Your YouTube channel is already up and running. Now, you’re wondering how to get traffic to your videos. About 3-out-of-5 brands engaging in content marketing have the exact same problem. Video SEO could be the answer.
Just like Google, YouTube uses algorithms to drive traffic to videos and channels. However, YouTube’s algorithm is quite different from its mother search engine.
You must optimize your YouTube channels and your videos to improve visibility. Most videos never go viral if no SEO tactics are used. They must be optimized for YouTube searches, or most users will never find them.
What Is Video SEO?
Video SEO is just like website SEO. It’s the process of using specific tactics to help target viewers discover your content online. There’s a lot of competition in YouTube land. So, you must make sure your content is discoverable in searches.
Let’s say you’re uploading a video about “choosing the right keywords for your YouTube videos.” The key is to use related SEO keywords in your title and description. This helps the video show up in searches on YouTube. Some relevant keyword variations might be:
- YouTube video keywords
- YouTube video SEO
- SEO keywords for YouTube
Include these types of SEO keyword variations in your content descriptions. That way, when they are used in searches, your video comes up in results. But it all begins with quality content.
10 Video SEO Tips to Get More Views on Your YouTube Videos
Today, people watch YouTube videos more than ever before on both PCs and mobile devices. This massive online video platform is currently the second largest search engine (Google is the first). The Wall Street Journal reports that over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are watched every single day.
Building your channel and video SEO is an effective way to increase views. This also helps you generate traffic to your site and drive conversions. Follow these 10 SEO tips for YouTube to ensure your channels grow and your videos get the views they deserve:
1. Conduct YouTube SEO Keyword Research
Use a keyword research tool to help you discover the keywords your target viewers are using in YouTube searches. Stay tuned for my upcoming blog post and YouTube video about How to Find Good SEO Keywords Using Google Search launching this week.
In the meantime, you can use the Google Keyword Planner for assistance.
2. Create Attention-Grabbing Titles
When it comes to getting people to click on your YouTube videos, catchy titles are key to your success. To increase clickthroughs, make sure your titles are informative, entertaining or intriguing. With the right titles, you not only increase views, but your channel subscribers also increase as well.
Do a little SEO keyword research on YouTube. Use the video search engine to play around with keyword variations. Just be sure that your keywords are related to your video. Use those keywords within your video titles.
Google reports the following as the four most popular categories used within titles on YouTube:
- Comedy
- How-Tos
- Music
- Entertainment/Pop Culture
If your video falls into one or more of these categories, try to create titles that incorporate with the category. This will increase the video’s visibility based on how popular the keywords you use are at the time.
3. Use Relevant Target SEO Keywords
Try to be as precise as possible when choosing video keywords. They should be related to your industry, niche, brand or information contained within the content itself.
The more precise and relevant your video keywords, the less you’ll have to compete to rank for them. Using relevant keywords that people are currently using in YouTube searches greatly increases visibility.
Viral Video Marketing Techniques: Make Your Content Go Viral
4. Use Semantic Keyword Tags
YouTube’s tag features are one of the best ways to improve your channel and video visibility. On the video social media platform, these tags are known as semantic keywords. You must add these tags when uploading your video.
Try to add about 10 semantic keywords to every video you upload to YouTube. Never add more than 10 of these keyword tags. The platform’s algorithm may think you’re performing Black Hat SEO marketing and slam your content.
Think carefully about which tags you want to add to each video. Remember, they must be added before the content goes live. The more relevant and precise the tags, the better your chances of ranking high in the search engines for those SEO keywords.
5. Use Video Keywords Wisely
Never, ever stuff a bunch of keywords into your written content. Use them liberally in various areas, including:
- Titles
- File Names
- Meta Descriptions
- Timestamps
- Transcripts
- Video Description
YouTube’s algorithms check all of this information to determine your content’s relevance in relation to searches.
6. Add a Transcript to the Description
Predictive captions help your viewers and subscribers read along with your video. However, they don’t increase your content’s SEO value because YouTube can’t “see” what’s on your videos.
Therefore, it’s wise to add a transcript of your video in the description area. This increases the amount of written content, improving your chances of ranking for certain keywords.
7. Customize Your Thumbnail
When you upload a video to YouTube, a thumbnail is automatically generated. This is the image that’s shown in search results.
These auto-generated thumbnails aren’t always very eye-catching. Always create your own custom thumbnail to ensure it captures attention and attracts clicks.
8. Publish a Related Blog Post
Create an awesome blog post that targets the same SEO keywords as your YouTube video. This increases the Google ranking of both pieces of content. Do the following:
- Upload your video to YouTube and add a link to the blog post in your description
- Use the YouTube code to embed the content inside the blog post
Remember: Each time someone views your video on your website, it counts as a view on YouTube. Some users will click through to go to the video on YouTube and actually subscribe to your channel.
9. Engage, Engage, Engage
Audience engagement is key on this video social network. YouTube makes it easy for users to ask questions or leave comments related to the content they watch.
The more people engage on your channels and videos, the better they rank. This engagement includes:
- Likes
- Shares
- Comments
If someone asks you a question, be sure to answer it. Acknowledge comments and carry on viral conversations with your subscribers and viewers.
Also, always encourage your viewers to like your video and subscribe to your channel.
10. Promote Your Video
Be sure to spread the word about your new content. There are various ways to promote your YouTube video. Here are just a few:
- Embed it on your website
- Share it on all your social media networks
- Add them in marketing emails or newsletters
- Email them to family and friends and ask them to share them
- Create paid ad campaigns on Google and social media that link to the video or blog post where it’s embedded
Video: How to Get Your YouTube Video on Page 1 of Google Video Results
What’s the key to getting your YouTube video to rank on page one of Google Video search results? It’s all about SEO. You must infuse your videos with valuable, relevant SEO keywords to get your content in front of the right viewers.
Check out this YouTube video featuring Spicey Ky. It shows the conclusions of an experiment that got a client’s promo video to NUMBER 1 on PAGE 1 of YouTube Video search results for a specific set of valuable SEO keywords.
Get Professional Video SEO for Your YouTube Content
These days, with the popularity of video content, it takes an effective SEO approach to help ensure traffic and views. Video SEO improves your content’s visibility, increasing your search engine visibility.
Sounds too complicated and time-consuming? Then, why not professionals to optimize your YouTube videos for you?
The Content Marketing Geek Team are experts in SEO. We will optimize your videos and channels to help you get more views. Click the link below to learn more.
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