You have just heard about YouTube SEO, and now you’re wondering how it can increase your video rankings.
If so, you are in the right place. YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine. There’s a lot of potential to get your content in front of the right audience.
But how do you make sure your videos are seen?
The key lies in understanding how YouTube ranks videos and optimises your content accordingly.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics, step by step, so you too can start improving your video rankings and grow your YouTube channel.
What is YouTube SEO?
YouTube SEO is the process of optimising a video content to rank higher in YouTube search results and suggested videos. It involves making your videos more discoverable by aligning with YouTube’s algorithm, which takes into account factors like video titles, descriptions, watch time, tags, engagement, and more. These elements, once optimised, provide a better chance for your videos to reach a wider audience and gain more views.
How does YouTube SEO work?
YouTube’s algorithm works on various factors, like how well a video engages viewers, how relevant your content is to their search, and the level of interaction.
For instance, let’s say someone searches for “best home workout routine” and your video is titled “Best home workout routine for beginners,” along with a description that mentions ‘effective home exercises,’ and tags related to workouts, it signals to YouTube that your content matches what the user is looking for.
However, YouTube also analyses other factors:
- If viewers stay until the end, YouTube assumes the content is valuable and ranks it higher. This is called watch time and retention.
- Videos that get more likes, comments, and shares.
- Click-through rate. This depends on your video’s thumbnail and title.
- Video description, title, and tags.
Should you optimise your YouTube videos?
In the early days of YouTube, SEO was not much of a focus. Back then, simply uploading a video with a good title could have got you decent views, and competition was not as fierce. But as YouTube grew into the massive platform it is today—with millions of videos uploaded daily— competition reached peaks. This is why SEO became essential for making your videos stand out.
With over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute, it’s just not enough to create great content to make yourself discoverable. YouTube SEO aligns your content with what viewers are searching for, making it easier for the algorithm to recommend your video.
YouTube SEO now plays a key role because:
- It increases your channel’s visibility on YouTube’s search results and suggested video lists.
- It targets specific audiences by using relevant keywords.
- Increased watch time.
- You can grow your subscribers and engagement over time as more people explore your channel.
Even the biggest YouTubers rely on SEO to stay relevant, like PewDiePie, Ali Abdaal, MrBeast, etc. YouTube SEO maintains their high rankings and grows their channels. These creators know that even if they have a huge following, they need to remain visible in search results to attract new audiences.
Remember, YouTube SEO isn’t difficult once you understand the basics, which we’ll help you with. It doesn’t require any complex coding or a professional, but it does take some time to learn and apply effectively.
YouTube SEO guidelines you should be aware of
Before we dive into YouTube SEO strategies, let’s briefly understand YouTube SEO guidelines that focus on what you should be aware of when optimising your videos.
1) Make sure that your content complies with YouTube’s Community Guidelines. Avoid inappropriate content, copyright violations, misleading information, and spammy practices.
2) Focus on creating valuable, informative, or entertaining content that keeps viewers engaged. Ensure your video answers the query or problem your audience are looking for.
3) Avoid overstuffing your video title, description, or tags with keywords. YouTube favours natural-sounding language and content that flows.
4) Always use royalty-free music, licensed footage, and properly attributed images. YouTube’s Content ID system detects copyrighted material, and using it without permission could result in strikes or legal consequences.
5) Try to maintain a consistent upload schedule as YouTube rewards channels that post regularly.
6) Add closed captions (CC) or subtitles. YouTube can read your captions to better understand your video’s content, and videos with captions generally perform better.
7) Avoid using misleading titles or clickbait thumbnails. YouTube tracks watch time, so if people click away quickly after realising the content isn’t what they expected, it negatively impacts your video’s ranking.
8) While YouTube favours longer videos that provide in-depth content, they must be engaging as well. Videos that are 8 to 12 minutes long perform better because they allow more space for ads. Your video length should match the content quality—don’t stretch a video just to hit a certain time frame.
9) If you plan to monetise your videos, comply with monetisation guidelines. Do not use adult content, controversial topics, or inappropriate language. This may result in limited ad revenue or demonetisation.
10) Any external links in your video description must be safe and relevant to the video. Any harmful or irrelevant links can hurt your SEO and result in penalties.
Top YouTube SEO strategies
Below are some top YouTube SEO strategies that will help your videos rank higher on search results and gain more visibility. We will walk you through each one with practical steps and examples, so get ready to dive in!
1. Optimise video titles
The title of your video is one of the most important ranking factors. It must be well-optimised to help YouTube understand the content of your video and match it with user intent.
- Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, TubeBuddy, or vidiQ to find relevant keywords that your audience is looking for.
- Place your main keyword at the beginning of the title for maximum SEO impact.
- Along with SEO, ensure that your title is engaging and sparks curiosity. Keep it short (60 characters max) so it doesn’t get cut off.
Your title should be optimised as soon as you upload the video, but you can also tweak it later to improve performance.
For example, if you’re uploading a video on “YouTube SEO Tips,” an optimised title could be: “YouTube SEO Tips 2024: How to Rank Higher & Grow Your Channel.”
2. Write detailed video descriptions
Video descriptions give context about your video. This should be packed with relevant keywords as well, helping it rank for specific queries. Mention your primary keyword within the first 25 words, and sprinkle secondary keywords throughout the description. It should be at least 200 words and must include details about the topic, what the viewer will learn, and important links.
Example: For a cooking video on “5 Easy Vegan Breakfast Recipes,” a detailed description could be:
“Learn how to make 5 easy vegan breakfast recipes in this video. Whether you’re looking for quick meals or something more indulgent, these plant-based options are delicious and simple to prepare. Ingredients include oats, fruits, and nuts. Watch till the end to see our bonus smoothie recipe!”
3. Add tags strategically
Tags help YouTube understand your video’s content and the context in which it should appear.
How to do it:
- Start with your main keyword, then add variations and related phrases.
- Use specific phrases people are likely to search for (long-tail keywords). Like, ‘how to grow a YouTube channel’ rather than just ‘YouTube growth.
- Around 5-8 tags are enough. More isn’t necessarily better.
Add them during the upload process, but you can edit them later if you identify better keywords. For a video on “SEO for Beginners,” useful tags could be: “SEO for beginners,” “how to do SEO,” “SEO tutorial 2024,” “SEO tips for YouTube.”
4. Design attractive thumbnails
Thumbnails are the first visual interaction users have with your video. A high-quality, eye-catching thumbnail can drastically increase your click-through rate (CTR), improving your rankings.
- Add a few words to explain the content of your video at a glance.
- Use a clear, relevant image. Faces, in particular, tend to perform well.
- Keep your thumbnails consistent with your brand colours and style so that users recognize your content easily.
If your thumbnail isn’t performing well, consider updating it later.
5. Encourage viewer engagement (Likes, comments, shares)
YouTube rewards videos with high engagement rates. The more likes, comments, and shares a video has, the more YouTube promotes it to new viewers.
You can try prompting viewers with a question in your video or encourage them to like and share your video to spread the word. Organise your content into playlists to increase watch time, which is another ranking factor.
Such engagement tactics should be built into your video script and should be promoted throughout, especially at the start and end.
6. Use YouTube Analytics to refine content
YouTube provides data on how your videos perform. By analysing this data, you can refine your content strategy to increase rankings over time. Here’s how:
- If viewers drop off early, you might need to rework your introductions or improve pacing.
- If your CTR is low, consider testing new thumbnails or titles.
- The longer people watch your videos, the better they rank. If a video has a low watch time, focus on making your content more engaging or informative.
YouTube Studio offers all these insights. Regularly review analytics (weekly or monthly) and adjust your strategies based on performance.
Example: You notice that viewers are dropping off at the 2-minute mark in a 10-minute video. Next time, you can include more engaging visuals or offer a compelling reason for viewers to keep watching past that point.
7. Create closed captions and subtitles
Adding subtitles and closed captions not only makes your videos accessible but also gives YouTube additional text to crawl, which can help with rankings. While YouTube automatically generates captions, you can upload your own transcripts for better accuracy. Try to naturally include keywords into the script, as they will be reflected in the captions. You can add subtitles when uploading the video or after, via YouTube Studio.
The best YouTube SEO tools to use
YouTube SEO tools help you with various aspects, like keywords, tracking, and so on. It makes sure your content is aligned with what viewers are searching for and increases your chances of ranking higher in search results and recommendations.
1) TubeBuddy
What it’s for: TubeBuddy is a browser extension that helps with keyword research, competitor analysis, and A/B testing for thumbnails and titles. It provides detailed insights on tags, keyword optimization, and video performance.
Best for: Beginners and advanced users looking for easy optimization tools directly within YouTube.
2) vidIQ
What it’s for: vidIQ offers keyword insights, real-time analytics, and video optimization tips. It provides a score for how well a video is optimised and suggests related tags for better reach.
Best for: Those focused on keyword research and understanding the performance metrics of their videos.
3) Ahrefs
What it’s for: Ahrefs is a powerful SEO tool for keyword research and competitor analysis. It tracks the keywords your videos rank for on YouTube and Google and gives detailed analysis of your competitors’ strategies.
Best for: Advanced users and marketers who need in-depth keyword data and competitor research.
4) Google Keyword Planner
What it’s for: Google Keyword Planner helps you find relevant keywords with search volume data. Though primarily for Google, it’s useful for identifying keywords that could also be effective on YouTube.
Best for: Finding high-performing keywords to optimise your video titles and descriptions.
5) Canva
What it’s for: Canva is a design tool used to create visually appealing thumbnails, which are a crucial factor in increasing click-through rates (CTR) on YouTube.
Best for: Content creators who want to easily design professional thumbnails for higher engagement.
Looking for Advanced YouTube SEO Help?
Optimising your YouTube channel with the right tools can make a huge difference in how well your videos perform. But if you’re ready to go beyond the basics and want a more personalised, expert-driven approach, we’ve got you covered. BloomAgency specialises in advanced SEO strategies, including YouTube SEO services, designed to boost your visibility and help your channel grow. Let’s take your YouTube presence to the next level—reach out to us today!
