Search Engine Optimization is the primary strategy to improve video rankings. That is, through it, people will find your content on the platform’s search pages.
Without doing a good SEO job for YouTube, your channel is doomed to fall short of its potential. As much as you have a loyal audience, you can hardly keep it without a good strategy.
That’s because every detail makes a difference. So, what are the main techniques that every YouTuber should know? In this post, we present the top 7 and explain why it is essential to invest in them. Continue reading and find out more!
After All, What Is SEO?
SEO consists of techniques and strategies to optimize the user experience. Through them, the platform’s algorithm understands that content is relevant, and the material ranks better in search engines.
On YouTube, the idea is the same. The goal is always to make your video easier to find so that you can make 10k YouTube subscribers so fast. Thus, your channel has a greater chance of being known and gaining fans.
How Does SEO For YouTube Work?
The purpose of SEO for YouTube is to offer the best videos to users so that they have a good experience. Several factors are considered to achieve the best result when determining which videos are most relevant to the user’s search. In general, the aspects analyzed are the same as for Google.
In this sense, some relevant criteria are the user’s search and browsing histories, channel engagement, and optimization. The first factor is not up to you, but the second is. Therefore, it is necessary to work as much as possible to receive a good ranking by the search engine.
It is still worth noting that, as much as Google owns YouTube, the systems are separate. The search engine can work similarly, but the video platform is different.
In addition, YouTube is necessary to consolidate itself in the digital environment. When you apply SEO on the platform, you get several advantages. Among them are:
- exploration of a new market niche;
- ability to stand out from the competition;
- facilitated communication with your persona;
- attracting new subscribers to the channel, as well as likes and comments;
- possibility of monetizing videos and earning money through YouTube in dollars;
- increase in the number of impressions;
- building a digital reputation;
- help with the SEO of your website, if you have yours;
- Strengthening organic strategies, which do not require the application of money to bring results and consolidate your channel.
YouTube SEO: 7 Techniques To Apply This Strategy
Now that you understand why it’s worth investing in YouTube SEO, you need to know how to be effective in implementing the strategy.
Several techniques apply to the video platform for recorded content or lives. Below, we present those with a tendency to bring more results. Check out!
Research the ideal keyword to work with on that content to get started. Identifying the subject of the video, relating it to user searches, and indexing the material are essential.
This keyword must be used in multiple fields. For example:
- title;
- tags ;
- Description.
Thus, YouTube will collect this information and use it for the correct ranking. Some techniques to find the right keyword is:
- Use YouTube’s own search bar autocomplete. There, the most searched keywords are presented. Therefore, you may have several ideas;
- Benchmark your content to see which are the most used by your competition. So visit other channels in your niche (prefer authoritative ones) and find out what terms are being used. Just select the “Videos” tab and choose “Most Popular.” This will help in your definition;
- Use Keywords Everywhere, Google Trends, and VidIQ tools. The first is a Chrome extension for SEO that provides an estimate of monthly searches on YouTube search. The second indicates user search trends. The latter is a free Chrome extension that adds an info bar to videos.
Also, choose keywords with good reach potential. It is not always better to choose those with the highest volume of searches. It is often worth investing in those with a long tail, which offers less competition but makes it easier to gain positioning.
Title And Thumbnail Optimization
The title must contain the keyword, but it also has other requirements. After all, this is one of the main indexing and ranking factors by YouTube. Therefore, the ideal is that it is as close as possible to the search made by the user. Also, it must match the keyword exactly.
Still, avoid creating a title that is too long. A study by Briggsby showed that the ideal is for it to be 47 or 48 characters long. Could it be more than that or below that? Yes, but try to stay between 40 and 55 characters.
When defining it, also think about solving a problem. For example, instead of “party makeup,” “how to do budget party makeup.” Just don’t fall for sensationalism. This damages credibility.
With this ranking factor, think about the thumbnail and the video cover. Most users look at these aspects to decide whether or not to click on the content. So the critical tips here are:
- select a well-produced close-up image if possible;
- put 2 to 3 words, trying to instill the curiosity of the possible viewer;
- Insert the relevant text in the left part of the video, as this is the beginning of the reading. So the eyes will look for that spot first;
- Place some image or visual element on the right for the same reason as above.
Use Of Tags
Video bookmarks are also critical. However, the tactic of stuffing the code with keywords no longer works. That’s because a lot of people use this strategy as spam.
It is recommended to use 6 to 8 words. The maximum allowed is 120 characters. Always put the keyword because the tags are used to identify the theme of the video, proper indexing, and suggestion for related videos. That is, they contribute to the increase in views on YouTube.
A tip is to use LSI keywords, which are those related to the focus keyword. However, avoid using too many tags. Between 7 and 10 is enough. To define the best tags, use the benchmark to check competitors’ ideas. Still, it’s worth choosing one to use for all your videos.
Optimized Descriptions
In the description field, you should invest in the objective text that explains exactly what the video is about. It can even be a little longer, as up to 5,000 characters are available.
The tip is to bet on persuasion, as the initial description snippet appears in the search results. So put the critical information right at the beginning. This tends to increase engagement.
Still add the keywords and use other elements. For example:
- CTAs, such as an invitation to sign up, download some material, etc.;
- timestamps to direct the user to highlights;
- hashtags for viewers to find new videos;
- relevant links.
Always try to start your video description with the main keyword. With this, the YouTube algorithm identifies the subject and favors the ranking.
File Name
The keyword focus must be inserted in the name of the video file. Never leave another code or number. Always put a descriptive name. Going back to the earlier example, it could be “how-to-do-makeup-cheap-parties.”
Transcripts And Subtitles In Videos
All rankings on YouTube are based on texts. This is because the algorithm does not read images. Therefore, using subtitles and transcripts is a way to improve the results obtained.
Transcription consists of passing the spoken content of the video into text. This process can be manual or optimized through a tool from YouTube itself. Thus, users can follow the information even without listening to the audio. So it’s a way to bring accessibility.
Disclosure On Other Platforms
Finally, remember to promote your channel elsewhere. YouTube SEO benefits from this practice because you drive the audience there. Therefore, it is easier to have visibility and get a good ranking.
How to make effective publicity? Some good practices are:
- embed your videos in blog posts with related topics;
- publicize the channel and videos in email marketing ;
- make institutional videos and product demonstrations for the site;
- post the videos on social networks;
- participate in forums, groups, and Q&A sites;
- Reply to user comments and messages with videos from your channel.
Remember that all videos must be relevant. That is, they should always add value to the followers of your channel.
Also Read: What is UX – User Experience & Its Importance For SEO
