Video marketing is increasingly becoming a dominant force in brand management and content creation. Many people prefer to digest content in video format rather than read standard text. There are multiple reasons for this, including more people being on-the-go and using mobile devices to declining attention spans and constant distractions.

Whatever the case, YouTube remains the epitome of video marketing potential. Brands can gain exposure in a major way by effectively using the platform, but what exactly does that entail? One of many optimization aspects associated with creating popular videos is the usage of tags.

Today, let’s examine how you should be using tags in your current and future YouTube videos.

Do YouTube Tags Matter?

Many people using YouTube as a content distribution platform may be aware of the existence of tags, but many may not be using them. This calls into question whether or not pinging users and audiences with these tags provides much benefit. The answer is somewhat mixed, but there is at least some benefit to utilizing YouTube tags.

Let’s start with the bad news: using YouTube tags doesn’t generate as much benefit in search rankings for videos as using standard keyword formats do for pages and posts in traditional search engines. While this is by no means a verdict on whether tags ultimately affect rankings and performance, it is worth noting that YouTube tags aren’t necessarily mandatory. However, spending a brief amount of time calibrating each video to use optimal tag options appears to produce at least some nominal benefit.

How to Add Tags to YouTube Videos

There’s a lot to consider when properly adding tags to your YouTube videos. First and foremost, you must understand who exactly is in your primary target audience. With this information, you can begin extracting predominant keywords and tags that can be utilized to further target your videos at these audiences.

In addition to targeting your primary audience, incorporating tags in the form of keywords that are both relatively common and relevant to your niche also makes sense. YouTube currently allows users to add an unlimited number of tags to each video, meaning that for each one specific tag you might add, you have more options for broader targeting purposes.

Evaluating overall search volume and trends can further refine which tags are most ideal for pairing with each YouTube video.

Advice for Using YouTube Tags

Much like when using keywords with traditional search engines, stuffing videos with tags isn’t exactly a great idea. In theory, a single video can include dozens of tags, but most professional content creators limit themselves to no more than 200 characters in the form of tags per video.

Tags can be used with impunity, but keep in mind that irrelevant tags stuffed into a video – even if they help you rank in search results – may have negative consequences. If your videos generate higher bounce rates or are deemed irrelevant to the audience, then your overall rankings for these videos may suffer. As such, pinging users with off-topic tags isn’t recommended.

Additionally, avoid the temptation to stuff blatant lists of keywords and other analogs of tags into your tags, titles and descriptions: they will only harm the long-term performance of your videos.

YouTube tags for videos are a fairly simple concept: as long as you follow a few simple guidelines, you can dramatically improve visibility of your videos. While they may not always generate huge returns in visibility depending on which specific niches you’re targeting, videos aimed at smaller audiences can see their performance improve in a meaningful sense. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to improve performance with just one simple set of tweaks.