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5 Best YouTube Keyword Research Tools (2023 Update)

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TubeBuddy
April 20, 2023
Best YouTube Keyword Research Tools

As a YouTube content creator, you understand the significance of optimizing your videos for search engines. 

However, finding the right keywords can be challenging due to high competition, frequent algorithm updates, and changes in user search behavior, which can lead to low visibility on search results and difficulty in reaching a broader audience.

That’s why we’ve done the research for you and compiled a list of the 5 best YouTube keyword research tools. Whether you’re a seasoned YouTuber or just starting out, these keyword search tools for YouTube will help you to find the right keywords to rank higher and attract more viewers.

Best Keyword Research Tool for YouTube

  1. TubeBuddy
  2. Keywords Everywhere
  3. Google Trends
  4. Kparser
  5. HyperSuggest

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1. TubeBuddy: Best for YouTube Creators Seeking Growth and Optimization Solutions

TubeBuddy is a browser extension with over 55 features that help YouTube content creators and companies better grow, manage, and optimize their channels. 

When comparing YouTube SEO tools, TubeBuddy stands out because it has more features and is cheaper. Even though it’s affordable, TubeBuddy still provides high-quality features that perform well, making it perfect for anyone who wants to enhance their YouTube channel.

Features

  • Keyword research
  • Search rank tracking
  • A/B testing

Keyword Research

TubeBuddy’s Keyword Explorer is a research tool for YouTube and Google Trends, helping you rank higher in search results and gain more views. You can easily find long-tail search terms and trending tags to target your audience. Incorporating relevant tags and long-tail keywords can keep your videos relevant and attract more viewers.

TubeBuddy’s keyword research feature sets it apart from its competitors by providing a keyword score, an all-encompassing rating of how well a particular keyword will likely perform on YouTube.

How to get more views on YouTube with keyword research | Tubebuddy’s Keyword Explorer

Search Rank Tracking

TubeBuddy’s Search Rank Tracking feature helps you monitor your videos’ rankings across YouTube and Google search results for specific keywords.

You can compare your ranking with your competitors and get an overall status of your channel’s performance in search engines. This feature provides valuable insights to help you optimize your videos for better performance and reach.

See how YOUR videos are performing in YouTube & Google search!

A/B Testing

TubeBuddy’s A/B Testing and AI Title Generator tools help you optimize your YouTube videos for better performance. With A/B Testing, you can test different thumbnail designs and styles to see which resonates best with your audience.

The AI Title Generator uses machine learning to suggest titles that are more likely to drive clicks and improve discoverability. By experimenting with different titles, descriptions, and tags, you can improve your video’s search traffic and attract more viewers.

YouTube Thumbnail A/B testing – Earn more views with better thumbnails!

Pricing

TubeBuddy has three pricing plans: Pro, Legend, and Enterprise. The Pro plan is the most affordable, starting at just $5.99/month when you subscribe monthly.

If you choose to pay annually, the cost drops to just $4.80/month—that’s over 20% off. Check the complete pricing details here.

2. Keywords Everywhere: Best for Monitoring Monthly YouTube Search Volumes

Keywords Everywhere is a Chrome/Firefox extension for keyword research. It offers a range of helpful data such as monthly search volume, link metrics, CPC, competition, and 12-month trend data for every search on YouTube.

Additionally, Keywords Everywhere includes multiple tools that allow you to easily find keywords from your initial seed keyword and identify which keywords any page or domain ranks for in the SERPs.

Features

  • Search volume by month
  • Trend chart
  • Tag widget

Search Volume by Month

Besides each search volume in the auto-fill suggestions on YouTube, a small graph displays the search volume for the past year. By hovering over it, users can quickly see whether the search term is trending up or down. This is a helpful tool to help users decide whether or not to create content around that topic.

Trend Chart

When users search on YouTube, a widget appears in the top right corner that displays the trend for that search term since 2008. This feature helps users understand the popularity and longevity of the search term over time, providing insights into the trends and interests of YouTube users.

Tag Widget

The tool also displays a widget for each video users watch, listing all the tags that have been added. This feature helps to gain insights into the related keywords and topics associated with the video content.

Pricing

Keywords Everywhere offer a pay-as-you-go pricing plan (no monthly subscriptions) that is easy to understand. Credits are used to access keyword data, with one credit equaling one keyword. For $10, users can purchase 100,000 credits. See the full pricing info here.

Google Trends is a tool that helps analyze how often people search for specific terms on Google. The tool displays the popularity of search terms in real time and considers factors like time, season, and location.  

What we like about Google Trends is that, unlike traditional keyword research tools, it measures keyword popularity instead of search volume. This gives users a distinct perspective on user interests and behavior, which can help them create more targeted and effective marketing strategies.

Features

  • Keyword research
  • Seasonal trends
  • Competitor analysis

Keyword research

Type in your topic or keyword, and select “YouTube Search” to specify the results. From there, you can filter by location, category, and time period to get more relevant insights. Since the data comes from Google, which owns YouTube, it is highly reliable, making it an essential resource for anyone looking to improve their YouTube SEO.

Seasonal trends can help YouTubers identify seasonal shifts in search behavior and anticipate trends. To use this feature, simply enter your keywords and select “Past 12 months” to see how interest in your topic changes over time. By analyzing these patterns, video creators can create timely and relevant videos to their audience’s interests, increasing their chances of ranking higher on YouTube. 

Competitor Analysis

Simply enter your competitors’ keywords alongside yours to compare search interests and see where you stand in relation to them. Analyze the data to identify areas where they outperform you, such as topics or keywords they are using that you are not. Use this information to create similar, more unique, valuable content to attract your audience’s attention.

Pricing

Google Trends is a free tool that anyone can access by visiting the Google Trends website

4. Kparser: Best for Finding New Content Ideas Based on User Queries

Kparser is a keyword discovery tool that suggests relevant keywords to be incorporated into website content to enhance SEO. By providing options based on the seed keyword, language, country, and keyword suggestion sources like Google, Google Mobile, Google News, YouTube, Yahoo, Bing, eBay, Amazon, and Twitter, Kparser assists in creating content that appeals to the target audience.

Features

  • Keyword research
  • Content idea generation

Keyword Research

Kparser presents keyword suggestions derived directly from a specified source. By inputting your desired search term using a variety of letters and numbers, it quickly generates long-tail keyword suggestions by inserting the term into the selected source’s search box.

Content Idea Generation

Kparser’s content idea generation feature helps users come up with new ideas for their content based on popular search queries related to their topic or niche. It uses keyword research data to suggest keyword ideas that are likely to resonate with its target audience.

Pricing

Kparser offers three pricing plans: Basic, Startup, and Pro. The Basic plan is for users who need to conduct basic keyword research. It costs $19/month and includes unlimited keywords and up to 2000 export results in .csv format. See the full pricing breakdown here.

5. HyperSuggest: Best for Competitor Analysis and Keyword Insights

HyperSuggest is a robust keyword research software that offers a wide range of relevant keywords and ideas from nine distinct networks, such as Google, Amazon, YouTube, and Instagram.

Features

  • Keyword research
  • Keyword metrics
  • Competitor analysis

Keyword Research

HyperSuggest makes it easier for users to gain visibility and drive traffic to their website by providing highly converting, low-competition keywords with high search volumes. Enter your seed keyword, choose a location, and the tool will generate relevant keywords in seconds.

Keyword Metrics

HyperSuggest gives users insights into the keywords they are interested in, including search volume, ranking difficulty, CPC, and competition. By analyzing these metrics, users can decide which keywords to target and how to optimize their content for maximum impact. 

Competitor Analysis

Hyper Suggest’s competitor analysis feature allows users to enter a URL and discover their competitors’ ranked keywords, along with metrics such as search volume, difficulty, and CPC. Results can be exported as CSV, XLS, or JSON. This tool helps businesses gain insights into competitors’ SEO strategies, prioritize optimization efforts, and identify new growth opportunities.

Pricing

HyperSuggest offers three pricing plans: Starter, Growth, and Slace. The “Starter” plan is the most affordable option, starting from $39/month on a monthly plan. View the full pricing information here.

How to Choose the Best YouTube Keyword Research Tool

This section will compare three key criteria for each YouTube keyword research platform: keyword analysis, search rank tracking, and pricing. By analyzing these criteria, you can choose the best tool for your needs and budget.

Keyword Analysis

TubeBuddy:

  • Offers keyword research for both YouTube and Google Trends
  • Allows users to find long-tail search terms and trending tags

Keywords Everywhere:

  • Provides a small graph displaying search volume for the past year

Google Trends:

  • Provides highly reliable data that comes from Google
  • Allows for filtering by location, category, and time period to get more relevant insights

Kparser:

  • Generates long-tail keyword suggestions by inserting the term into the selected source’s search box

HyperSuggest:

  • Allows users to enter their seed keyword and choose a location to generate relevant keywords in seconds

Verdict: While each tool has its own strengths, TubeBuddy, similar to Google Trends, stands out for its ability to offer keyword research for both YouTube and Google.

Search Rank Tracking

TubeBuddy:

  • Monitors video rankings across YouTube and Google search results for specific keywords
  • Allows you to compare your ranking with competitors
  • Offers valuable insights to help you optimize your videos for better performance and reach

Keywords Everywhere:

  • No search rank tracking feature

Google Trends:

  • No search rank tracking feature

Kparser:

  • For search rank tracking, users need to use another tool in combination with Kparser

HyperSuggest:

  • Tracks keyword rankings on Google search engine results pages (SERPs)
  • Easy to set up rank tracking within 2 minutes
  • Provides instant notifications when keywords move within the SERPs

Verdict: Only TubeBuddy and HyperSuggest offer solid search rank tracking. TubeBuddy monitors video rankings and offers competitor comparison and optimization insights. HyperSuggest tracks keyword rankings on Google SERPs with easy setup and instant notifications. Keywords Everywhere, Google Trends, and Kparser don’t offer search rank tracking.

Pricing

TubeBuddy:

  • Three pricing plans: Pro, Legend, and Enterprise
  • Pro plan starts at $5.99/month (billed monthly) or $4.80/month (billed annually)    
  • Complete pricing details available on their website

Keywords Everywhere:

  • Offers a pay-as-you-go pricing plan
  • One credit equals one keyword
  • Users can purchase 100,000 credits for $10

Google Trends:

  • A completely free tool accessible to anyone via the Google Trends website

Kparser:

  • Three pricing plans: Basic, Startup, and Pro
  • Basic plan costs $19/month (billed monthly)
  • 3X more expensive than TubeBuddy

HyperSuggest:

  • Three pricing plans: Starter, Growth, and Scale
  • Starter plan starts at $39/month (billed monthly)
  • 6.5X more expensive than TubeBuddy

Verdict: Compared to other tools, TubeBuddy offers a cost-effective solution for YouTube keyword research. While Keyword Everywhere charges for each credit used, TubeBuddy’s Pro plan starts at just $5.99/month (billed monthly) or $4.80/month (billed annually) and provides unlimited keyword research. Google Trends is a free tool, but it has limited capabilities. So, TubeBuddy’s pricing is competitive and offers excellent value for its features.

FeatureTubeBuddyKeyword EverywhereGoogle TrendsKparserHyperSuggest
Keyword research4.84.74.64.84.6
Competitor analysis4.84.64.74.64.6
A/B testing4.83.93.94.03.9
Search rank tracking4.73.93.94.24.4
Pricing4.74.74.84.64.3
Score4.764.364.384.444.36

TubeBuddy: The Ultimate YouTube SEO Solution for Increased Views

TubeBuddy is an all-in-one affordable YouTube keyword research tool that can assist both novices and experienced content creators in optimizing their video content for maximum engagement and visibility. Its powerful keyword research, search rank tracking, and A/B testing tools allow you to streamline your workflow, save time, and achieve your goals on YouTube.

TubeBuddy has gained recognition among some of the top YouTube influencers, including Derral Eves, Roberto Blake, and Nick Nimmin, who have all successfully leveraged the software to optimize their content for search engines and increase their visibility on the platform. TubeBuddy’s top affiliates are a testament to the software’s effectiveness and value within the YouTube community.

Install the TubeBuddy extension now and optimize your YouTube channel with ease.

Special Creator Day live stream

📅 April 23, 2024
6 – 7:30pm PST
What’s next in creator tech? Join BENlabs CEO Ricky Ray Butler, host Judah Lee, and creators King Bach, Hannah Stocking, and Kris London for a special Creator Day event, streaming live from LA.

Get ready!