12 YouTube SEO Tips
So you’re investing your heart and soul into making great YouTube videos, but the views aren’t coming in anywhere near proportion to that. It’s a frustratingly prevalent tale for a lot of creators. But what if I showed you there is an awesome secret to unlocking the potential of your channel that you could possibly be missing? That secret is YouTube SEO.
YouTube is not only where you can see cat videos and vlogs; it’s the second-largest search engine in the world, after Google. There are people searching constantly for “how-to” videos, reviews, tutorials, and entertainment. And just as you can with Google, you can optimize your videos to come up first in these searches.
Learning YouTube SEO tricks isn’t about tricking the system or applying black-hat techniques. It’s about knowing what people are searching for and making it simple for them—and YouTube’s algorithm—to discover your stuff. In this guide, we’ll take you through 12 rock-solid YouTube SEO tips that will make you rank higher, gain more views, and establish your channel as a successful community.
1. Become a Master of YouTube Keyword Research
Even before you consider pressing the record button, your YouTube SEO adventure starts with keyword research. It is like a treasure map that guides you to what people are currently looking for.
Begin with YouTube’s Search Bar: It’s the easiest but most powerful tool you have. Begin typing a word or a phrase that fits your niche into the YouTube search bar and check out what suggestions appear. These are actual searches from actual people, so you know that there is a crowd that wants to see them. That’s your first indication of the terminology that your audience speaks and the exact subjects they care about.
Spy On Your Competitors (Ethically, naturally!): Look at top-performing channels in your niche. What are they using for keywords in their titles, descriptions, and tags? TubeBuddy can provide a glimpse behind the curtain at their keyword strategy. You’re not copying them, but learning what works in your space and how you can do better.
Think in Long-Tail Keywords: Don’t use broad, super-competitive keywords such as “fitness,” but instead opt for more targeted, long-tail keywords such as “15-minute HIIT workout for beginners at home.” These are less competitive and will draw a more targeted audience that is more likely to watch your whole video. Long-tail keywords tend to be more conversion-friendly, as viewers are more likely to subscribe or perform another desired action after viewing.
Use Keyword Research Tools: Aside from YouTube’s search field, there are specialized keyword research tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, and even Google Keyword Planner which can give you valuable information on search volume, competition, and related keywords. Some of these tools come with special functionality for YouTube where you can view estimated search volumes on the site itself.
2. Craft Titles That Are Both Clickable and SEO-Friendly
Your title is your first impression—make it a good one! A good title doesn’t just catch a viewer’s attention, but informs YouTube’s algorithm exactly what your video contains.
Front-Load Your Keyword: If possible, include your primary keyword at the start of your title. This makes it more prominent in YouTube’s algorithm. For instance, the title “YouTube SEO Tips: 12 Ways to Grow Your Channel” is better than “12 Ways to Grow Your Channel with These YouTube SEO Tips.”
Keep It Short and Snappy: Target a title that’s between 50-60 characters. This guarantees it won’t be truncated in search results, particularly on mobile. A longer title is annoying for users and can be overlooked.
Spark Interest: Your title must entice people to click. Power words, questions, or solutions to issues work well. “My 5 Biggest Skincare Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)” is much more engaging than “Skincare Tips.” Consider what would get you to click on a video.
Add Numbers and Brackets: Numbered title (e.g., “7 Best Laptops for College Students”) and brackets or parentheses (e.g., “How to Edit Videos [For Beginners]”) tend to generate a higher click-through rate. They are more visible in search results and give the viewer a clear idea of what to expect.
3. Write Descriptions That Work for Both Humans and Robots
Your video description is your opportunity to give more context to your audience and YouTube’s algorithm. Don’t waste this precious real estate!
Add Your Keyword First: Just as with your title, add your main keyword into the first 25 words of your description. The first couple of lines of your description are what people read before they click “show more,” so use them wisely.
Go for Length and Detail: Make your description a minimum of 250 words. This provides you with ample space to organically weave in your keywords and give an in-depth overview of your video. You can even add secondary and long-tail keywords here to rank for a broader list of search terms.
Add Value: Use your description to link to resources you referred to in the video, your social media accounts, or your website. This gives your viewers a more enhanced experience and can send traffic to your other sites. You can also add affiliate links here if you are monetizing your channel in such a manner.
4. Don't Undervalue the Force of Strategic Tagging
Though the relevance of tags has been argued, they are still useful for YouTube in categorizing your video and making it available to the appropriate audience.
A Balance of Broad and Specific: Utilize a mixture of broad tags (e.g., “cooking,” “recipes”) and specific, long-tail tags (e.g., “how to make sourdough bread from scratch”). Your initial tag should be your primary keyword.
Don’t Overdo It: Opt for 5-8 proper tags. Popping your video with dozens of irrelevant tags will actually damage your rankings. Quality wins the game here, not quantity.
Tag Research: Utilize tools such as vidIQ or TubeBuddy to discover tags that are relevant and observe what your competition is using. This can assist you in discovering tags you never would have considered and view which ones are sending traffic to other videos within your niche.
5. Make Thumbnails That Beg to Be Clicked
Your thumbnail is the advertisement for your video. Your thumbnail can make all the difference between a viewer clicking on your video or scrolling straight over it.
High-Quality and Visually Strong: Utilize a high-res image with bright, contrasting colors and a clear, easy-to-read type. Try not to use blurry or dark images.
The Power of a Human Face: If it makes sense in your video, add a close-up shot of a human face with emotion. We’re wired to be attracted to faces, and this can really drive up your click-through.
Consistency is Key: While every thumbnail must be distinct, having a consistent look and feel throughout your videos establishes brand recognition and allows your content to be immediately identifiable to your subscribers. It might be a consistent font, color scheme, or placement of your logo.
Test and Analyze: Feel free to try out various thumbnail types to find out what works for your viewers. Monitor your click-through rate in YouTube Analytics to determine what is working best.
6. Unleash SEO Gold with Closed Captions and Transcripts
Adding proper closed captions (CC) and a full transcript of your video is an SEO game-changer for your YouTube SEO.
Accessibility to All: Captions allow your videos to be accessible to more people, including deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, as well as others who want to view video without sound. Not only is this good for SEO, but it’s just the right thing to do.
Keyword Indexing Power: Your captions and transcripts can be crawled and indexed by search engines. That means if you naturally use your keywords in your video, you’re providing YouTube with another good signal of your video’s content.
DIY Captions are Best: As good as YouTube’s auto-captions are becoming, they’re not always perfect. It’s always best to upload your own custom captions or edit the automatically generated captions for accuracy. An incorrectly transcribed transcript can do more harm than good.
7. Engage Viewers with Cards and End Screens
YouTube’s algorithm is happy when users watch more of your content. Cards and end screens are great ways to keep viewers on your channel for a longer period of time.
Guide Viewers with Cards: Cards are little, clickable overlays that you can utilize to refer viewers to other videos, playlists, or your site. They’re an excellent method of promoting similarly themed content and guide viewers along an adventure through your channel. Utilize them to survey your viewers, refer to a certain product, or recommend another of your videos.
The Ideal End-Screen Send-Off: End screens come at the end of 5-20 seconds of your video and can be utilized to promote videos, subscribe, or point to your site. This is the ideal time to engage viewers when they would otherwise click away.
The Engagement Snowball: The longer you can retain viewers on your channel, the more valuable and engaging YouTube will perceive your content to be, which can result in better rankings and more visibility in the suggested videos sidebar.
8. Make Your Videos Easy to Navigate with Timestamps (Chapters)
Timestamps, or chapters, divide your video into sections so that viewers can skip directly to the content they’re most interested in.
A Improved Watching Experience: Chapters are a godsend for viewers, particularly in long videos. They enhance the user experience, which is a huge thumbs-up with YouTube.
SEO Superpowers: Timestamps provide YouTube with more information about your video’s content, and this can enhance your rankings. Every chapter title can be used as a mini-keyword, providing you with more search-ranking opportunities.
Google Search Bonus: Properly formatted chapters even appear in Google search results, providing your video with another opportunity to be found and sending very targeted traffic to exact points in your video.
9. Structure Your Content into Binge-Worthy Playlists
Playlists are an easy but effective means to increase your watch time and engage viewers with your videos.
The Binge-Watching Effect: When you place similar videos in a playlist, they will play consecutively one after another automatically, making viewers continue to watch more of your content in a single sitting. This can dramatically add to your channel’s total watch time.
Second Chance to Rank: Playlists also rank in YouTube search results, providing you with a second spot of real estate on the search results page.
Smart Naming: Name your playlists keyword-rich titles that reflect what’s inside. For instance, “Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes” is far better than “My Food Videos.”
10. The Final Objective: Audience Attention and Engagement
Ultimately, the best YouTube SEO advice is to make videos that viewers want to watch. Audience retention, or the percentage of your video that viewers watch, is a huge ranking signal.
Hook Them in the First 15 Seconds: You’ve got a very brief amount of time to get a viewer to hang around. Begin your video with a compelling hook that teases the benefit they’ll receive from watching.
Encourage Engagement: Ask your audience to like, comment, and subscribe. These signals let YouTube know that your content is popular with your audience. Engaging with comments is also important in creating a community for your channel.
Longer Can Be Better (If It’s Good): YouTube’s algorithm tends to prefer longer videos (more than 10-12 minutes) since they can provide more watch time. But remember, quality over quantity. A short, extremely engaging video is way better than a very long boring video.
11. Share Your Videos Outside of the 'Tube
Don’t simply click “publish” and wait for the magic to happen. Marking up your videos elsewhere can provide that initial kick they require to begin taking off.
Share the Word on Social Media: Share your videos across all of your social media platforms. Produce teaser clips or behind-the-scenes footage to drive your followers to click through to YouTube.
Your Email List is Gold: If you have an email list, email your subscribers whenever you upload a new video. These are your most loyal fans, and they’re likely to view your videos and interact with them.
Embed, Embed, Embed: Embed your videos on your website or blog. This is an excellent means of enhancing watch time and traffic from another source. It also provides rich content to your site.
12. Don't forget optimizing your channel page
Your channel page is the front door for new viewers. Ensure it’s set up to convert those viewers into subscribers.
A Keyword-Laden Channel Description: Craft a concise and clear channel description that informs people what your channel is about and incorporates your primary keywords.
Shine with Your Best Content: Utilize your channel design to highlight your best content, playlists, and an enticing channel trailer. This is your opportunity to create an awesome first impression and let new visitors know what you are all about.
Make Your Channel Trailer Amazing: Your channel trailer is your one-minute elevator pitch to potential viewers. Keep it short, interesting, and don’t forget to invite them to subscribe.
By following these YouTube SEO tips consistently, you’ll be half-way there to developing your channel, building a bigger audience, and becoming a successful creator. Don’t forget, YouTube SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, be consistent, and keep producing fantastic content that will warm people’s hearts.
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