As you all know that today’s YouTube channels are better at grabbing than even primetime television and we all know that YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine on the planet after Google as if we don’t get a satisfactory result on google then we go to YouTube for the next search as always reading and seeing images would not clear your doubts but a video with an explanation will clear your doubts better than anything.
Facts about YouTube:
The average user spends an average of 25 minutes on the site each time they visit. Together, we spend 2.9 billion hours on YouTube in a month. That’s 326,294 years. More than 13 million hours of video were uploaded during 2010 and 35 hours of video are uploaded every minute.
Over 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute and over 1,300,000,000 people use YouTube.. YouTube has more HD content than any other online video site. 1,000 new videos are uploaded by the time one finishes watching one video on YouTube.
1: Video Name & Keywords
By default, many video programs will export your videos with names like “sequence 1” or other generic titles that have no SEO value. To optimize your video title, use the keywords that you have chosen for the video.
Ranking Factors
There are many known ranking factors on YouTube. But YouTube doesn’t tell you what they are. Instead, search engine specialists run extensive tests to systematically determine what helps channels and videos appear higher in searches.
Here’s what they’ve found according to respected online magazine, Search Engine Watch. The most important ranking factors for someone working to SEO YouTube videos are:
Title tags
Retaining Your Audience
Description tag
Tags
Length of Video
Number of subscribers earned after watching
Comments
Reactions – Likes/dislikes
To this we would add this. YouTube now creates its own transcript of the video. Before, search engines didn’t “understand” the actual content of the video. They only understood how you tagged and described it. This makes spoken keyword phrases as important as written ones.
How to SEO Your YouTube Channel
Let’s look at how to apply YouTube strategies to promote YouTube videos through effective SEO.
2. Do Keyword Research
YouTube videos will show up in 2 main searches. They appear on the side or bottom of the screen when someone is using the YouTube platform. They also show up in the Google search results, which is arguably more important.
You can gain some fairly extensive insight going the free route. There are also paid tools that will help you get more data on your keyword selection.
To do free YouTube keyword research, apply these methods:
Use the recommendations function in YouTube. Type a keyword into YouTube search box. Note the suggestions that appear in the dropdown. These suggestions are based on frequent searches.
3. Creating Script
Because the YouTube search engine can “understand” your video through your script, it’s important that keywords are spoken during the video. Just like you would in writing, always use keywords naturally.
It’s much more important that the video script sound authentic and engaging than stuffing it with keywords. This isn’t a tutorial on how to promote YouTube videos no one wants to watch.
If the videos are already created, note this for future videos. And know that if you have a great video, you likely used plenty of keywords without thinking about it.
4. Descriptions
They should be longer than most of the descriptions you see on YouTube. The sweet spot appears to be around 150 words. That’s a couple short paragraphs.
Use this space to get people excited about the video. Don’t give the video away. But do be clear what they’ll learn about. After describing the video, use 25-50 words (included in the 150) to invite people to a related piece of content on your website. And/Or share your links to your social media profiles.
Never, ever try to sell anything in the description. That would be bad for SEO and make your channel look spam.
Use your primary keywords 3-4 times and your LSI keywords naturally, once if possible.
It is also recommended for you to add hashtags. In fact according to Google, using hashtags in your description will make it easier for users to find your video. If you have any, don’t forget to also include your other social media profiles that they can follow. And lastly, encourage the viewers to like and subscribe to your YouTube channel.
5. Title
They should be longer than most of the descriptions you see on YouTube. The sweet spot appears to be around 150 words. That’s a couple short paragraphs.
Use this space to get people excited about the video. Don’t give the video away. But do be clear what they’ll learn about. After describing the video, use 25-50 words (included in the 150) to invite people to a related piece of content on your website. And/Or share your links to your social media profiles.
Never, ever try to sell anything in the description. That would be bad for SEO and make your channel look spam.
Use your primary keywords 3-4 times and your LSI keywords naturally, once if possible.
It is also recommended for you to add hashtags. In fact according to Google, using hashtags in your description will make it easier for users to find your video. If you have any, don’t forget to also include your other social media profiles that they can follow. And lastly, encourage the viewers to like and subscribe to your YouTube channel.
7. Get People to take an Action
Actions taken help improve your ranking. You’re looking for:
Likes
Shares
Comments
Links (when relevant)
Subscribers
In order to effectively measure success when you promote YouTube videos, align this action with how you’re measuring success.
You might say something like this at the end of the video:
If you liked our video, you’ll love our channel. Please subscribe and comment.
It’s okay to ask people to like on YouTube. It hasn’t become as objectionable (yet) as it has on Facebook. So take advantage while you still can! Use analytics to determine the best way to get people to take actions.
We did it indirectly. Most people who like videos, like them automatically. But an added nudge can help take it to the next level.
8. Make Right Length of video
Don’t try to do too much in one video. Wistia found that 75% of people will watch a 2-minute video to the end. 60% will watch a 5-minute video. As the length grows, you lose people. You lose ranking in YouTube. They want to know if people finished the video.
9. Use custom thumbnails
A thumbnail is the first thing a person sees. It needs to stand out. A random still from your video likely won’t get the job done. Consider keeping a cohesive theme or branding your thumbnails, so your videos are always recognizable.
10. Intro
Not having a distinct video intro can kill your chances on YouTube. A 3-5 second intro identifies your brand. As people learn to trust your brand, it gives them a reason to keep watching.
They know this will be good. They know who you are.
Without an identifying intro, people might watch several videos randomly. They don’t make the connection that one awesome brand is providing all of this content.
The intro is super-short and should showcase who your brand is.
11. Upload subtitles & closed captions
YouTube video subtitles present another opportunity to work in relevant keywords to boost your content’s visibility. Closed captions also improve the viewing experience for hearing-impaired audience members. Breaking down a complex topic? Subtitles and closed captions give viewers a visual aid to follow along with and aid comprehension.
Adding closed captions is a relatively simple process that involves uploading a written transcript or dedicated Subrip Subtitle File (SRT) to pair with your YouTube video. The platform offers some customization options, letting you limit the amount of text that appears on the screen or time your closed captions to pop up at specific moments.
Be sure to optimize your subtitles and closed captions to take advantage of targeted, relevant keywords that will help increase your video SEO.
