If you’ve posted a video on YouTube, you naturally want people to watch it. After all, you put a lot of time into making it.
With these 10 tips for YouTube SEO, you can ensure that your video is discoverable using the right search terms.
By using the right keywords, you make your video easier to find. YouTube uses keywords to determine the topic of your video. When selecting keywords, it’s important to choose ones that people actually use on YouTube. To find keywords, use the 5 methods listed below.
When you enter a keyword in the search bar, you’ll see several suggestions for that keyword. Use these suggestions to create a list of keywords, which you can then enter as keywords for your video.
With the YouTube Keyword Tool from Keywordtool.io, you can easily generate keywords that are relevant to you. To find search terms, you can use the free version of Keywordtool.io.
However, with the free version of Keywordtool.io, you can’t view search volume. But the search terms that are shown can still be useful for your YouTube video.
With the Google Keyword Planner, you can find a list of keywords in just a few seconds. Select “Discover new keywords” in the Google Keyword Planner, and you’ll see a list of relevant keywords.
There’s a good chance that you’ll come across search terms in the Keyword Planner that you haven’t encountered yet using the previous methods.
Google Trends lets you see how popular search terms and topics are. After you enter a search term, you’ll see a graph showing the level of interest.
An interest score of 100 means the search term is very popular, and an interest score of 0 indicates that the search term is not popular. Be sure to select the correct region; otherwise, you’ll get a distorted picture of its popularity.
With Keywords Everywhere, you can see in YouTube’s search results how often a search term is used. This lets you immediately determine whether it’s worth using that keyword.
Keywords Everywhere shows you the global monthly search volume for your search term. You can use this extension in Google Chrome and Firefox.
Do you get a lot of likes and comments on your video? If so, you’ll be rewarded with a higher ranking in search results. An even more important factor for YouTube is the number of subscribers. The more subscribers you have, the more popular YouTube considers you to be. This, too, is rewarded with a higher ranking in search results.
Always ask people to like your video and subscribe to your channel. Also, ask questions in the video to encourage interaction in the comments.
Before you click on a video, you’ll see an image next to it—this is the thumbnail. It’s very important and determines whether or not people will click on it. So make sure your thumbnail looks appealing and clearly shows what the video is about.
People stop watching halfway through the video when it doesn’t live up to the expectations set by the thumbnail.
There’s a good chance that someone will watch your video in a place where they can’t turn on the sound. With subtitles, everyone can always watch and “hear” your video. On YouTube, you can turn on subtitles for a video.
These subtitles are automatically generated by YouTube. Often, these subtitles aren’t entirely accurate. You can also create the subtitles yourself. To ensure the subtitles are completely accurate, we recommend that you do so. Subtitles also factor into search results, so be sure to highlight your keywords in the subtitles as well.
Make sure to put the most important keyword at the beginning of your video description. You can also set up default descriptions. That way, you won’t have to rewrite the entire description every time. Other things you can include in your default description:
When someone watches 80 percent of your video, YouTube ranks the video higher in search results. The length of your video also plays a role in this. Decide in advance what length is appropriate for your video.
A video in which you explain what search engine optimization is will, of course, be shorter than a vlog about a trip to an amusement park. Think about what the viewer expects from your video. People will stop watching if the video is too long or too short, causing it to fall short of their expectations.
Use YouTube Analytics to track how your videos are performing. This will help you determine whether a video is the right length or if you need to adjust its length.
Tip: Do you want people to keep watching your video? Ask a question at the beginning of your video and answer it later in the video.
Then create a playlist of your videos. This will ensure that your videos appear more often as suggestions. When someone watches your video, they’ll see the related videos. Thanks to the playlist, your videos will be shown as suggestions.
If people like the first video, they’re more likely to click through to the next one. Just make sure you have a good thumbnail for your playlist.
People don’t share bad or uninteresting videos on social media channels. YouTube takes this into account as well. Is your video shared often? If so, you’ll rank higher in search results.
YouTube videos are also frequently displayed in Google search results. To ensure your video appears in Google search results, be sure to include the key keywords not only in your video but also in your description. You can find the most important keywords using the tips above.
When choosing keywords, make sure the search term is searched for at least 200 times a month. It’s also a good idea to look at how the titles and descriptions of videos are structured in Google search results.
Your YouTube channel description is a great way to tell YouTube what your videos are about. It’s also a good place to reiterate your keywords. Of course, you should include your social media channels in the description and tell visitors a little about yourself and your business.
People often overlook the length of the video title. When creating a video title, make sure it’s no longer than 52 characters. That way, your title will be fully visible in search results. A fully readable title makes people more likely to click on your video.
By following these 10 tips, you’ll improve your ranking in YouTube search results. Just like SEO for Google search results, YouTube SEO can also take time.
When you start working on YouTube SEO, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on YouTube Analytics. You can use the data in YouTube Analytics to optimize your videos, making them even easier to find.
With a passion for SEO and an unmatched drive for results, Jarik Oosting is the driving force behind SmartRanking. With over 15 years of experience in the field, he has built an extensive body of knowledge spanning technical SEO to complex site migrations. As the founder of SmartRanking, he has assembled a team of like-minded SEO specialists who help businesses achieve sustainable online growth.
His academic background in information science at the University of Groningen, with a specialization in natural language processing, gives him a unique perspective on the world of SEO. For Jarik, it’s not just about visibility in search engines, it’s about sharing knowledge and guiding businesses toward sustainable online success. That mission also led him to write a Dutch book about GEO.