Know what YouTube SEO is and how to implement it in your account

YouTube SEO is just as important as SEO for web pages if you want your content to be seen. While the concept may be the same, YouTube SEO works a little differently than Google's. There are many reasons why you should invest your time in working on your YouTube SEO. 

In this article, you'll find everything you need to know to create a great YouTube SEO strategy for your account.

What is YouTube SEO?

YouTube SEO is the process of optimizing your YouTube channel, metadata, video descriptions, playlists and videos. Once you optimize your videos, they will be optimized for the YouTube search engine as well as external search engines like Google and Bing.

YouTube should be a strong part of your SEO strategy if you want people to find you online because it is one of the strongest sites online. Statistics prove it. YouTube is the second most visited online website after Google according to Alexa traffic rankings. Think of YouTube as a search engine for videos, and because it is a search engine, it comes with its own SEO rules.

How Does YouTube SEO Work?

Since Google owns YouTube, the two share data automatically. There is a huge benefit to uploading your videos on YouTube and this is that Google will index your videos immediately. This means you don't have to wait for bots to crawl your videos, nor do you have to create a video sitemap and submit it. To get your videos indexed high on YouTube ranking pages, you need to implement the best SEO tactics, just like you would to get your web pages indexed high on Google.

Google needs to understand what your video is about, and to do that, you need to add text to explain the content well. Text for your video includes the video title, description, and tags. Additionally, closed captions are also key to great YouTube SEO. The latter drives more engagement and views as well as SEO.

How to Optimize Videos for Youtube

With millions of videos found on YouTube, optimizing your videos has never been more important. There are many steps to optimize your videos perfectly and below you can find a step by step guide:

1. Start with keywords

Finding out the keywords your target audience uses to find content similar to yours is key to YouTube SEO. The process is similar to SEO for Google. You need to create a list of words in your niche and then use Google Keyword Planner to find keywords with high monthly volume. You can also use the search bar on YouTube to see the suggestions that appear when you start typing a keyword.

In addition to this process, when dealing with YouTube SEO, you need to take extra steps. Once you find an ideal set of keywords, enter these keywords in Google and see which ones bring up videos at the top of the SERP page rather than websites as an option. The keywords you choose should ideally have hundreds of monthly searches.

2. Optimize your video title

Similar to optimized blog post titles, your video titles should also be optimized. To do this well, use one of your keywords as part of your video title. SEO experts also recommend that you mention the solution the video will provide in the title. For example, “How to make a soufflé: Simple and fast method.”

3. Write a description of your video

Just like your video title, add keywords in your description. Bots on YouTube will find these keywords and crawl them, giving your video a better chance of ranking higher on the page.

4. Optimize tags

Tagging means including relevant keywords when uploading your videos so you can generate more views. The more relevant the tag, the more likely your video is to be seen. For example, if your video is about makeup, enter keywords like “beauty products, makeup tutorials” and others. Avoid using too many tags. Aim for 10 to 12.

To insert tags, you must:

• Visit your YouTube channel
• Click on channel settings
• Click “Info and Settings”
• Enter your tags in the tag field, separating the words with commas.

5. Create a call to action (CTA) so people can comment

YouTube will give higher rankings to popular videos, and one way YouTube determines whether a video is popular is through comments. For YouTube, comments section is an important metric, so getting people to comment on your videos should be your priority.

One way you can encourage people to comment is by adding a call to action at the end of the video for people to share their thoughts, tips, or stories regarding the video content. Using questions at the end of a video is a great way to get people to start a discussion.

6. Get people to subscribe

Another metric that YouTube uses to determine popularity rankings is the number of subscriptions to a YouTube channel. Having lots of subscribers means people want to see more of you and YouTube, that's a positive metric that will pay off in terms of rankings. So, when you upload videos, encourage people to subscribe to their channel. Give them a reason to do it. Tell them that you will upload more videos that they will enjoy. Providing quality content to your viewers will also give them a reason to subscribe to your channel.

Quality content on YouTube SEO does more than just solve your audience's problems. This also includes uploading quality videos. This can be easily done. Nowadays, smartphones record high-quality videos, making it possible to create great videos without having to invest in a lot of equipment. Focus on natural lighting when recording your videos. A steady hand or tripod will help too, and you might even consider investing in a microphone for clearer audio.

7. Include closed captions

Closed captions are great for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to enjoy your videos, but they are also great for YouTube SEO. This is because closed captions can be crawled by search engines. This means the bot detects text as text on a web page is detected, giving you a better chance of ranking high in your niche. If you decide to add closed captions to your videos, make sure they are accurate.

8. Share your videos

When you create YouTube videos, you want to have a strong social media presence on all social media, not just YouTube. The more your videos are shared on social media, the higher they will rank. One way to get more shares is to encourage your viewers to share the video. You can also include links to your social media profiles when uploading videos to get people to follow you and share your content.

9. Increase your watch time

Another ranking metric that YouTube uses to measure the popularity of your videos is watch time. The more time people spend watching your videos, the better you rate YouTube's ranking metrics. The best way to increase watch time is to:

• Post at the right time for your audience
• Promise something at the end of the video
• Add tension
• Tell viewers what they can expect
• Add links in your videos so viewers can watch more of your content
• Ask questions and answer them at the end of the video
• Use playlists

You should also study the watch time reports that YouTube provides to see which videos are doing well and which can be improved. To view your report, go to your channel and click Creator Studio. Find the menu on the left, click Analytics, then click Watch time.

10. Add playlist

Video playlists will increase your watch time and strengthen your SEO. There are many types of playlists you can create. For example, a baker might create a playlist with a series of videos detailing each step of making a wedding cake. So there will be a video about baking a cake, then another about making frosting, another about decorating a cake and more.

11. Increase your popularity

Being popular on YouTube leads to a larger audience, higher views, and as a result, better SEO. These are some of the best ways to become more popular in your niche on YouTube:

1. Create a great preview image: Thumbnails tell viewers what the video is about so you increase the chances of them clicking on your video

2. Name your raw file: Before uploading your video on YouTube, use keywords to name your video file. This may not contribute directly to your SEO ranking, but it is another way to tell YouTube what the video is about

3. Tell your email subscribers: Take advantage of your email list. By sending newsletters informing your audience about your new content, you give your videos more opportunities to be seen

4. Embed your video: If you have a blog, use it to embed your video in one of your blog posts.

Conclusion

These are some YouTube SEO tips that you can adapt to your personal or business YouTube account. By using the tips above, it is likely that the visibility of the videos you upload will be greater for your target audience to watch, and the marketing process via YouTube will be successful.

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