Did you know that there are other search engines besides Google? No, we’re not talking about Bing either. Many websites that are used by millions on a daily basis function as search engines. This includes YouTube. That right; today we’re learning all about YouTube SEO in 2022.
When thinking of SEO, the minds of most business owners, advertisers, and content creators wouldn’t go to YouTube straight away. Though when you take a closer look at the video streaming service, it is quite clear to see that the entire site is run by a search bar. Throughout anyone’s time on Youtube, the search bar remains at the top of the webpage, no matter which features you’re exploring. So in the realm of video marketing, it is pivotal to understand the ins and outs of YouTube SEO.
Here are some of the best ways to rank in 2022.
What is YouTube SEO?
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YouTube SEO (Search Engine Optimization) describes the maximization of a channel’s page, videos, descriptions, playlists, and metadata. In layman’s terms, it’s a strategy used to get your videos to the top of people’s search results. For anyone who seeks to gain profit or notoriety through video marketing, YouTube SEO is one of the first things to study.
As with all search engines, YouTube has an intricate algorithm that works to help its viewer find the best video for their searched term. This platform’s SEO focuses on the number of views on a given video, as well as how the video racks in a specific category.
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Keyword Research
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Where do you begin when it comes to video optimization? Let’s say you’ve finished recording your brilliant video. The main thing to focus on now is keyword research. You may or may not be familiar with keywords; they are significant words or phrases that are used to indicate the content of your video. Keywords are the backbone of Youtube SEO.
The first thing you will want to do is come up with a list of potential keywords to use for your video. Think of relevant words or phrases that you would naturally type into YouTube’s search bar. In fact, YouTube’s “Search Suggest” feature is a fantastic way to come up with keywords; simply type something relevant into the search bar, and watch as a bunch of popular searched phrases are suggested to you. Write these all down.
Keyword Competition
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After gathering about 25 to 30 potential keywords, the next step is to determine the amount of competition they all have. A simple way of doing this is by typing each phrase into Google’s search engine, then glancing over at the “About Results” text. Make sure to add in “site:youtube.com” to your search, so that Google only shows results from YouTube.
“About Results” represents the total number of search results regarding a said topic. The bigger that number is, the more competition it is assumed to have. Your lucky keyword is one that comes up when using YouTube’s “search suggest” feature, while also having a low “About Results” number. In other words, a good keyword has a high search volume and low competition. This is an important aspect of YouTube SEO.
Don’t Forget About Google Rankings.
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Because YouTube is owned by the Google company, there will always be an incentive to promote YouTube videos in Google search results. Although most people search for videos directly on YouTube’s website or mobile app, your video can get 2 to 5 times more views by ranking on Google as well.
When it comes to Google, there are certain types of videos that get promoted over others:
- Reviews
- How-To’s
- Sports and fitness-related words
- Funny or wholesome videos (such as cute animals)
Since Google’s SEO is all about trial and error, it is best to use a keyword program to provide assistance. There are a lot of free ones as well as simple-to-use paid ones. Regardless of what you use, there are two things to look out for; Search Volume and Competition.
In this case, Search Volume represents how often a keyword is searched per month, while Competition measures how difficult it is to rank for the phrase. As you can see, YouTube and Google use very similar search engine algorithms.
Keep in mind that you mustn’t compromise the quality of your YouTube keyword. Ranking on Google is simply an extra step to ensure that your video is shown everywhere. A good YouTube keyword is the more vital part of video marketing.
Once you’ve established your keyword, it will be time to optimize your title, tags, and video description.
Video Titles for YouTube SEO
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When it comes to YouTube SEO (Search Engine Optimization), video titles are an essential part of marketing. You always want to treat your titles as you would a headline. It has to be bold, attention-grabbing, all while incorporating your chosen keyword phrase.
At times, it can be challenging to come up with that perfect title. If you ever find yourself stuck, always remember to place yourself in the audience’s shoes. If you were searching up a question, a review, or just something specific, you’d want a video that states exactly what it is about. By making your titles clear and concise, you will instantly draw more traffic to your channel.
Video Tags
What are video tags? When uploading a video, you may have encountered a small prompt to enter a few tags. What are these for?
The purpose of video tags is simple; it is to further optimize your video so that YouTube can narrow down its subject matter. Tags are one of the most useful features when it comes to content creation. It’s no surprise that they affect YouTube SEO.
It is best to come up with around 10 to 12 tags that are relevant to your video’s subject matter. These tags can consist of your keyword and synonyms to your keyword.
Video Description
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Video descriptions have a reputation for being largely ignored by viewers. That being said, they are most certainly not ignored by YouTube. Be sure to briefly describe your video’s premise, while sneaking in that keyword phrase.
Be sure not to forget about hashtags. While YouTube’s video tags have their own section for entering words and phrases, hashtags can be placed right within the video’s description. Hashtags are visible to the public, and function in a similar fashion to Instagram and Twitter.
When viewers click on a YouTube hashtag, they are transported to a list of more videos with the same tag. This is one of the many things that can connect your video to a targeted community. Furthermore, these hashtags also exist to help YouTube determine what your content is about, therefore pushing the video to the top of search results.
Using each step within this article, you will be able to master YouTube SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in no time.
