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YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. With 2.3 billion monthly active users and 70% of views driven by the algorithm, your content needs to stand out. Don’t sleep on YouTube SEO! YouTube is a video platform you can’t afford to ignore. Keep YouTube SEO in the center of your Search Engine Optimization process of your digital marketing strategy. Here’s why:
Over 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute, and only 10% of the most popular videos grab 79% of views. Optimize your title, description, and tags to rise above the noise.
90% of top-ranked videos include their target keyword in the title. Research what people are searching for and weave those golden nuggets into your content naturally.
Videos with higher watch times and audience retention get a major algorithm boost. Keep viewers hooked with captivating edits, calls to action, and maybe even a dash of humor.
YouTube SEO isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about creating high-quality content that people love to watch and engage with. Optimize strategically, deliver value, and watch your channel soar!
Let’s walk through the basics of YouTube SEO and how to rank your videos higher.
YouTube SEO refers to the process of optimizing your videos and channels to rank higher in YouTube’s search results. By including relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, tags and metadata, you can help YouTube understand what your video is about. The higher your videos rank for searched terms, the more views they will get from search and suggested videos.
Just like traditional SEO, keywords are the cornerstone of YouTube SEO. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, YouTube’s Search Suggest feature, or specialized tools like TubeBuddy and vidIQ for finding popular, relevant keyword research.
Your video titles and descriptions should be clear, engaging, and keyword-rich. They tell YouTube and viewers what your content is about. Keep titles concise yet descriptive, and use descriptions to expand on the title, incorporating keywords naturally.
Your thumbnail is the first thing viewers notice. Make it visually appealing and reflective of your content. A custom thumbnail that stands out can significantly improve your click-through rate.
Your video’s first impression! Ditch the blurry selfie and craft a vibrant, eye-catching image that screams “click me!”
YouTube favors videos that keep viewers on the platform longer. Focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that encourages viewers to watch more, like, comment, and share.
Views, likes, comments – they’re YouTube’s gold stars.
Use tags wisely to describe your video’s content and context. Categories help YouTube understand where to classify your content, making it more likely to be shown to interested viewers.
These not only make your content accessible to a wider audience, including those with hearing impairments, but they also provide additional text that YouTube can index.
TubeBuddy: A browser extension offering keyword research, video SEO, and more.
vidIQ: Provides insights, research tools, and guidance to improve your YouTube presence.
Google Trends: Great for comparing keywords and understanding search patterns.
YouTube Analytics: Invaluable for understanding your audience and how they interact with your content.
Chapters allow you to split a long video into separate sections that viewers can click on to skip around the video.
Chapters appear as a list of timestamps below the video progress bar.
Chapters can help keep viewers watching more of your content by letting them easily skip to the sections they want. Higher watch time signals to YouTube that your content is engaging.
Chapters also allow you to add more keyword opportunities throughout the video.
Adding relevant chapters is an easy way to improve video SEO and user experience. Chapters both help rank your content and keep viewers watching more of your video.
By ranking higher in YouTube search results, properly optimized videos can drive significantly more views. Appearing on the first page for relevant searches can increase your impressions and views.
When people find your videos through search, they are more likely to subscribe if they find your content valuable. YouTube SEO helps surface your videos so you can turn searchers into loyal subscribers.
Videos that rank well and show up in suggested videos tend to have higher audience retention and watch time. This signals to YouTube that your content is engaging.
For creators monetizing videos with ads, higher views directly translate to increased revenue. YouTube SEO leads to more impressions and money earned.
Ranking YouTube videos for branded keywords can get your brandname and content in front of people actively searching for topics related to your business.
A YouTube channel with well-optimized videos can establish expertise and authority around certain topics. This trust can lead viewers to other products/services you offer.
YouTube Shorts are short-form vertical videos, up to 60 seconds long, that are created specifically for mobile users on YouTube. Introduced in 2020, Shorts aim to compete with popular short video apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
YouTube Shorts have several key features:
While Shorts are a new format, many best practices for YouTube SEO apply:
The short length requires tighter messaging. Focus on quickly hooking viewers and expressing a central theme or idea. Trending sounds, hashtags and memes can help Shorts get discovered.
Let’s look at an example. Imagine you have a cooking channel. You decide to make a video about “Healthy Breakfast Ideas.” Here’s how you might approach YouTube SEO:
Keyword Research: Use TubeBuddy to find popular keywords like “easy breakfast recipes,” “healthy breakfast options,” and “quick breakfast ideas.”
Title and Description: Title your video “5 Healthy Breakfast Ideas – Quick & Easy Recipes!” and use the description to detail what each recipe involves, incorporating your keywords.
Thumbnail: Create a bright, eye-catching thumbnail showing a glimpse of the finished breakfast dishes.
Quality Content: Ensure your video is well-edited, engaging, and offers value, like unique recipes or nutrition tips.
Tags and Categories: Tag your video with related keywords and place it in the “How-to & Style” category.
Giving viewers a positive experience from start to finish is key. Optimize based on analytics while providing value through your videos.