In an ever-changing internet landscape, search engine optimization (SEO) is more important than ever. From business websites to blogs, and even YouTube, keeping up to date with proper SEO practices is key to online success.

Whether you’re a YouTube beginner or a long time veteran of the internet’s most popular video platform, it’s time to start taking advantage of YouTube SEO. 

Today’s post will take you through some YouTube SEO basics, so you can build a foundation of success no matter what type of content you’re creating. Let’s get started!

In This Post You'll Learn:

• Why longer content is king
• Why your file name matters
• How to maximise your keywords
• How to choose the ideal video title
• Why adding tags is important
• How to write an amazing description
• Why transcription matters
• How to increase engagement
• The ins and outs of cross platform promotion

Let's get started!

Aim For Longer Content

When it comes to maximizing your YouTube ranking potential, creating longer videos is the way to go. The longer your videos are, the greater your overall retention time will be for viewers that stick around until the end.

Longer videos also have the potential to provide more value to viewers, which is a huge element in the way YouTube’s algorithm determines which content to suggest to its users.

If you’re used to creating bite-sized content, maybe start small by upping your video length by a few minutes.

Or, create a compilation video using the best of your previously published video content. Low effort, big results!

Start With The File Name

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Once your video is created, it’s time to give it a proper file name.

Instead of using the default random string of numbers that most files are often given, take advantage of this valuable SEO real estate and give your video file a name that counts.

Use a few keywords (we’ll go into those in the next step) and make sure that the file name describes the topic of your video briefly. 

Maximize Your Keywords

Keywords are the cornerstone of SEO. Choosing the right keywords can make or break your SEO campaign, so it’s extremely important that you do this step right.

Start by doing a little competitor research.

When you search YouTube or Google for the topics that you create content for the most, what types of titles do you see? Note down any patterns when it comes to the way the titles are phrased and which words appear the most. 

For example, if you create food related content regularly and you search up “how to make the best ice cream”, you may notice that the phrases “easy ice cream” and “vanilla ice cream” appear most often at the top of the results.

With this knowledge, you might want to make your next video about the Easiest Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe. This will include high-ranking keywords.

But keyword research doesn’t stop there.

It’s not enough to rank for the most popular keywords - if everyone is doing it, your content is likely to get buried in thousands of search results. Use a free keyword research tool like Wordstream to help you find keywords that are relevant to your niche, but might not be as popular as general terms (like “vanilla ice cream”).

Take some time to find at least 20 keywords that work best for your niche to use in your video title, tags, and descriptions.

Optimize Your Video Title

With your list of keywords in hand, it’s time to start optimizing your content, starting with your video title. 

The video title is the first thing that YouTube users will see when they browse the search results. Make your mark and ensure that your video stands out with a title that is:

• Brief
• Relevant
• Eye-catching

Avoid clickbait. If you have a sensational title but the content doesn’t come through with equally sensational entertainment, users will be less likely to trust you and therefore less likely to stick around for more. If you have something amazing to share, make it known! But above all, be sincere and let your personality shine through.

Add Video Tags

Much like Instagram, YouTube allows you to tag your video content to improve its ranking in the search results. Using your keyword list from earlier, tag your video with a few things that you think are the most relevant.

Use a mixture of popular and more niche keywords for maximum results.

For example, if your video is about celebrity gossip, use a few general tags like “celebrity gossip”, “celebrity news”, “celebrity relationships” and then a few more specific tags like specific names of celebrities or nicknames that you think users would be likely to search for.

Write An Amazing Description

Here’s where you can really let your SEO skills shine. Create an amazing description that briefly summarizes the contents of your video.

Don’t include too many spoilers! If you really want to build intrigue, you can hint at big news or giveaways to be announced the end of the video, encouraging viewers to stick around longer.

This is also a great place to include your social media links, website URLs, and FAQs. It’s also a good idea to add your own timestamps. This will ensure that viewers are getting the most out of your video.

Transcribe Your Work

Now that YouTube has removed community captions, it’s extremely important that content creators include their own. Not only is this necessary for accessibility - and increasing your viewership by making your content more accessible to a wider audience - but YouTube’s algorithm picks up on keywords from within video transcriptions.

So if you mention a few keywords within your video, your content is more likely to appear in the search results, homepage, and sidebars.

Take a look at the tutorial above for some helpful tips on how to transcribe your YouTube videos!

Increase Channel Engagement

Now that you’re a YouTube SEO pro, it’s time to give your channel an extra boost.

Increasing channel engagement with social media marketing tools allows your content to rank higher with less effort, which maximizes your efforts for big results.

YouTube’s algorithm prioritizes content that is already performing well. This leaves new users and less popular content creators in the shadows, preventing them from being seen by their ideal audience.

With social media marketing tools you can buy YouTube views, buy YouTube subscribers, and even buy YouTube likes and comments - all of which help your video rank better and bring in organic traffic in the process!

Promote Your Videos Outside of YouTube

Finally, it’s time to widen your reach. Cross-platform promotion is huge when it comes to YouTube success. Sharing your videos with family and friends on your personal social channels is great, but keeping a regular posting schedule on your channel-related social media profiles ensures that different audiences will be exposed to your content. 

Don’t be shy! Share your videos on Instagram Stories, Facebook Business pages, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, and more. 

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to start reaching your social media goals!

Check out our Services & Pricing page to view our amazing selection of social media marketing services, and our New Order page to learn more about each one!

Want even more amazing tips & tricks from the professionals? Check out the rest of our blog for even more in-depth guides and industry expertise!