Youtube is the second largest search engine on the planet. Thankfully, Youtube SEO is still a lot simpler than optimizing for Google search.
In addition to that, the very nature of Youtube works in your favor: On Google, They just want to give you the top search results, and make some money from ads in the process. On Youtube, the ads are ON the platform, so everything is designed to keep the visitor on the platform for longer.
That means more search results, a boatload of videos in the home feed, suggested and related videos, and some more stuff going on behind the scenes to make visitors stay for longer.
It’s a lot like doing search engine optimization for Google, but much simpler. Not to mention that the numbers of people who still read are dwindling. Combine that with the effort it takes to rank on Google (made even worse by AI search), and it is clear to see why so many people are turning their attention to Youtube.
Here are 5 Youtube SEO tips to help you get more exposure.
1. Keyword research to find opportunities:
Just like on Google, Youtube tries to serve up content that relates to the viewer’s search query. Fair enough, on Youtube, searchers have a choice of different ways to sort the search results, but the default is “by relevance”.
And yes, there are other factors at play as well, like the channel’s authority, backlinks and internal links, etc. But if you don’t at least get the target keywords right, you won’t be showing up in search at all.
Think of the most common questions people ask you about your products and/or services, and use that as a starting point. You can also look at suggested search terms on Youtube as you start typing.
To do proper keyword research, and see not only what people are searching for on Youtube, but also what the competition for each search term is, you can use a professional keyword tool like SEMrush. Click Here to get a free 7-day trial.
(you can do a lot of research in 7 days)
2. Get your keywords right in the title, description and tags:
a. On Google search, you will note that – even if your search query is not visible in the title, it will be bolded in the SEO description. That shows that the web page contains what you are looking for.
b. On Youtube, the descriptions are much shorter, and keywords are not in bold font. As such, it is even more important to get the keywords right for Youtube search – because people will look at the titles to see if those match what they asked for.
Keep in mind that while you can only include one or two keywords into your video title, you can include many more in your description and tags. And while each of these may not bring you the same amount of traffic from search that a keyword in the title would, keep in mind that:
a. The numbers add up.
b. The tags and description also determines where your videos will be shown as related or suggested videos.
Note: When compiling your titles, try to not only use the keywords the viewer is searching for, but also add something that generates curiosity. Adding numbers of questions to your titles are simple ways to increase the likelihood of getting clicks to your videos.
3. Metadata and engagement counts:
Youtube SEO not only revolves around what you do – like keywords and video content – but also around what your viewers do. Things like watch time, likes, comments and shares contribute to your video’s visibility and search ranking.
As such, it makes sense to do everything you can to – after your SEO attracted the viewer – ensure that as many of them as possible will watch as much of the video as possible, and that as many of them as possible will engage with it.
These including things like:
a. The file name of the video (shown at the top of the video while watching).
b. Captions and subtitles – many people, especially those watching shorts, have their phones’ sound turned off. Without captions, they probably won’t get the message.
c. The location where it was created. You can set this during the upload, and can be important when people search for someone like you in your area.
d. The date it was uploaded. Depending on what the search topic is, some people may choose to filter their search results by upload date, or videos uploaded within or before a certain time frame.
4. Create good video thumbnails:
Your thumbnails don’t need to be works of art – but they do need to tell the viewer what to expect. Youtube normally gives you a selection of three points from the video, none of which are likely to make any impact.
Ideally, your thumbnail should not contain the same text as your title. Remember that the title is there for Youtube’s search algorithm, but the thumbnail is there to attract clicks.
For instance: A video title for the new Mustang would have a title stating “2024 Ford Mustang review”. However, a good thumbnail would say: “The 2024 Mustang: Is it worth it?”
Look at other thumbnails from competing results, and see how yours can stand out. A thumbnail doesn’t have to be better – it just has to stand out.
5. Promote your video on other sites:
You may be wondering how this can help your search visibility…
Actually, it can help in two ways:
a. By accumulating more views, it shows Youtube that people enjoy your content, and the search algorithm will reward you for it.
b. Each share is a backlink to the video. Fair enough, those backlinks are not very powerful, but if other people share your video too, it can result in it showing up in Google’s search results. Over time, these add up.
In conclusion:
Getting more exposure for your videos are all good and well, but none of that means anything if you cannot translate that into business.
As such, end each video with a call to action that actually motivates the viewer to take action.
(solve problem “x” by taking action “y”)
Finally, give it some time. depending on how many subscribers you have, which determines how many people will see your video immediately…
It can take a long time for your videos to gain traction.
When you have low initial exposure, it takes time for Youtube to suggest it to enough people for Youtube to get the data it needs to improve the video’s search ranking.
Like any Search engine optimization it takes time to give you the results you want. On the up side, once you
do gain viewers who find value, traffic will keep coming for years. Using these five suggestions for maximizing
the value of what you share on Youtube is sure to help you in the long run.
conclusion – cta