So, to optimize the SEO for something, we first need to know a bit or have the most detailed picture or concept of Search Engine Optimization or SEO. Then first, let’s understand SEO.
A brief introduction to SEO
So, SEO is the name of that trick that content creators use to have their content viewed, and obviously, that is what a creator wants, showcasing his creation. In SEO, creators get used to some leads, which are also assessed by search engines (i.e. ‘S’ and ‘E’ of SEO) to provide consumers with exactly what they want from the mountain of data. Creators use these parameters or lead to design their contents so that a search engine finds that piece of data suitable to be served to the consumers.
So, SEO is the whole thing, which we don’t do as a whole. But, we content creators do something that lets our content shout and compromise its location so that search engines find it easy to reach them and serve them to content consumers.
We do keyword research, competition analysis, backlink, and things that let search engines pick up our content and serve it to the consumer. These practices which when combined, are termed SEO as a whole.
But, why am I telling you about these search engine things when it’s about youtube?
Okay, believe me or not, Youtube itself is a search engine. Although it is more famous as a video streaming platform, which it is, alongside it is also a search engine (for videos).
Scopes of SEO in youtube.
For youtube, SEO is different in many aspects. But, being of the same name, both are pretty similar and obviously, they serve the same function for search engines.
For a blogger, the whole of their content is a way of conferring search engines about what it contains and whom to show the content. But, being a YouTuber, your kernel or core content doesn’t contribute very much to your appearance in search results, but your core content performs a more significant role. I’ll come to that later.
In youtube, you get your title, tag, description, etc. Yes, you get a little space to play with SEO for practising SEO, so there is the only way to master that: play it wisely.
Okay, remember one thing: being an independent search engine, it has its search algorithm that is different from other search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Duckduckgo, etc. It is even different from its parent company Google. And that’s the catch, practice SEO in its way, and you are in.
Okay, now let’s see how to play it in their way.
How to do SEO for Youtube videos?
As I have said earlier, SEO is not what we do as a whole. But, we resort to some smaller practices, which together result in SEO. Now here I’m going to discuss with you 10 of those smaller practices.
1. Keyword Research:
Keyword research is common to every SEO and is also one of the first steps for practising SEO. But what you do here is find keywords as per youtube and not as of google. For this, you get tons of tools like Ubersuggest, Spyfu, Ahrefs, and many other tools out there.
It is always better when tools are free and handy.
So, you can also use search bars of different search engines. Select your keywords wisely so that you can rank higher in search results beating the competition. In competition, search bars don’t do that. For this thing to be done, you need a tool like those I mentioned.
2. Video Title:
Now, this is one of the important places where you apply the conclusion of your result. Your keyword research comes in handy here. This is one of the places a search engine assesses to pick up contents from the heap of data. So, it is of utmost importance to design it wisely.
Use your focus keyword here. It is the place that describes what’s inside this video, so use something descriptive that describes how this video solves a problem for your viewers.
Use focus keywords in such a way that it describes the video’s content and your intention.
3. Tag:
It is one of the super ways to get more views, as these make the content’s topic clearer to search and increase the chance of being detected and served by search engines. It is where you are free to use your focus keywords as it is or in an unfurnished way.
And you can often use brothers, nephews, or kids, etc., of your focus keywords, that is, different forms of your focus keywords. But, remember not to overexploit this thing. 10-12 of such tags are enough.
4. Description:
‘Description’ is another of the very few places to play with SEO on Youtube. And it is better to start with focus keywords. Use the description to describe your content so that it assures your viewer to solve their problem, and sometimes you can use it to promote your content and affiliate links.
Although not all of your viewers enter or try to read the description, search engines always do. And in this hunt for SE, we need to focus on its preferences.
5. Social Media:
Make a habit of sharing your content on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Linkedin, Quora, Pinterest, and others. And in this way, the search engine will find your valuable content as it is driving traffic to the platform, and secondly, it will see an influx of viewers to your content and hence perceive it as a valuable one and hence will promote it.
6. Comments:
Ask your viewers to leave comments in your video, as it is one of the significant indicators of what you have served. The quality of your content can be deduced from your audience’s comments. Comments play a critical role here, the number of comments can be assessed by the search engine to have detailed info of your user engagement, and the quality or word in your comment can bring or let go or drive away your viewers.
7. Subscriber:
The youtube algorithm often uses the subscriber count to choose what to serve. To the youtube algorithm, a significant subscriber base means more human found content from this creator is helpful, and hence, it is more likely to be helpful to the consumer. And you have witnessed it as big channels dominate rank #1 in search results.
And subscribers come from quality content, and everybody has to accept it.
8. Thumbnail:
Thumbnails are not of much use to an algorithm or engine, but that doesn’t even indicate that thumbnails are useless. Your audience is human, and hence thumbnail means a lot to them. Try to make it the graphical version of your description. Try to depict the solution or end-product of your content so that your viewers get some assurance of getting what they are searching for, and finally, to make them play your video.
9. Playlist:
Make a playlist of related videos, such that your viewer is served with the next-of-its-kind content as soon as he finishes one. This way, you will get more views and watch time on your profile, making search engines perceive your content as valuable and perceive no risk to serve your product to the consumer.
10. Use closed caption:
Using closed caption, you are reciting the script of your content to the search engine. In this way, the search engine gets to know more about your content, and using focus keywords here increases your chance of being ranked.
You are also allowing the deaf audience to come to you and increase your viewership and subscriber, and ultimately your exposure to the search engine and search result.
Pro tips.
As a bonus, I’m supplying you with more of those small practices, but these are pretty special as they are not in broad exposure.
1. Use the Youtube search bar for most of your needs.
Tools for youtube SEO are fine, but I prefer to use the original product when it is free.
As I have discussed above, it has got its things, including an algorithm, so keep in mind to use standards and things from youtube itself and not from google and bing and things.
So, use this infamous search bar of youtube for every of your need while practising youtube SEO, and it is better to avoid this very famous google search bar.
2. File Name:
Prefer to use your focus keyword for the filename of your media file that you are uploading.
Media files are automatically named by the recorder device and software in a format like ‘20211017.mp4’ but prefer renaming it to ‘your_focus_keyword.mp4’. First of all, it looks satisfactory. Secondly, search engines find it easy to find the file.
3. Create Suspense:
Make it clear to your audience that you will solve their problem, but keep your solution process or path to the solution a secret. Here, man’s intrinsic nature, curiosity plays the role and help you get viewership and watch time.
4. Video Length:
Big channels like TED, Veritasium, etc., are often practised, restricting their videos to a specific time. This is directly related to the type of content they serve and their audience.
And this thing also helps search engines to sort out your audience base.
5. ClickBaits:
Use clickbait, obviously, one that relates to your content. Please don’t get too carried away, or it will backfire in the comments.
Conclusion:
To be a successful YouTuber, you need to take the small steps that lead you toward the larger goal, as we did in SEO.
Look. These steps do not guarantee results unless you have some excellent content and SEO expert that helps your viewers in one way or another. Having great content in your channel fulfils all of the above steps without any single effort.
Focus on content’s quality, and the search result is yours. Because you are making contents for human consumption and the engine only serve the content. If your recipe is good, customer influx will be automatic.
