YouTube SEO: 4 Methods To Optimize Your Youtube Video For Higher Rankings

Do you want to increase your search engine optimization?

Although you might be familiar with keyword searches and click-worthy content strategies, have you ever thought about how video optimization could help improve your ranking?

Video content will account for more 82% internet traffic by 2022. This makes it an essential component of any site strategy.

YouTube is a key player in this arena. YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the globe, with over 2 billion users per month. This makes it an important player in the race to engage demographics.

The platform can boost brand visibility. Google also takes YouTube-based search into consideration when ranking a site.

It begs the question, how important could your YouTube SEO be in your quest for inbound success?

Stay with us as we discuss the future of YouTube-based Marketing and show you how to optimize YouTube videos for search.

What Should You Do to Prioritize Your YouTube SEO?

The length of Google’s organic search string is increasing as e-commerce competition increases. Your video content can now have the same chance as your site to appear on the first page for a search string if it is combined with Youtube and Google searches.

YouTube was actually named the 2nd largest search engine. It is therefore important to ensure that you are using the video-based platform for SEO success.

These are the top benefits of prioritizing YouTube SEO.

• Higher Ranking Position: Well-optimized YouTube content is a key component in Google’s algorithm for ranking. Your site will be more authoritative if you rank higher in a YouTube search.
• More Search Opportunities: Did You Know that Youtube gets more searches than Yahoo! and Bing? Your chances of being found could be increased by remaining top in YouTube’s search algorithm.
  
• Increased Conversion Potential: Making yourself easily discoverable on both YouTube and Google increases your conversion rates. YouTube content can be used to link to your website, products and services to increase the number of users who go to checkout.
  
• More Interaction YouTube’s search engine ranking factors are very similar to Google’s. Many consumers use Youtube the same way they use Google’s search engine to find tutorials and educational content. This could lead to more engagement for brands who create content on both platforms.

Your video must be well-optimized to meet the needs of your target audience to rise to the top in YouTube’s search results.

Let’s take a closer look at the most important factors that your video content must include in order to improve your YouTube SEO.

How to optimize a YouTube video for search

Optimizing a YouTube video can be done in many ways. You’ll be amazed at how many ranking strategies don’t focus on the visual content but instead the captions and categorizing.

We will be sharing the SEO secrets to YouTube search success.

1. Optimize the Video’s Title

YouTube users might only want to interact with visual content on YouTube’s site, but it is important to put some effort into the description of your video.

Optimized content plays an important role in improving your YouTube SEO score. Google’s site crawlers can spot high-ranking phrases and keywords, and push content that contains them higher up the organic search strings.

Keep the description brief, concise, and rich in keyword phrases . Use tools like Google Analytics to ensure you have a good understanding of keywords that are ranking in your niche.

According to Backlinko’s Brian Dean, even better, user engagement is encouraged by short, keyword-based descriptions appearing in YouTube’s sidebar.

He states that A optimized description will help you appear in the suggested videos sidebar.”

Deep Marine Science shows an example of a channel that uses keywords like “The Giant Pacific Ocean” to increase its chances of being found in relevant searches.

2. Make sure your keyword is included in the video title

YouTube users are attracted to a video title because it is one of their most important elements. You must optimize your website copywriting in the same manner that you would optimize your keyword strategy to rank high in a YouTube video search.

It is essential that your content answers their questions in a digitally dominated world.

Brands must prove they can answer a consumer’s query before they click on the video. This will keep them clicking.

You can see that answering a customer question in the title of a YouTube video is key to improving your YouTube SEO and ranking high. Let’s take the How to Choose a Mattress example . The top-ranking videos all use the keyword’mattress’, and then answer the query in the title.

Backlinko research found that videos with a keyword match have a slight edge over videos without optimizing their content copy .

To achieve the best title optimization, brands must instill a solution to a customer’s problem, using less than 60 words. It will increase clicks and further establish brand authority in their target demographic.

3. You can categorize your video

Users will find videos that have been categorized easier. It’s difficult to rank high on YouTube in such a competitive field of content, especially if you use popular search terms.

Contextualizing your video content in relevant categories is a simple way to improve your YouTube SEO. You’ll see less competition for ranking within your search category if you add your content into niche groups on YouTube.

There are many categories to choose from. These include comedy, music videos, and how-tos. Although categorizing your video might reduce competition, certain categories can still be highly competitive.

Data from the top 100 YouTube searches revealed that music was the most viewed category among YouTube’s diverse audience. For a better chance of engagement, you should stick with lower-ranking groups and explore niche categories if your goal is to be visible on YouTube.

4. Optimize Your Video Hashtags

Hashtags are still popular on social media. They are a great traffic-driving strategy that you can use on TikTok and Instagram to help users find your content.

In YouTube’s content description, include hashtags to simplify your user’s search. A hashtag can increase the visibility of key trends and give your consumer insight into your video before it starts playing.

Even better, hashtags can act as a hyperlink to similar content. This means that if you make videos for a niche topic, users will likely find your content under the same hashtag.

This Techoist video uses hashtags to categorize their content. It is important to be specific when using hashtags. They will be more successful if they are niche-specific.

5. Make custom thumbnails

When creating YouTube content, one key element you should prioritize is convincing your audience to click on your video. Your ranking will increase the more people click on your video.

Create a customized thumbnail to stand out from other similar content. This will increase video clicks. Instead of using the frame within your video content, add bright colours, text, and infographics in your thumbnail to increase YouTube searcher interest.

The customized thumbnail makes it stand out and encourages viewers to click.

It can increase engagement and can also help your brand appear more professional in its industry. These are all factors Google considers when ranking content.

6. Optimize your End Screen

Marketers tend to focus on optimizing the content description and title, but many fail to realize that the video’s ending screen can also be a great place for SEO.

The end screen of your video should serve as a call-to-action point for viewers. You can create an end screen that encourages viewers to watch more of your content, or to go to your website using a combination of animation, text phrases and link cards.

End screen cards can be used to increase video views and site clicks. You can link to another video in the same category as yours, or even better, add a pop-up to a product/service that you mentioned in your content.

Frame 316 Media uses to optimize its end screen. This is done to increase views of its channel content. CTA cards are a simple way to increase your YouTube SEO rank.

7. Start timestamping your video

Google takes longer to crawl videos when ranking them.

Google can crawl your video content faster by adding timestamps (also known as chapters) to it. These timestamps will also appear in the description giving you an additional chance to use those keywords.

You can see that Skincare By Hyram is a popular skincare blogger. He adds chapters to his skincare content to make it easier for viewers and Google crawlers. This improves both the user experience as well as the chances of individual snippets being ranked and featured in a Google search.

8. YouTube tags

YouTube tags can be used to improve YouTube SEO. Tag your video with relevant keywords/phrases to increase its chances of appearing in search strings.

Backlinko experts have actually confirmed that YouTube content with tags can significantly improve its ranking.

Keywords that are relevant to your video and the message it conveys to viewers is key. This will increase your channel’s credibility and make it easier for crawlers identify your content as a key participant.

9. Comment on YouTube

Conversational Marketing is one of the most efficient ways to increase your YouTube SEO.

If you receive comments from viewers about your video content, make sure to reply to them with positive comments. Engaging in a conversation with your viewers will encourage them to continue commenting/liking the content.

Keeping in touch with customers and creating a community in your content will increase subscriber numbers to your channel, and give viewers the satisfaction of interacting. SEO success is dependent on your viewers. It is important to keep them happy if you want your rank score to rise.

10. Your Youtube videos can be scheduled

Last but not the least, is a Youtube SEO strategy that relies on consistency. Regular videos will keep your viewers engaged and increase your watch rate.

SocialPilot’s Scheduling Tool makes it easy to keep track of content posting. Our scheduling tool is designed to allow you to manage multiple social media accounts in one secure hub. It can queue posts ahead of time, allowing you to concentrate on expanding your Youtube reach.

SocialPilot’s scheduler tool allows you to create thumbnails as well as the native experience to add video tags and optimize captions. You can also manage advanced settings to improve your YouTube SEO with just a few clicks.

It’s possible to experience it for yourself. Start your free trial today.

Future YouTube SEO

The number of internet users is increasing as the world undergoes a digital transformation. It is vital to maintain a high level of search engine optimization in order to be visible online as digital content creators face fierce competition.

You must keep up with the latest demographic trends in order to maintain your YouTube SEO.

Including high-ranking keywords in your strategy and making sure your copy is relevant and fresh are the keys to gaining those clicks in 2022.

The first SocialPilot article was YouTube SEO: 4 Methods to Optimize Your Video for Higher Rankings