Youtube SEO involves optimising your channel, descriptions, videos and metadata to improve your rankings in search results. You can grow your channel on YouTube just like every other succeeding channel with massive likes and views and achieve that which you desire by optimising your videos for search within and outside of Youtube.
Search engine bots cannot watch videos. They rely on text data to index them appropriately. Therefore, a vital element of a Youtube strategy is to put your video text in the form of transcripts, closed captions and subtitles, which can impact, positively, user experience, watch time and even viewership.
To achieve these, here are 9 simple tricks to help you build a channel you will be happy with whether you’ve been using YouTube for a while or are thinking of how to start.
The Perfect Keyword is Key
Many videos on YouTube do not have the crucial potential to bid for the top rank. Many videos may have the potential, but people are not using the best keyword. Before boosting Youtube SEO, you must select the right keywords or phrases so that when users type these words or phrases, your page or channel comes up in their Search Result Page.
Making research on the exact keywords to go for is the first brick to building the success of your video on YouTube. Keyword research tools like Google keyword planner, Google Search, Moz or Semrush are excellent for finding the perfect keywords. Thanks to the geniuses behind these tools for making things easy.
Chip in your Keyword in the Video Title
By understanding why you are making a specific YouTube video and who your exact target audience is, you are more likely to reach those target audiences by adding the keyword to the video title. As a result, your video appears more often in the audience’s search results.
For example, if you make a video displaying a new product review, try and input the product’s name in both the video title and description. Getting this step wrong has led so many good videos to have low clicks and lower rankings on YouTube search results which are not excellent for a good video.
Add Keywords to the Video File
This factor will make your videos obtain high rankings in search results. When uploading any video, YouTube uses the file name to ensure its relevance. So ensure that the file name contains the target keyword for a better chance of top appearances and more clicks.
Use Google’s Key Moments for Longer Videos
This feature makes it stress-free and faster for your audience or viewers to jump to a particular juncture in your video.
For example, if you make a “How-to” video, you can easily include timestamps to indicate the different parts of your video. When adding timestamps, list them in sequential order (from 0 minutes to last), make sure every timestamp is on a different line and specify the label on the same line.
Optimise your Video Description
A full description is essential for YouTube SEO ranking. YouTube re-examines a video anytime an update or change is made to its segments. Changing the description, subtitles, and thumbnails could improve your video or probably the opposite. You should not make a mistake the first time.
Include your primary keywords in the first few sentences of the description, and note that the entire description does not exceed 200 words. So make it short but detailed. The overview should be in a language that can be understood. Select 2 words that best describe the video and use them in the description and video title.
Include Hashtags for Better YouTube Search Results
Hashtags are among the best features of social media. A lot of individuals search for content on social media through hashtags. Therefore, counting hashtags in your video description will make viewers glimpse your video whenever they explore that specific hashtag.
Hashtags are fun; they boost trends and make them more visible. As for YouTube, the best place to add hashtags is in the description. Once added, the hashtags will be displayed right above the video title, and they can be clicked like a hyperlink.
Categorise your Videos
Categorising your videos uplifts your ranking. Google uses categories to display videos that match the search purpose, and users can see your YouTube video when they choose the type or a similar class. There are numerous choices to select from; sure, you should be able to find one that fits your video. So, when uploading any video, it is essential to categorise it for a better opportunity for more clicks by users.
Thumbnail Images Matters
With a glimpse at a thumbnail image, a viewer may decide to click your video or go, “Nah… never mind”. Thumbnail images are among the first steps in grabbing viewers’ attention in search results. So, they can lead to more watch time and the opposite.
Consider what your video is all about; pick a thumbnail image that will inspire every viewer to click your video without second thoughts. Moreover, a custom thumbnail is a perfect option to appear more professional. A customised thumbnail displays what the video is all about or what viewers will gain from watching your video.
Chip in Closed Captions and Subtitles
Another excellent option for the success of a YouTube video. Not all of your words may be clear to your viewers due to accent and other video language reasons, but with a good caption, they can read through your video.
Others may be even deaf or might not be able to hear the audio, but with a closed caption, your video will be friendly to them. Closed captions and subtitles are like transcripts, which are highly useful because they could act as a blog to search engines.
There you have it, 9 simple tricks to becoming a YouTube master.
