What Are YouTube Tags? How to Use Them for Discoverability in 2025

YouTube tags have long been a source of confusion for creators. Are they important? Do they still matter? The short answer is yes, but not in the way most people think. This guide will clarify the purpose of tags in 2025 and show you how to use them effectively as part of a modern SEO strategy.

The Purpose of YouTube Tags Today

YouTube has officially stated that tags play a minimal role for discovery compared to titles, thumbnails, and descriptions. However, they are still used to help the algorithm understand context, especially in cases where your topic might be commonly misspelled. Think of them as a helpful hint to YouTube, not a primary driver of views.

• They help YouTube categorize your content and associate it with similar videos.
• They act as a safety net for catching relevant long-tail keywords and common misspellings of your main topic.
• They are one of many signals used in the overall optimization of your content.

Best Practices for Using YouTube Tags

Forget about finding "secret viral tags." The best strategy is simple and honest. Add your tags during the upload process with these best practices in mind:

• First Tag is Most Important: Make your very first tag the exact target keyword of your video (e.g., "how to create a youtube channel").
• Use Broad Tags: Add a few broad tags that cover the general topic (e.g., "youtube for beginners", "content creation").
• Use Specific Tags: Add a few specific, long-tail tags that describe details in your video (e.g., "youtube brand account setup", "how to choose a channel name").
• Don't Overdo It: Quality over quantity. Focus on 5-15 highly relevant tags rather than stuffing the tag box with 50 irrelevant ones.
• Look at Competitors (for ideas): Use tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to see what tags successful videos in your niche are using. Don't just copy them; use them for inspiration.