optimize youtube videos top 10

10 Ways to Optimize Youtube Videos

by | 19 Feb 2022 | SEO

Youtube is the largest Video Media Sharing and Search Engine platform owned by Google.

Every 8 out of 10 videos uploaded are recordings, and 2.3 Billion users are currently using the platform. 

Most of the videos on Youtube are recordings, and the platform is growing fast, with 500 hours of video being uploaded to YouTube every 60 seconds.

When you’re starting a new Youtube Channel, there’s always potential to grow into something huge  because of the immense audience, 

But considering how much the platform is saturated, you first must keep in mind it takes time to grow huge on the platform. 

How does one Grow on Youtube?

It’s easy! Create valuable, Unique, and Binge-worthy content that keeps your viewers hooked and always coming for more by subscribing to your channel. And let’s say you do all that! 

That content still requires much more to start ranking and reach the screens of the ‘fastidious’ ’Youtube audience out there. 

Before we move on to the Top ten tips to build your Youtube SEO strong, let’s have a look at what Youtube SEO means for the common people out there. 

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How does Youtube SEO work exactly?

If you’re new to Youtube SEO, you will note the difference in how Youtube ranks results pretty differently, and you will get a hint of it very early down the process of optimizing content to rank on the Youtube Platform. 

Unlike Google, Bing, and other search engines, Youtube works slightly differently.

Where Search Engines use Backlinks and repetitive presence to improve search engine rankings, 

Youtube works a little; differently, it ranks videos based on an overall optimization score for Channels, Watch and engagement rate, Enriched metadata, descriptions, and video creation history. 

You can optimize your videos for search both within and outside of YouTube.

Enough said about how Youtube works; let’s look at what every creator must do to improve their video rankings and start appearing on Youtube suggestions.

Top 12 ways to optimize Youtube Videos:

  1. Include Keywords in the Video Titles
  2. Keep your Youtube video Descriptions helpful and to the point
  3. Include Important Keywords for your Video’s Topic
  4. Categorize your video
  5. Always create a Custom thumbnail
  6. Include Video Cards and End Screens for More Views
  7. Answer Unanswered Questions
  8. Provide value throughout the Video
  9. Include Captions/Transcriptions
  10. Create Playlists of Your Videos

1. Include Keywords in the Video Titles

One of the main factors on Youtube is keywords in your Video Titles. 

Best YouTube Title for better video views

Always include your Primary Keyword in your Youtube video title.

Not only is that a very big engagement factor, but also it helps the search engines understand the primary topic of your Video. 

Explain your primary keywords by breaking them into secondary keywords with the help of context to help explain your video topic. You can always use an online tool like Youtube Help Tags to generate many similar keywords that rank for the videos in the same interest group.

Here are a few things to keep in mind while writing Video Titles  to increase CTR:

  • Keep your titles limited to 70 chars (including spaces)
  • Include the Primary keyword or topic keyword in the video.
  • Mention the Value/Result in the title. 
  • Do Bucket testing

Although this is one of the factors that help you rank better for a specific keyword, it does not guarantee better rankings, according to Brian Dean from Backlinko. 

The only thing which you need to be careful of while writing titles is that they should come naturally and not artificial stuffing.

2. Keep your Youtube video Descriptions helpful and to the point

It is pretty simple. Just keep a few things in mind always while writing your Youtube Descriptions;

You only have 1000 characters. Use the space wisely. 

Even out of the whole description Youtube only mentioned the first 3 lines and hides the rest with a show more prompt. 

Instead of stuffing the description with keywords, try making the description a more helpful space for Viewers by adding resource links, Including a helpful glossary for specific terms, CTAs, references, etc

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3. Include Important Keywords for your Video’s Topic

According to YouTube’s official Creator Academy, you can create tags in between the video to label different topics of the video. 

Not only is this super helpful for the viewers but also helps Google rank your videos in Search Queries

This also lets Youtube include your video in similar videos suggestions, which can increase the number of impressions for your video. 

Overusing keywords in these tags can often get you penalized by Google for keyword stuffing and gets your channel to lose all its impressions. 

Using Long-tail keywords in your tags can often help you rank on top in the same topic. 

4. Categorize your video

Under “Advanced settings” you can put a category for your Videos and include similar content suggestions. 

This helps your videos start showing under the same content and gain more impressions who watch similar videos to yours. 

This also helps you rank for that specific category and help Youtube Creators Academy categorize your video as the top creator under the same category once your videos start pulling the most views. 

5. Always create a Custom thumbnail

One of the first impressions that trigger clicks is your thumbnail image for your video. And this is where most people put their efforts in. 

In order to grab these clicks. Make sure the idea behind this is as legit as possible

Youtube always gives you the option to put an auto-generated thumbnail but it’s always better to put a designed thumbnail as customized content gives a more brandish vibe. 

6. Include Video Cards and End Screens for More Views

Cards

Cards are circular icons on the top right of when a video in currently playing. When hovered over it shows a translucent bar with the name of the suggestion. These are called Cards, and these are used to promote your brand and other related videos to your brand.

end screen youtube promotions seo

End Screens

Another example of promoting more content across your video when during the final 15 seconds of the video. In this formatting, you can display icons, small tiles, and other button-like formats instead of a preset format. 

youtube end screen examples

7. Answer Unanswered Questions

It’s pretty straightforward, most people use Youtube to find a solution, an answer to a difficult question. 

Once you provide that answer inside your video, that is when you develop the loyalty of viewers. 

Most of the video creators provide close to no value for people and complain about the stunted growth. 

8. Provide value throughout the Video

Want to increase total watch time for your videos. 

Don’t give away everything that easily, most of the videos include the most important part in the middle of the video, or give away value in intervals throughout the video. 

9. Include Captions/Transcriptions

Another way of telling Youtube what the video is about is through Captions and transcriptions. 

Not only is it a readable way for search engines to understand what the video is about, but also it defines what exactly to show when a user searches for a specific query; user intent.

10. Create Playlists of Your Videos

Always consider creating content for Youtube as a long-term goal, and this is for a fact what Youtube wants, create Playlists instead of singular videos. 

Offer complete solutions in the form of episodes to create that sense of regularity and create loyalty in your viewers.

Divide easily to binge videos that offer value each step of the way, instead of hours-long ‘boring’ videos that nobody wants to watch.

If you’re looking for an expert, that can really amp your YouTube strategy, contact us.

About Author:

Mobeen Ali

Mobeen Ali is an SEO Consultant & runs multiple Marketing departments for SAAS companies. He has a Bachelors in Marketing and writes on Digital Marketing.
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