YouTube · Keywords

Top YouTube Keywords by Category

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in use, and a title written for the query beats a clever one almost every time. These are the phrases people type, grouped by the intent behind them — because “best” and “how to” are two different videos, and the vocabulary that wins each is not interchangeable.

keywords: 300 keywords
Categories: 10 categories
Last reviewed: Reviewed 7 September 2026

How many to use: 3 in the description, plus tags in Studio on one YouTube video. Every keyword below is one people actually use in volume, so pick the ones that genuinely describe the post rather than the ones at the top — relevance is what decides whether a large keyword works for you.

How-to & tutorials30 keywords

The largest intent bucket on YouTube. The modifier — “for beginners”, “step by step”, “without” — is what makes the phrase winnable.

Reviews & first impressions30 keywords

Purchase intent, high advertiser value, and the most competitive corner of YouTube. Specificity is the entire strategy.

Comparisons & versus30 keywords

Comparison queries convert better than review queries and are markedly less contested. Two named products beat one category every time.

Beginner guides30 keywords

Evergreen and forgiving. A well-made beginner video keeps earning years after publication, which no trending topic does.

Fitness & health30 keywords

Duration and constraint are the modifiers that win. “20 minute” and “no equipment” carry more search volume than the exercise name.

Money & finance30 keywords

The highest CPMs on YouTube and correspondingly brutal competition. The long tail is the only realistic entry point.

Tech & software30 keywords

Version and year modifiers matter more here than anywhere else, because the answer genuinely changes each release.

Cooking & recipes30 keywords

Recipe search on YouTube is overwhelmingly constraint-shaped: time, equipment, budget, dietary need.

Study & career30 keywords

Steady, non-seasonal demand with a long shelf life and unusually low competition in the specific phrasings.

Gaming guides30 keywords

The most time-sensitive category here. A guide published in a patch’s first week captures nearly all of its search.

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