All you need to know about YouTube SEO
With video consumption at an all-time high, getting your videos at the top of the world’s largest video platform might seem difficult.
Here at Embryo, we know the importance of video SEO. Our team of experts have the knowledge and tools to make sure that your amazing video content does not go unseen.
Optimising your videos, whether they are uploaded onto YouTube or embedded into your own website, is key to standing out from your competitors.
The good news is that we have put together this blog to teach you all you need to know about YouTube SEO, and how to optimise your videos for YouTube searches.
Eager for more information? Then keep reading to find out more!
How YouTube SEO works and our best tips!
YouTube is a part of Google and uses similar search algorithms to show users the videos that best match their search enquiries.
When a user searches for a query on YouTube, the platform does its best to deliver results based on these algorithms. Search algorithms evaluate various signals and elements to rank these videos, not only on YouTube but also on Google search results.
Videos with more watch time, likes, and shares, are placed above those with lower engagement (or higher bounce rates).
Optimising videos with a relevant title, clear and concise description, and general and specific tags can help you place your videos better than ones that aren’t optimised.
Forgotten what SEO is? Here is a reminder – SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), is the set of strategies for optimising the user experience that aims to improve a page’s positioning on search engines.
When it comes to SEO, the main thing you want is to reach the top position of Google searches. YouTube SEO is essentially the same thing.
Therefore, the SEO optimisations that you use for YouTube not only apply to the search within the platform, but also compete for that space in Google search.
Why not have a look at our YouTube below? Linking our own YouTube into this blog is a perfect example of one of the ways you can optimise your YouTube videos.
Embryo - We see what others don'tNow that you have a bit more of an understanding of how YouTube SEO works, it’s time to develop some tactics.
Even if you follow all of YouTube’s guidelines, the decision of what results will appear to the user depends on the algorithm, which is quite a complex topic.
However, the more you earn points with the YouTube search algorithm, the more chances you have of reaching the top positions. Let’s take a look at some things you can do to boost your videos and improve SEO.
Conduct keyword research
Keywords are essential in YouTube SEO, as well as Google. Through keywords, YouTube identifies the video’s subject, indexes the content, and associates it with user searches.
There are many ways to conduct keyword research. You can use YouTube’s autocomplete search bar to see what terms are usually the most searched on the network.
You can also benchmark to help with your keyword research. This requires visiting the channels that are authorities in your niche. If they have good audiences and a lot of views, then they are clearly adopting good SEO practices.
Review what terms they use in the most popular videos – you can do this by going to the videos tab and sorting by most popular videos. Open the source code of the video page and look for ‘keywords’ within it.
Create a good video title
Your video title is one of the most important factors for YouTube to index and rank the content. For the video to appear in a good position, the title must be as close as possible to the user’s search terms.
Try to keep your titles concise and include the exact keyword that users are searching for. It needs to describe what the viewers are going to watch, but also motivate them to click on your video.
So be creative, but also curious.
Write good descriptions
A video description should provide information about what the video is about in the most descriptive way possible. Whereas a title needs to be concise, the description can be longer and more detailed, and you have 5000 characters to decide this.
A description serves the platform’s algorithm to identify the video content. Therefore, include keywords that represent the topics covered in the video. This will increase the chances of ranking for these terms.
Within the text, you could include CTA’s such as an invitation to subscribe to the channel or download content on your website, preferably adding shortened links.
Increase audience engagement
Always encourage users to interact in some way with your video. This could include:
- Liking
- Sharing the video
- Commenting
- Subscribing to the channel
All of these factors indicate whether your video meets the user’s expectations and is an important factor for Google to assess whether you are offering something that really interests your audience.
Remember that the user experience is the focus of YouTube and Google, and therefore should be your main focus too.
Looking to optimise your YouTube videos? Get in touch today!
Hopefully, this blog has taught you all you need to know about YouTube SEO, as well as providing a few tips and tricks to help optimise your videos.
It is essential to understand how to implement SEO across different platforms and effectively optimise the content that you share.
Embryo can help you with that – please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert SEO team. We are always on standby to reply to all of your enquiries.
If you fancy reading more about SEO or similar topics, then check out some of our other blog posts below.
FAQs
Answered by Jamie Beatty
Does YouTube have its own ranking algorithm?
Yes, YouTube has its own algorithm. Google cannot watch videos so understands the context of videos through, titles, transcripts, descriptions, playlists, and engagements/interactions. The YouTube algorithm is different in that its intent is different, and looking for entertainment, tutorial or informational content.
Does Google own YouTube?
Yes, Google owns YouTube
What is the best way to battle decreasing attention spans on YouTube?
You can segment your video into different parts. This way people can then skip that part of the video. They won’t dismiss the video entirely, but go to the part that is most useful to them. Also be mindful of where and how many ads you use, to not frustrate the user.
Is clickbait good or bad SEO practice?
YouTube titles are snappy, engaging, and similar to webpage titles. You need to make sure it matches the content and is informative- the relevancy needs to match. The user will become frustrated and bounce off the video if it isn’t accurate.
