earlier, many people do not know that channel keywords even exist. Along with this, some people do know they exist, but they use them the wrong way. In this article, I'll go over what channel keywords are, and how you and your channel can benefit from correctly using them.

What Does Channel Keywords Mean on YouTube

Before we go any further, it's important you know the answer to the question: What does channel keywords mean on YouTube? After all, if you're going to be learning about a subject, you should have some information about the subject at your disposal. This way, you can recognize why you should care about what you are learning about.

Channel keywords are phrases or terms that give YouTube information and context about your channel and the videos you create. They help YouTube recognize the target audience of your videos, making it easier for YouTube to know which audience they should be promoting your channel and videos to.

YouTube channel keywords are very similar to YouTube video tags. Keywords help tell the YouTube algorithm what a video (or a channel in this case) is all about. When the algorithm knows what a video or channel is about, it can promote the video or channel to YouTube users more effectively.

What to Put in YouTube Channel Keywords

Now that you know what channel keywords are, you're probably wondering how you should go about using them. After all, if they can help you get more exposure for your videos and channel, they should be used! You'll be happy to know that using channel keywords is a very simple process.

First and foremost, you'll need to find some keywords to use. Here's what to put in YouTube channel keywords:

• Keywords and search terms that reflect the videos you create
• Branded keywords and search terms
• Competitor channel names (optional)

Using a combination of the above types of keywords will help you give YouTube enough information about your channel and the videos you create to be able to give your content more exposure. Many people use different search terms for their channel keywords, but I've found the above 3 types of search terms to work best.

How Do I Add Keywords to My YouTube Channel

At this point, you're probably asking yourself the question: "How do I add keywords to my YouTube channel?" Believe it or not, the process of adding keywords to a channel on YouTube is very easy. YouTube has made adding keywords to a YouTube channel a straight-forward and quick process.

Here's how you can go about adding keywords to your channel on YouTube:

Step 1 - Go to the YouTube Studio

First, you'll need to go to the YouTube Studio. Getting to the YouTube Studio is a very simple process. Simply click the profile picture icon of your YouTube channel in the top right corner of your screen while on YouTube. Then, select the "YouTube Studio" option from the menu that shows up.

Step 2 - Select the "Settings" Menu Item

After selecting the "YouTube Studio" option from the menu, you will be brought to the YouTube Studio. Once you are in the YouTube Studio, you will need to select the "Settings" menu item located on the left side of your screen. You should see this menu item listed as the 6th option on the menu.

Step 3 - Select the "Channel" Menu Item

Once you have selected the "Settings" item from the menu on the left side of your screen, you should be greeted with a new window. This new window should contain another menu. In this menu, you will need to select the "Channel" option, which should be located under the "Basic info" tab.

Step 4 - Add Your Keywords

Finally, you should have a box on your screen labeled "Keywords" under your channel name. This is the box that you should add your channel keywords to. I recommend simply copying and pasting your keywords list into this box to make things easier, as manually entering a list of keywords can be difficult.

Common Mistakes Made When Using YouTube Channel Keywords

There are a few common mistakes that many YouTube content creators make when adding channel keywords to their channels. Ideally, these mistakes should be avoided, as making these mistakes tends to decrease the effectiveness of channel keywords. The common mistakes creators make when using channel keywords are:

• Not being specific enough
• Including too many keywords
• Grammar issues

Let's discuss each of these mistakes in detail.

Not Being Specific Enough

As with video keywords, many content creators make the mistake of including irrelevant keywords in their channel keywords. Doing this makes it more difficult for YouTube to determine what your channel is about, which makes it more difficult for YouTube to share your channel with potential users.

Including Too Many Keywords

Just because you can include a certain number of keywords, it doesn't mean you should. Including too many keywords in the channel keywords of a channel often causes the issue I mentioned above- a lack of specificity. Only include keywords that are relevant to your channel. If this means you only have 6 channel tags, so be it.

Grammar Issues

One of the easiest issues to avoid is an issue I see very often when evaluating the channel keywords of a YouTube channel. When a keyword is spelled incorrectly, this makes the keyword essentially useless. Every single keyword must be spelled correctly for it to provide benefits to a channel. After all, YouTube doesn't "guess" what keywords might mean.

Conclusion

Channel keywords are an underutilized feature on YouTube. After reading this article, you should have the answer to the question: How important are YouTube channel keywords? Along with this, you should have an idea of what terms to use as channel keywords, and how to add them to your channel. Start using channel keywords and get your YouTube channel noticed!