YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Videos for Better Reach?

YouTube is the second most popular search engine after Google. YouTube is growing rapidly, with more than 500 hours of video uploaded every minute.

Are you wondering how to make/attract more viewers and subscribers to your YouTube channel?

To make your channel/videos highly visible to your audience, check our article that helps you rank in the top position on the YouTube SERPs page.

What is YouTube SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), is the process of getting our website/Video content to rank high in search engine result pages (SERPs).

YouTube SEO is different from Google. It uses backlinks and other factors for ranking.

YouTube SEO includes optimizing your YouTube channel, playlists metadata, descriptions and videos. You can optimize your videos to search within and outside YouTube for better visibility of videos.

Basic SEO for YouTube video includes incorporating keywords into titles, meta descriptions and tags. The key element of a YouTube SEO strategy involves harnessing the power and potential of your video’s content in transcripts, closed captions and subtitles. It will have a positive impact on user experience, engagement and viewership as well as SEO.

Youtube SEO is a bit different from regular SEO. Here we’ve created a list of techniques that will provide you with the visibility you need on YouTube.

YouTube Keyword Research:

Choose the right phrase or keyword for your YouTube video before you can improve YouTube SEO. Keywords are often found in video titles and metadata. When spoken in audio, keywords appear as captions or transcripts. 

Keywords and phrases must match:

• what is in your video content?
• what users type into search engines to find similar content?

Keyword research is a simple and assured way to find the requirements. YouTube’s Search Suggestion is a simple way to locate a keyword for your video. YouTube’s Search Suggest will suggest keywords and phrases relevant to your industry.

Other important keyword research tools are: 

• Google Keyword Planner
• Moz keyword explorer
• Ahref’s keyword explorer

Optimize the Metadata:

• Video Filename

Your keyword or keywords should be included in the filename before uploading your video. It is not visible to viewers. We can include a video filename like “how-to-do-keyword-research” covering our target keyword and a question about that keyword.

• Closed Captions and Transcript

Bots can’t view your video. However, they can read your transcript. Include your transcript to help bots understand your video and rank it.

These two areas will help you rank your keyword higher in search results.

• Video Title

Your keyword should be included in the title. If your video title answers a specific query involving your keyword & communicates the information which viewers want then your video can rank higher.

• Video Description

A clear and precise video description should be written with target keywords, just like your title. This will let viewers know that you have the information they need.

• Usage of Correct Tags

You should also include your keywords in your description and title. YouTube tags are only for reference purposes. Your viewers will not see what you have included. You can add as many variations as you like to your keywords and search phrases.

• More Engaging Content

YouTube’s ranking factors are heavily influenced by viewer engagement. YouTube allows viewers to interact with your video and respond. YouTube considers these interactions when it ranks videos.

• Make an Eye-catching Thumbnail.

A good thumbnail will get you more clicks and better SEO.

Your thumbnail should stand out and tell viewers what your video’s about.

Use Social Media to Share

You can also rank higher on YouTube by sharing your video in as many places as possible. The more social signals you have, the better is your accessibility.  Do share it on all social media platforms and encourage others to reshare/repost it.

Create Backlinks

You can increase backlinks by posting your video on as many sites as possible, including your blog and website. Ask other websites within your niche to publish your video or write guest posts that contain your video. Your YouTube SEO and Google SEO will improve the more backlinks that you have.

Create Playlist

Because they automatically play, playlists can be a great way to increase your channel’s overall watch time. Instead of just watching one video, viewers might be able to watch several!

To create a playlist, you need to combine videos that share a common theme or topic.

Optimize YouTube Shorts

Shorts allow you to create short videos up to 60 seconds in length and can be used by any content creator to increase YouTube channel engagement and organic reach.

YouTube Shorts is one of the most popular platforms for organic reach. If you create a short, engaging video with all the SEO-focused keywords and tags, then, there is no stopping for your engagement numbers. 

Sum Up

YouTube is a highly competitive platform for sharing your content, as many people visit it every day. Sometimes, the competition can be demotivating,still, there are many ways to rank higher on YouTube. 

To improve your YouTube SEO, avail digital marketing services from Greenwill Techs, which helps your brand get more and wider reach & higher engagement.