12 Tips for YouTube SEO
You may be familiar with SEO on Google for websites, but did you know that SEO can also help you get more views on YouTube? You can learn more about this in this article, which offers 12 practical tips for getting your videos to rank higher in search results—both on YouTube and in Google Search.
What is YouTube SEO?
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, so it’s a good idea to optimize your YouTube videos for search engines. Optimizing videos on YouTube for search engines can quickly put your content in the running for top rankings, since there generally isn’t nearly as much SEO activity there as there is on Google Search, for example.
Google Search also displays results from YouTube, so by focusing on SEO, you have the opportunity to drive traffic from the world’s two largest search engines.
12 Tips for YouTube SEO
- Include keywords in the title
- Enter keywords from the video file
- Optimize Video Description
- Use keywords in your tags
- Categorize your video
- Use a custom thumbnail for the video
- Use SRT files
- Use YouTube Cards + End Screens
- Use hashtags
- Create a playlist related to the channel's topic
- Create a pinned comment
- Use analytical tools
1. Include keywords in the title
When searching for videos, people usually look for titles that match their search intent. That’s why it’s important for your YouTube video’s title to include relevant keywords in a natural way, so the title doesn’t sound forced. This increases the likelihood that users will click on your video specifically, rather than your competitors’.
Although YouTube supports up to 100 characters, your title should not exceed 70 characters, including spaces. If your title is longer, some of the characters may not be visible, and your CTR (click-through rate) may be reduced.
At Webamp, for example, we’d like to rank for keywords like “SEO” and “search engine optimization”—which is why we’ve, of course, included them in the title of our YouTube video about SEO.
2. Enter keywords for the video file
When you upload a video to YouTube, the video file will have a name that you can see on the right side of the screen under the video's details. It's important that the file name includes the keywords you want people to find you by.
That's why you should rename the video file to match your chosen keywords BEFORE you upload the video to YouTube. This will improve your video's ranking in search results, helping you get as many views as possible.
3. Optimize the video description
The video description is perhaps one of the most important factors when it comes to YouTube SEO. Just like with blog posts, Google can crawl YouTube video descriptions to assess the quality and relevance of the content. That’s why your video descriptions should be optimized with relevant information. The more information you provide, the more likely you are to rank higher on YouTube and Google.
You have a full 5,000 characters to work with, and a well-written video description typically includes: keywords at the beginning, a brief description of the video’s content using keywords, a call to action (CTA), and relevant links.
4. Use keywords in your tags
On all YouTube videos, you have the option to add specific tags to your videos. Tags can have a positive effect on SEO, and they yield the best results when you use your chosen keywords as tags.
Tags tell users what to expect from your video while also giving the platform an idea of the content. This makes it easier for YouTube to connect your video with other related videos. It also means your video is more likely to appear among the recommended videos after a user has watched a video with similar tags.
5. Categorize your video
When you upload a YouTube video, you need to choose a category for it. For example, a YouTube video about SEO could be placed in the “education” category, since it informs viewers and helps them learn more about a specific topic.
YouTube’s algorithm places your video alongside other videos in the same category. That’s why it’s important to choose the right category, so that users might click on your video after watching a similar one. The more engagement your video receives, the better it performs and the higher it ranks in search results.
That's why you should choose the category that best matches your content, so users will want to click through.
6. Use a custom thumbnail for the video
A thumbnail is one of the first things a user will notice when scrolling through search results on YouTube.
A good, eye-catching thumbnail will attract more viewers to your video, which will help your YouTube SEO. That’s why you should include compelling titles that include your relevant keywords and create enticing graphics that capture viewers’ interest.
7. Use SRT files
On social media, a large proportion of videos are played without sound because they are viewed in public places. That’s why it’s a good idea to add subtitles to your videos so that users don’t click away from the video if they want to watch it without sound.
Google also has some difficulty deciphering what is being said in videos—especially in Danish. Subtitles can therefore help Google understand the content, which leads to better SEO performance.
Subtitles can be added via an SRT file, which provides YouTube with a text version of your video so that your keywords are also recognized through it.
8. Use YouTube Cards + End Screens
When you watch YouTube videos, you may have noticed the small white circle icon with an “i” in the middle at the top right corner. These are called YouTube Cards and serve as a series of add-ons you can add to your video. For example, they can be a link to a website, a playlist, or another channel.
You can use YouTube Cards to promote your brand and other videos on your channel, thereby increasing your view count and improving your SEO.
End Screens are similar to YouTube Cards. The difference, however, is that they appear at the end of the video, where they link to some of your other videos, for example. End Screens are generally more visual and detailed, making them a great way to keep viewers engaged with your channel.
9. Use hashtags
Hashtags are a recent addition to YouTube that allow you to add related words to your topic. When you click on a hashtag, you'll see videos related to it, which improves searchability for specific topics.
Optimized hashtags make your video more visible and group keywords and related topics together, making it easier for users to find exactly the videos they're looking for.
10. Create a playlist related to the channel's topic
If you’re creating more content on the same topic, it’s a good idea to create a playlist based on keywords. If you’ve made several videos about SEO, it makes sense to have a playlist called “SEO.”
This not only makes your content easier for users to navigate but also helps drive traffic to some of your other videos. Ultimately, this will increase your views—and, as a result, your ranking in search results.
11. Create a pinned comment
You can create what’s called a “pinned comment.” This is a comment that will appear at the top of the comments section, and it’s a good idea to pin a comment that includes your relevant keywords.
This is good for your SEO, and if you ask a question at the same time, you can also encourage engagement from your viewers in the form of likes and comments. All of this will ultimately improve your SEO and search ranking.
12. Use analysis tools
Just as with website SEO, YouTube SEO should also be data-driven. Therefore, you may want to consider the following analytics tools.
Google Trends: You can set YouTube as your search channel and use it to analyze the popularity of your keyword and determine in which geographic areas the keyword is most popular.
YouTube Analytics: Here you can get an overview of your videos’ data, so you can better identify areas for optimization. The “research tool” is particularly useful, as it shows search volume for specific keywords.
Tubebuddy: It’s a paid tool for professionals that provides you with tools to analyze and improve titles, descriptions, tags, categories, and other metadata that can enhance your YouTube SEO.
Semrush and Ahrefs: Both tools have a “YouTube” search tool that can give you insights into your own performance and that of your competitors, so you can achieve better rankings in search results.
An example of successful YouTube SEO
Of course, we’ve also optimized our own YouTube channel for SEO—after all, we are an SEO agency.
After working on the various aspects of YouTube SEO, our video “What Is SEO and How Do You Do Search Engine Optimization? INSIDER TIPS” has climbed to the top of the search results in a very short time.
In less than a month, the video has climbed into the top 10 of Google’s video search results for “SEO,” joining the ranks of some of our talented “colleagues.” With just a few simple steps that didn’t take much time, the video has become visible in the search results, allowing us to direct users to our own website and thereby attract more traffic.
Do you want the same results? Then just get started with YouTube SEO!
Learn Even More
Whether you're a generalist or a specialist in marketing, our experts have put together a number of helpful tips for you on our blog.
