Are you among the brave ones who promote their business through the YouTube platform?
In this case, you are certainly interested in ways to make your videos more visible. Don’t forget, being more visible doesn’t just mean increasing the number of views, but also increasing the number of followers, likes/video, interaction with those who follow you and more.
Let’s face it, when it comes to SEO, most people think of Google, not YouTube. The explanation is simple: Google is the most popular search engine. But this does not mean that it is the one and only platform of this type. Let’s turn our attention to YouTube! I know, I know, it can be weird to see the entertainment platform as a search engine.
But let’s analyze the situation from another perspective! YouTube really is a video search engine. So, like any other self-respecting search engine, it must have its own SEO rules, right? Exact! Even if you are familiar with certain optimization practices, find out that not everything you know can be applied in this context.
1. Keyword analysis
The idea is simple: if you don’t target the keywords with the highest search volume, then you won’t get the targeted traffic. Even if the platform doesn’t have keyword traffic analysis tools, there are some third-party applications where you can get inspiration.
You can even use the Google Keyword Planner to check how many monthly searches your keywords have. It’s not hard, the process is the same as doing the keyword research step for SEO.
Another trick is to use Google to search for different keywords in the niche you have in mind. Finally, it analyzes whether the keywords entered have video results. For example, if you search for “how to make lasagna” (yummy), you’ll see a ton of video results, and sure enough, at least one of them is from YouTube.
2. The title of the videos
I know, don’t judge a book by its cover…or title, but you can help sell it with a title (or cover) to match. YouTube works the same way! Include the keywords found in the first step in the title of your video and you will be able to see an increase in the number of views. Do not forget, think of the titles so that they are correct and precise. We don’t encourage clickbait!
3. Hashtags, hashtags everywhere!
Thought YouTube hashtags were downright useless? On the contrary, we believe that they represent the best SEO function that the platform can offer. Through them, you can enter relevant keywords so that your videos get the most views. Use only relevant hashtags and limit yourself to only 10-12 keywords/video! Excesses are not good, neither in everyday life nor in SEO!
4. Encourage the expression of opinion!
According to YouTube’s principles, if your videos get a lot of comments, it means they are popular. As you know, the platform prioritizes popular content, and through comments, it will decide what people like the most. So don’t hesitate to end the video with a question!
5. Subscribe, like and comment?
This form of ending within videos has almost become a leitmotif. But it’s used for good reason… Subscription is one of the main factors that YouTube’s algorithms use to rank videos. Liking or commenting on a video is a one-time action, but subscribing to a channel means people want to see the content regularly.
Even though many vloggers ask people to subscribe, comment and subscribe all at the same time, we don’t encourage this action! Why? When you run after several rabbits at once… you won’t catch any! Therefore, prioritize one of these actions: subscribing to the channel!
6. Video quality
We are aware of this: not everyone has the resources to shoot professional videos! You just need a mobile device with decent video quality. However, if you want your videos to have more views, we regret to inform you that you will have to make some minor investments! For starters, aim for a tripod: you’ll need stability!
What does the video background look like? Try to create as friendly an environment as possible, possibly orient yourself towards a background support, which will certainly convey more professionalism! Action, lights! Yes, you will also need some lights, you don’t have to buy the most expensive ones! You can even use the ones at home! And… finally, the microphone! For nothing you have a friendly background, lights and good video quality if what you say cannot be understood.
7. Ce transmit thumbnail-urile tale?
Chiar dacă miniaturile video nu reprezintă un factor de clasificare, acestea au totuşi un impact extraordinar asupra utilizatorilor. Pot face diferenţă între: „wow, vreau să vizualizez asta” sau „cred că o să optez pentru altceva”. O miniatură bine aleasă va duce înspre mai multe clickuri, adică un trafic mai mare.
8. Use the subtitle functionality
You have surely seen the “CC” icon, or the abbreviation for Closed Captions. These are the subtitles of the videos and are intended for people who have hearing impairments. But it is not only used for this! They have a very big impact on SEO! Subtitles are accessed by search engines!
Don’t have time to make them? Well, YouTube supports automatic captioning, but it’s not the best option. However, you have the option to edit them or you can free up some time to make them yourself!
9. Promote the channel too, not just the video!
Get channel views too, not just videos! These channel links convey to the platform that you are an authority in your niche. To maximize visibility, you’ll need to share your videos on every social media channel. Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat and the list goes on. You just need time!
10. Embedding videos
If you have a personal blog or even a website, then I must encourage you to take this step! Why would you opt for incorporation anyway? To increase visibility and increase engagement! Engagement is a direct result of increased traffic.
11. What else is heard about the descriptions?
When creating your video descriptions, try to use your keyword in the first sentence. Thus, the indexing bot will read the keyword almost instantly and access it. This could lead to a higher position for your keyword.
12. What viewing time do you have?
This factor represents the time people spend watching your videos. For YouTube, the viewing time factor is important, because a longer time means users’ interest in your content. To access this information, all you have to do is enter YouTube Studio, then access Statistics and then the “Viewing Time” link. Through this report, you will be able to keep under control the variations of user engagement. If viewing time increases or decreases, you need to analyze what caused these changes.
13. Playlists
Think only your followers use playlists? You can do it too, content creator! Creating playlists rich in main keywords can help you get more search traffic. Using them is one of those small but powerful tactics that can make a difference!
14. Optimal length of videos
Most likely, all content creators have sooner or later asked themselves the question: “What is the ideal optimal length for a YouTube video?”. Surprisingly, there is no single correct answer! The average duration of the top ten most popular videos on YouTube is 4 minutes and 20 seconds. However, it may not be the best size for the types of videos you make. On the other hand, don’t make long, boring videos that will bore your followers.
Conclusion
From a technical perspective, YouTube optimization can be an easy process. All you need to do is optimize your titles, descriptions and tags. If you want to go further, you can add subtitles, create playlists and embed videos on your websites. Easy! But the most challenging part is capturing the attention of the target audience.
Consider the tips above and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun in the process from time to time!
