Would you like to learn how we increased our YouTube traffic by 200%?

Now, rankings are always fluctuating and differ geographically but we follow a simple strategy that works.

So if you have ever wondered how to rank your YouTube videos?

You’re going to learn EXACTLY what it takes.

Without having to be someone famous.

Anyone can do this regardless of whether you have a smaller large audience.

YouTube SEO is not hard but there is a lot of misinformation online.

That stops here.

A YouTube Intro

YouTube is the largest video marketing platform for content creators, marketers, and business owners looking to reach a wider audience.

You should not rule out YouTube from your marketing strategy since it records over 2.3 billion users as is hands down one of the best traffic sources.

And about 30 million of these users spend an average of 40 minutes daily watching videos.

Starting a YouTube channel is almost too easy.

However, to stay significant and maximize it to reach a wider audience, you must apply Search Engine Optimization (SEO), just like with websites and other marketing platforms.

YouTube SEO is a powerful marketing strategy you should adopt; if you must reach your online marketing goals and see your business thrive in today’s world.

What is YouTube SEO?

This is the process of optimizing your YouTube channel and video content to make it rank high on YouTube search queries.

 

For instance, let’s say you operate a bakery, and you want to promote your business online via YouTube.

It is not enough to make eye-catchy and mouth-watering videos of your products, the process, DIY guides, and what have you.

It is using the right keywords in your video and Meta descriptions, adding closed captions to the videos, etc., so that your channel or content comes up every time a user does a relative search.

Once you optimize your channel correctly and make it look professional, there is a probability that it will rank high on YouTube and attract more subscribers.

From there, you can work on your video seo.

How does YouTube SEO work?

Just like SEO for websites, YouTube is no different (or maybe slightly different).

On Google, SEO can enhance your visibility, which in turn increases your website traffic, conversion rate, and revenue.

 

However, YouTube SEO increases your viewers and subscribers, brand awareness, website visits, and revenue.

Most non marketers do not consider YouTube to be a search engine since it is quite different from the likes of Google, Bing, and other search engines.

The fact, however, is that it is a search engine for videos.

Hence, understanding how SEO works on this marketing platform is a step towards achieving significance there and reaching your marketing goals.

YouTube’s Search Algorithm- How it works?

YouTube has a variety of tricks up their sleeve to determine the best videos for your search.

One way they do this is by looking at how many people engaged with that video when it was uploaded, searching through titles and descriptions for keywords you might be interested in viewing more information about.

 

Or just making sure those top-ranking videos are easy enough to find so viewers can enjoy them as well!

YouTube’s algorithm looks into all these different factors before determining which ones will rank higher on YouTube searches.

They also take engagement level into account.

So if your video gets lots of views from other users (shares) then there’s a good chance it’ll get pushed up against the rankings, even though its keyword density may not have been met.

Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, is always looking for ways to make more money.

More videos watched means more ads shown which equals greater revenue generated through viewers’ clicks on those advertisements.

The best way to get people watching your content?

Engage them, get watch time up and rock and roll.

Doing YouTube Keyword Research

Keyword research for YouTube is something vitally important and not difficult when you know how to do it.

Once you have a niche and target market, your main focus will be on using common sense mixed with free methods/tools that are available in order to get content ideas.

 

Although there are some paid tools that can aid the process of finding relevant keywords; they aren’t necessary.

Auto complete With Search

One way to find videos on YouTube is by using the suggestion bar or search box at the top of your search page.

All you need to do is type in a seed word, and it will show suggested keywords that are relevant to what you’re searching for.

 

A wildcard character can also be used before or after your keyword.

So if I want all instructional cooking videos with pasta recipes as my target words, then typing “pasta*” into this box would give me an extensive list of related content from which I could choose!

 

This free keyword research method is simple and works.

Understanding Different Types of Keywords

Before you look at practical steps to getting a ton of content for your new channel (or existing one), it’s vital that you understand the 3 main types of keywords and how to get the best results from them.

What do want to identify are keyword phrases that have commercial value, ones which can make money or rank high in search engine result pages.

“The winner or loser is actually decided even before an athlete walks into ring.

Informational Keywords

One of the most common things people do on YouTube is search for solutions to their problems.

These are people looking for information.

This is why ‘how to’ phrases get a lot of searches.

To rank for informational keywords, your objective should be to build an email list.

 

They’re not at that stage yet where they’re ready to buy something.

Examples of these types of queries include “what’s the best perfume” and “how can I lose weight in 21 days.”

Comparison Keywords

If you’re a looking to make a decision between two or three choices then YouTube is a great place to get answers.

If a person wants to know which is the best perfume out of Michael Kors and Chanel, then they enter comparison keywords to get another person’s opinion.

 

This is where you can come in with comparison keywords and make youtube videos that direct people to a blog post that pushes people to make a certain decision.

And maybe make an affiliate commission in the process.

Buyer Keywords

An example of what is a buying keyword, when it comes down to people typing online, would be product name review.

These are the type of keywords where you’re going to have the highest conversion rates in terms of people actually opting-in and making their purchase versus someone who types “product review” but doesn’t buy anything.

 

And yes, ranking for these buying keywords ultimately means selling more products.

Which I think anyone with integrity should accept as an accomplishment!

Personally speaking from my experience (and this goes especially if you’re promoting something that’s your baby) looking at how many times “product reviews” appear on Google search can reveal whether or not there might be an opportunity out there.

These get the least search volume as someone needs to know the name of the product before performing a search, but they have the highest buying intent.

The Actual youtube Videos – Best Practices

While making videos can scare people, it’s not necessary to make a Hollywood level production.

Just make a little bit of effort.

Plan Them

You don’t have to fall prey to the inevitable pitfalls of creating instructional videos if you follow these 3 basic principles.

First, keep your messages succinct and on-topic for what viewers are looking for in that video content by avoiding tangents or unnecessary details.

 

Second, include keywords throughout your screencast so potential customers can find it when they search online with those specific words in mind (i.e., say “click here” instead of just pointing).

As for video length, look at the the competition plus your own YouTube analytics to find a sweet spot.

No one wants to be watching a video for one hour unless need be.

And finally, get off topic as sparingly as possible because every minute wasted could mean one less viewer!

Create a High Retention Video

A “high-retention” video will keep your viewers engaged.

This means a better user experience.

YouTube will rank your video high if you can maximize long-term viewer engagement and satisfaction.

 

And to achieve this, you need to ensure that your video content provides the kind of value that will make them stick around till the end.

This is called audience retention and is a huge factor for ranking high on YouTube.

The fact is that if a viewer is satisfied with one of your videos, they will check out for others because they believe that you have something of value to offer.

So, YouTube will only rank you high if you help them influence your viewers to spend more time on the platform and click on the ads shown during your video playtime.

In other words, you are valuable to the platform, and so, helping you rank high will help them achieve their marketing goals as well.

So, it’s a win-win situation.

The bottom line is this.

Content is and will always be king.

 

Consistency, creativity, and value are important members of the royal cabinet as well.

And without them, your videos won’t rank high no matter how well-optimized they are.

Unlike Google that uses backlinks and other factors to determine the quality of content, YouTube relies on click through rates and audience retention.

Once you take care of this area, you are on your way to building a significant niche on the platform.

What You Say is Vital

It is important that you utter your target keyword in your video, and of course include it in the video title.

This is a major, yet often under-looked step to optimize your video.

 

It helps because not only can Google understand what you are saying, when people are watching your video, they know instantly that they are in the right place.

This means the will stick around, helping you with watch time as a bonus.

You will want to repeat the keyword in your video several times, albeit naturally.

The Call to Action

Want to get more subscribers, likes, and comments?

Then you ask.

Here are some ways to entice people:

I like asking for engagement at the end of my videos because I want them to watch all of it first before they’re asked anything in return.

 

And if someone has watched this whole thing without skipping ahead or leaving early then chances are good they might be interested enough to stay tuned a little longer!

But not everyone will stick around until the very end .

So there is another way too.

Just ask up front when viewers have been watching for awhile but haven’t engaged yet (if you’re feeling brave!).

Tell them to engage!

Practical Youtube SEO Tips to Rank Your Videos on YouTube

Statistics show that about 85% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.

And with YouTube, you can optimize your videos for search both within and outside of YouTube.

So, you see why it is important to join this train if your business must succeed in the somewhat complicated world of online marketing.

YouTube videos are ranked based on how well the title, description, and video content corresponds with the viewer’s search query.

 

For instance, if a viewer searches for ‘how to make brownies at home, your video will be shown if its data matches the search.

Here are some tips you need to know if your content must rank high on YouTube.

Optimize Your YouTube Video Title

Do you know how to tweak your headline for written content?

The same goes for YouTube.

Include the focus keyword in your video title and find a problem that it can solve with its title, this will help optimize our Youtube SEO!

Don’t forget about emoticons either because they are eye catching which means we could get more clicks on them – so go ahead and use some now if you like 🙂

If you can, stick to 50 characters and write catchy titles.

Ones that evoke curiosity.

Getting the click is a key ranking factor.

Customize the video thumbnail

A video thumbnail is the still image of your video that viewers see when they come across your video in the search results.

 

A good thumbnail will tell a viewer about your video’s content even without clicking on it yet.

We have discovered that most creators don’t find a thumbnail important enough.

So they choose to ignore it and end up using the auto-generated thumbnail.

If you are truly concerned about your YouTube SEO, then ensure to upload a custom thumbnail that will attract users to click on your video.

The constant clicks will signify YouTube’s algorithm that your video is quite popular.

In turn, this will help you rank higher. 

Note that your YouTube account must be verified before you can upload a custom thumbnail.

To get it done, visit the YouTube Verify page and follow the guidelines.

Some tips include using consistent colours that match your brand, close of of faces and minimal text.

Optimize Your YouTube Video Description

You want a searchable video description.

YouTube says that using the “right” keywords can boost views and watch time. For starters, we include our target keyword in both the title and description of all videos.

 

However, it’s important to also use related words so your video shows up on search results faster than others-so pay attention!

Search for a few top ranking videos with relevant titles or a great descriptions, then skim through their text until you find common phrases they repeat throughout each one.

These are usually keywords themselves but could be used as information about how long they film outside everyday

Anything useful like this will help make sure people get interested more quickly without spending too much time scrolling endlessly looking for something new.

Add YouTube chapters and hashtags where appropriate.

Optimize Your YouTube Tags?

Actually this is something you do not need to do although many of us, me included do it out of habit.

You can have no tags and rank perfectly fine.

 

What tags do is tell YouTube what they video is about but again, they are not necessary to optimize your video.

This is not what all the gurus tell you about don’t let that get in the way of the truth, eh!

Encourage Engagement

Are your videos getting a ton of comments?

That tells YouTube they are popular.

Like Google, YouTube values content that’s popular and will use it more in their algorithms if people comment on the video.

Ending with a question to promote conversation about what happened is also key for getting engagement from viewers because you want them to come back to subscribe!

 

Subscribing is one way Youtube decides which channels are valuable and should rank higher than others as well- just think how many likes or shares would be needed instead?

Liking or commenting once isn’t enough though – youtube wants repeat visitors who can see new posts regularly too!

Offer Subtitles in Multiple Languages

Have you ever considered the fact that some of your viewers or audience may be non-native English speakers or experience hearing difficulty?

With Youtube being the second largest search engine, it’s not surprising that people from many backgrounds will be wanting to watch your video.

How do you intend to cater to them with your YouTube videos?

Also, there are times when a user wants to watch your video in public places or quiet spaces and can’t do so with the audio on.

The subtitles you create will come in useful in times like that.

And when your viewers know that you put such needs into consideration, you will be top-of-mind for them when they need the type of value that you offer.

To achieve this, click on More Options, select Language or subtitles, and do the needful.

Add YouTube Cards and End screens

YouTube cards allow you to advertise any of your videos or promote a related channel through your video playtime.

 

With this, you can even initiate a poll that allows your audience to participate and engage fully with your video. 

On the other hand, End Screens allow you to show your viewers other content that is related to yours at the end of your video.

This is more like a call-to-action strategy because you can get your viewers to either subscribe to your channel or watch another of your videos, all with a single click.

 

It also makes it possible to promote other videos relating to yours.

Both Cards and End screens work towards keeping the audience on your content for as long as possible and increase user engagement.

The goal is this; as long as they spend more time on your videos, YouTube’s algorithm will consider your content important enough to be shown to a larger audience searching for it or something related.

Research Ideal Captions

Some creators make the mistake of using the auto-captions that YouTube transcribes from their videos.

This might end up confusing a user who comes across the video.

If you fall under this category of people, then it’s time to do better.

One of the reasons is this: Google considers any auto-generated content as spam.

Once it discovers that your captions are gibberish most of the time, it may label your content as spam and cause your channel to lose search rank.

So, with captions, you can create them yourself, edit the auto-generated transcript, or use a professional video transcription service. 

 

Since a higher percentage of YouTube watch time comes from mobile devices, accurate and catchy captions are necessary because some of your users may not have access to the audio.

Over time, YouTube videos with accurate captions have been shown to get more likes, shares, and comments than others without captions.

Hence, the high engagement gotten on the videos can, in turn, boost the rank and traffic.

• Higher search rank: Captions on YouTube videos can boost SEO. Even though you include your keywords or phrases only in the caption, search engine crawlers will still detect it when queries are made.
• Complete accessibility to content: How do you feel each time you try to watch a YouTube video without a headset in a noisy environment? Frustrated right? With closed captions, you can do this easily because even though you can barely hear the audio, the accurate and well-written captions will make it easy to view and understand the video.

Categorize Your Videos

Using the advanced settings provided on your channel page, choose a category for your videos to make it easy for users searching for such content on your channel and for the YouTube algorithm to find your videos as well.

Using YouTube’s Creator Academy, you will understand how each category works and where your content perfectly fits in.

There are about 15 categories to choose from, but if you do not find the exact one you are looking for, search for high-ranking videos relating to yours and take note of the category it is grouped under. 

Email your List

One of the most effective forms of marketing is email list.

You can send out an email to thousands of people in a blink, and within few hours you’ll have innumerable eyes on your content.

This will immensely increase the number views which are crucial for good YouTube SEO.

 

As the people who click through already know you, you’ll get a better audience retention on your videos to boot.

Pro Tip: Tell your subscribers to look for your target keyword and then head over to the YouTube search engines to look for it.

Share your thumbnail and ask them to scroll till it appears.

Trust us, this is one of the best practices that few employ.

Youtube search Works primarily with click through rate but this is something that few know about.

Embeds

Embedding your videos has two purposes.

First, it gets more people to watch what you have to say in a video format by posting on blog sites and other social media websites for content distribution.

 

Second, embedding increases user engagement as the result of getting more viewers who may be interested in what you’re saying or selling.

Share your Video on Social Networks

Social media is an important aspect of online marketing.

It provides opportunities for people to follow you and share your content with their own friends, family members, or coworkers.

 

YouTube makes it easy by providing one click sharing options to multiple networks below each public video.

Create YouTube Playlists

It’s not just for your YouTube viewers, you can use playlist power too!

With the help of keyword-rich playlists and increased retention rates, YouTube SEO is only one advantage that comes with using this tactic.

 

If you have a great keyword to target, build a playlist around it if you can.

Use that ‘great keyword’ in the playlist title and description and you’ll see an uptake in traffic over time.

Use Engagement Reports For Video SEO

YouTube offers a variety of engagement reports to help you measure your overall performance.

I recommend looking at each report on a regular basis, as they are all valuable in their own way.

Regarding your actual YouTube channel, the Subscribers Report shows how many subscribers have been gained or lost since last month.

The Average Percentage Viewed displays what percentage of videos were viewed by viewers before it was done playing (which is another great metric for improving YouTube SEO and getting better video results).

These metrics are perfect for understanding every detail about your video’s performance and observing even the finest details that may go unnoticed otherwise!

Summary

In conclusion, video SEO is all about optimizing your channel and videos to rank high on search engines.

While you must do keyword research and then optimize your videos to appear in the YouTube or google search results, focus just as much on your potential viewers.

The ones who will actually be watching your videos

Once you can provide the kind of value and environment that will keep them engaged on your channel, content, and the platform in general, YouTube will reward you by making your videos visible when search queries relating to them are made. 

Get your video to rank and you can use youtube and Google to get tangible results

If you consistently follow the youtube SEO tips and best practices on this article, then you will get better video results over time with your content marketing strategy.

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