Posted by Cameron Francis
on
12 May , 2022
in
Social Media Video Marketing
If you are looking to grow your audience, YouTube is the place to be!
YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world and can help increase your organic traffic by up to 300%, with more than 1.5 billion hours of video watched every day.
YouTube also has a built-in audience that makes it much easier to reach people interested in what you have to offer. However, keep in mind there are so many amazing videos out there that are simply never found.
Knowing how to optimise your video SEO for YouTube will ensure that you get more views and build a larger audience on YouTube. Let me explain.
In this article, we will be discussing how to create great YouTube video content in order to rank higher on search engine results pages.
What is YouTube SEO?
Youtube is one of the most popular video hosting sites in the world. The site has over one billion visitors every month and a total of over 300 hours of video are uploaded every minute. The search volume is exponential. However, as previously mentioned, not all videos are found. That’s where SEO comes in, or search engine optimisation.
The SEO on Youtube is different from traditional SEO because it’s more complex, with more ranking factors and more competition. It includes things like descriptions, tags, video thumbnails and so much more.
Video content creation with YouTube SEO in mind is the process of creating a video that will generate high search rankings on YouTube’s search results pages. To do this, you need to know what keywords to use in your video and on your YouTube channel page. You also need to know how to create quality content that will get people to watch your video over those of other creators.
It is important for businesses to be able to rank well on Youtube search results because it can help them reach their target audience and grow their business more successfully.
Benefits of YouTube SEO
YouTube is the second most visited site on the web, making it a must-have tool for your business. However, did you know that YouTube also has a search engine that crawls through videos to find out what people are searching for?
Youtube SEO can help you…
- increase your chances of ranking higher in Google and search engines
- reach a larger audience and generate conversation
- make money from your video
- get more traffic to your website
- get more subscribers to your YouTube channels
6 steps to optimise your YouTube channel for SEO success and get more views!
With YouTube being the second-largest search engine in the world, it has a lot of benefits for businesses and individuals. For businesses, YouTube is a great platform to promote their products and services to an audience that is not limited by geography. For individuals, it is a great way to get your message out there and connect with people from around the world.
A video’s visibility on YouTube depends on its rank on Google Search (YouTube SEO). There are many factors that contribute to this rank including title, tags, description, thumbnail, video length and so much more. Keep reading to learn 6 steps to help you rank better.
Step #1: YouTube Keyword Research
The YouTube SEO process begins with video keyword research. What exactly are people searching for…
First, generate a list of keyword ideas. Did you know that YouTube even has a search suggest feature? Just jump on YouTube and start typing in a word or phrase and YouTube will give you a bunch of keywords related to what you typed in:
These suggestions are GREAT because they show you the terms people actually type into YouTube.
Alternatively, you can also go to a popular video in your niche and copy the same keywords that the video is optimised around.
Second, find the best keyword from your list. You can’t target everything so it’s best to start with low competition keywords, as you’ll start to rank faster.
Step #2: Use your keyword everywhere! Titles, descriptions, in the video…
Say your target keyword. YouTube automatically transcribes your videos, and they do a good job at that. So if YouTube sees that you mention your target keyword in your video, they’ll better understand that your video is about that term.
Add the target keyword in the video title. Your title should be at least 5 words long with your target keyword either close to or at the beginning of your title.
Write the target keyword in the description. Your video description is super important. It helps YouTube and Google to understand the context of your video.
Step #3: Tag your video with relatable topics
Tags aren’t about informing your audience. They’re about telling YouTube and Google what your video is about. It’s about understanding the content and context of your video.
Tags are keywords or phrases that help people find videos on YouTube. It’s also YouTube’s way of figuring out how to associate your video with similar videos through tags.
However, you need to choose your tags wisely. Choosing popular tags that aren’t relevant just so you’ll rank might result in Google penalising you, so choose carefully.
- The first tag needs to be the exact keyword you’re targeting
- The next few should be variations of the word or phrase
- Lastly, add a few tags on other topics your video covers
TIP: Targeted tags help you show up more often as a related video in the sidebar area of YouTube.
Step #4: Promote your video
The ultimate goal… to get video views! So what better way than promoting your video.
There’s the obvious. Post and share your video on your social channels. Then there’s the less obvious. Mention your video on Quora and other Q&A sites. If your video answers a question, share the link to the channel and get high-quality videos. Think about it… you are posting your video in a place where people are desperate for answers.
Create backlinks. Embed your videos in blog posts. Link to your video in your email signature. Find forums to share your video related to the content and target keyword.
Step #5: Optimise your YouTube channel
First and foremost, you want to make sure your page looks nice and professional.
Optimise your channel page. You need to optimise everything from the header to the description. A great looking page leads to more subscribers and can help your channel rank on YouTube. Also, include your targeted keywords in your channel’s about section.
Use playlists. Playlists automatically play every video in the playlist… which can lead to thousands of extra views for your videos.
Step #6: Always add a call to action
Ask yourself… ‘once someone watches my video, what would I like them to do?’
YouTube works best when you post videos frequently and there are active users. And if you post multiple videos, then you probably want people to watch multiple videos, instead of just the one and never visit your channel again.
Add a call to action at the end of your videos from recommended videos to continue watching, to website pages or blog links with more information. Add annotations on your videos and make it as clear as possible what action you want people to take.
Plus in the description, include a link back to your website or social media profile.
YouTube Analytics and SEO tools
YouTube analytics and YouTube SEO tools are great tools for marketers looking to grow their audience. They provide insights on demographics, top-performing videos, and more, and are an integral part of your SEO strategy.
YouTube analytics is a great way to see how your content is performing and what needs improvement. YouTube Analytics allows you to see the demographics of your audience, which is helpful in determining what type of videos you should create next. YouTube Analytics also lets you know the top-performing videos so that you can replicate this success with future releases.
Should You Host a Video on Your Website or on Youtube?
A video is a great way to engage your audience, but where should you host it?
Some people believe that hosting the video on your website will give you more control over how the content is presented. However, this comes with a cost of higher bandwidth and storage requirements.
On the other hand, hosting it on Youtube will allow you to only use their bandwidth and storage, which might be cheaper in the long run. Additionally, with YouTubes SEO, you potentially get your video in front of thousands more people.
YouTube’s audiences are huge. By optimising your videos, creating playlists of relevant videos and driving people to your channel, the potential for your videos to reach wider audiences is exponential. However, when not done right, it can have detrimental effects.
When you optimise your videos and work on your YouTube SEO, you have the potential for your video to be seen by as many people as possible. If you’re looking for maximum reach, then Youtube is for you. If however, you only have one video and you want people to see the content on your website around the video to understand everything, then self-hosting is for you.
Final thoughts
There are a lot of factors that go into ranking for Youtube SEO. The most important thing is to put a little research in before you start creating your content and decide on a target keyword, a topic for your video and the call to action.
When uploading your video have a strong title, description and tags. Promote your video and find audiences looking for the answers to questions your videos answer.
Author’s bio
Tarryn Myburgh is the Creative Director of TM Creates, a Sydney based video production company that creates powerful stories to help build trust between businesses and their customers. When it comes to video production in Sydney, look no further than TM Creates. From creating compelling storytelling videos to startup business videos, TM Creates can help you develop personalised, humanised stories that build strong connections between customers and your brand.
