What is YouTube SEO & How Does it Work?

YouTube has its internal search system for users to conveniently find what they’re looking for. Its robots scan all the videos and channels on the platform to deliver the most accurate and relevant results.

What’s important to understand is that these internal algorithms are based on certain optimization criteria and channel engagement that eventually rank the results. Hence, a YouTube channel that receives loads of likes and comments is better placed than one with poor engagement.

And as we’ve mentioned that Google and YouTube search engines are integrated, Google also provides video content results from YouTube and other platforms, making user results more relevant.

Proven Tips for YouTube SEO

Now that we’ve established the importance of YouTube SEO, here are some tips to configure SEO on YouTube:

Choose Targeted Keywords Carefully

First and foremost, you must recognize your primary audience and understand their search intent. This is important; otherwise, your video will not be visible in search results.

That’s why Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) have become extremely competitive, and choosing the right keywords and diversifying yourself and your content is particularly important. The key is to select keywords that are less competitive and help obtain volume.

Some YouTube SEO tools you can use to choose the right keywords include:

ü  WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool

ü  Google Keyword Planner

ü  Google Search (‘people also ask’, ‘search suggests’, ‘related searches, etc.)

Put Relevant Keywords in the Video’s Title and Description

Let’s say you’re uploading a video that’s a product review. Make sure you use the products’ names in the video title and description. This might sound pretty basic, but this is among YouTube’s ranking factors to display your video in search results.

When your file’s name contains the target keyword, your video has a greater chance of being ranked and attaining more search volume.

Optimize the Video’s Description

Another extremely important tip for SEO on YouTube is creating a robust and optimized video description. As per YouTube recommendations, include the most common and essential keywords in the first few sentences of the description.

Also, in case you update or change a YouTube video element, such as its description, subtitles, closed captions, or thumbnail, the platform re-evaluates the entire video. So always make sure your description is useful.

Use Video Hashtags

Who isn’t familiar with hashtags (#)? They initially gained popularity via social media and are now commonly used across all digital platforms to help users pinpoint content.

Similarly, relevant hashtags inserted in video descriptions can help viewers find a specific video more easily. Also, tags help drive search and make important trends easily visible.

Select the Appropriate Video Category

YouTube provides various categories for you to label your videos, such as documentary, entertainment, crime, game shows, etc., which you can select when you upload your video.

Labeling and categorizing a video correctly contextualize it and increases the chances of users finding it as they search for relevant content.

Customize the Thumbnail

A users’ first impression of a video is the thumbnail. An engaging and intriguing thumbnail results in more watch time and has a major influence on YouTube ranking. So try creating a unique thumbnail and attention-grabbing for your target audience.

Include Subtitles and Closed Captions

And last, but not least our YouTube SEO tip is to use subtitles and closed captions. Both these files feature the text of the video, similar to a transcript.

Video subtitles play a vital role in conveying video dialogue to viewers, especially those who do not understand the language, whereas closed captions are for those who can’t hear the audio. Another benefit of subtitles and closed captions is that broad search engines can pick the video, similar to a blog.

Moreover, these files also enclose time codes so that every bit of text is matched up and displayed according to the speaker or some visual element. 

Just make sure the file format is supported by YouTube – there are many good guides available online for creating an SRT (SubRip Subtitle) file for your videos.

Final Word

Now that you know how to optimize your YouTube SEO video rankings, there’s nothing stopping you from kick-starting your YouTube journey to better outreach!

Just one last thing before we sign off: always encourage viewers to subscribe and leave comments on your videos. These, as well as shares and likes also help your videos reach a greater audience and provide feedback for improvement.

And it also tells Google that your content is being liked by people, which is what you’re working towards in the first place!

 

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