Written By:

Pek

July 27, 2021

YouTube SEO: 11 Tactics to Boost Your Search Rankings in Youtube

about author

Yi Shiz lives football and breathes movies. While winning matches on the pitch seems unrealistic for him, he looks to win all the clients' "heart" by creating results for them ONLINE. A Legolas in online advertising, he doesn't stop looking for ways to improve his marksmanship so that his ads targeting is always 100% sharp and accurate. As he works in One Search Pro, he is still waiting for calls from Old Trafford asking him to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson's legacy.

How Does an Effective YouTube SEO Strategy Look Like?

Let’s start with the beginning and make sure everyone knows what YouTube SEO stands for – YouTube search engine optimization.

And while we’re here, let’s not forget that Google SEO and YouTube SEO are 2 different kinds of optimization strategies.

If you want to rank well on Google, you need to optimize your website’s content with relevant long-tail keywords.

This way, Google crawlers will know what your website is about and show it to your possible customers.

On the other hand, the YouTube algorithm is a bit different as compared to Google’s algorithm

You’ll need long-tail relevant keywords that describe your video perfectly, because they don’t have too much competition and they are cheaper to rank. Thus, your YouTube clip will be shown in the relevant video results to anyone interested in similar topics.

This way, the more people will watch your video, the higher your video will rank.

At the same time, YouTube’s algorithms analyze a few more parameters like the number of channel subscribers, comments, likes, video views, and the estimated watch time.

SEO YouTube can have many benefits for your digital marketing strategies:

Your campaigns reach wider audiences.
Your brand grows organically on both YouTube and Google.
You build a great online presence.
It increases revenue.

However, to make sure you’re optimizing YouTube content well, you’ll have to check a few parameters before and after you upload any video such as:

Transcripts
Closed captions
Subtitles
Video tags
Video’s title and description

Here are a few more strategies you should implement if you want to improve SEO for YouTube.

YouTube SEO Tips Any Marketer Should Know: 11 Tips Youtube SEO Strategy To Increase Your Search Ranking

Keep in mind that, unlike your audience, YouTube crawlers can’t view your clips.

So, one way to optimize your YouTube videos is to make sure that the text data that comes from your clip is perfectly written.

Here’s how you can boost your YouTube rankings with efficient YouTube SEO tips, and discover how to rank YouTube videos fast with this 11 YouTube SEO tips

1. Do a Thorough Research and Select Only the Best Keywords

*Keywords help YouTube’s algorithms crawl your videos better and faster.*

To make sure you’re coming with relevant, efficient, and trendy keywords, you can check out some recommendations for keywords research tools – they can be used as YouTube SEO tools as well.

For instance, marketing specialists saw that many Youtube keywords start with “how to”.

If you test this idea and type, let’s say, “How to Learn Japanese” on Google, a lot of video results will come from YouTube.

That’s why, when you’re choosing the keywords for your next clip, don’t forget to insert a how-to “how to” as well. Of course, this alone doesn’t guarantee your video will be the most popular video on YouTube. It’s rather a combination of keywords carefully chosen and uploading content constantly.

Always check the search volume of your keywords, how popular they are, and if they’re relevant to the content you’re planning.

2. Add Transcript to Your Video Description and Optimize It Properly

Keep in mind to use keywords in your audio too. Since the audio appears in the video’s closed captions, it’s a great opportunity to insert a few of them there.

These closed captions, otherwise known as transcripts, allow YouTube crawlers to analyze what your clip is about.

Besides, when users are typing a similar keyword in the YouTube search bar, they can find your videos easier.

3. Write Keywords-Optimized Title and Description

*Let your audience know what your video is about by optimizing your title and description.* Source: Deemd on YouTube

The audience needs to know what they should expect from your YouTube video right from the start.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can stuff keywords until you’re out of characters. Keep it nice, simple, and relevant. After all, optimizing your title and description is a crucial part of YouTube SEO.

Based on your title and description, YouTube algorithms will decide if your clip is relevant to a search query. Otherwise, people might leave your video as soon as they click on it. Thus, the wrong keywords can affect user experience.

As a general rule, YouTube title length should be within 70 characters, and YouTube description length should be around 5,000 characters. So make the most out of these limitations and use the space as best as you can!

4. Add Tags that Contain Popular Keywords

By doing this you’ll hit 2 birds with 1 stone. On one hand, it helps your audience find your videos easier, especially if they’re interested in that type of content already.

On the other hand, you help YouTube’s algorithms to understand quicker what’s the topic about and what is the context of your video. Thus, it’ll associate it with other similar content and, as a result, it’ll amplify your video reach.

So, no matter how you look at it, adding tags to your video has great advantages!

5. Categorize Your Video

While the “Category” section doesn’t affect views per se, choosing the right ones and sticking to a niche will have a great impact on your brand.

Here are just a few of the most popular categories from YouTube:

Vlogs
Children’s toys review videos
Gaming videos
Introduction videos
“How to” videos
Unboxing videos

Additionally, you can research relevant high-volume ranked tags and add them to your video.

However, keep in mind that creating content that you like is far more important than uploading random videos just because a category is popular at the moment. Working on clips you actually enjoy can motivate you to learn even more about YouTube.

6. Upload an Eye-Catching Video Thumbnail to Attract a Wider Audience

*An attractive thumbnail drives more viewers.* Source: YouTube

Visuals matter most when it comes to content. That’s why video content is more popular than the written one in the first place.

Since you’re already on YouTube, pleasant visuals are a must. And this is not true just for your video content- your video thumbnail is important too!

If you want to catch your audience’s attention in just a few seconds, you can add some text in the thumbnail. It doesn’t have to be a hundred words- sometimes, even 1 big word with an interesting font is enough to spark your audience’s curiosity. If you pay attention to other music video searches, you’ll see that these videos have a line from that song in the thumbnail.

Moreover, don’t forget to boost the contrast of the thumbnail so it draws attention to it in just a few seconds.

As a matter of fact, other people choose to upload a thumbnail with a face that’s making eye contact with the viewer. This way, it feels a bit more personal than a random word.

However, the truth is that there are no right or wrong ways to do this- test every idea that comes to your mind and keep only those that bring you results!

As for YouTube’s thumbnail size, it should be under 2MB, it can have a resolution of 1280×720 (with a minimum width of 640 pixels), and it can be uploaded in a JPG, PNG, or GIF format.

7. Use SRT File to Add Accurate Subtitles and Closed Captions

Otherwise known as SubRip Subtitle files, SRT files are simple text files that have no audio or video data. These files are simply used with video data to ensure that subtitles match the audio and the chronological number of subtitles.

Moreover, researching your audience will be a great inspiration for your subtitles. Check the top countries and locations of your viewers. Maybe you can add subtitles in other languages so you can make things easier for your audience to understand your video.

Likewise, if you know more than just 1 language, you can add subtitles in other languages too. Your audience will appreciate it, and those who are not fluent in your mother tongue will enjoy your videos at its fullest.

So, using SRT files and closed captions will make your videos more accessible and more engaging to a wider public. What’s more, it’ll improve your video’s watch time and boost your YouTube ranking.

8. Add YouTube Cards and End Screens

YouTube cards can be inserted anywhere in the video as long as it’s relevant and it doesn’t look spammy. Usually, you can encourage your viewers to click on other videos that are related to the things you’re talking about.

Here’s one perfect example- let’s say you’re doing a video about the importance of YouTube SEO for your brand. Don’t talk about the basic stuff like what SEO stands for, what Google crawlers are or how they work. You add a card that links to another video where you already discussed these kinds of topics. This way, your information is better structured, and you won’t make your video too long or too repetitive.

Similarly, end screens are really important because they can make your viewers spend a bit more time on your channel. ^[2] With end screens, you can link and redirect your users to:

Other YouTube videos from your channel.
Your social media profiles.
Your website.
Crowdfunding campaigns.
Merchandise.

Plus, the end screens are a good opportunity to insert some call-to-action buttons and encourage your audience to subscribe to your channel, like your video, or follow you on social media. You can promote up to 4 different elements, so make sure you use them to their fullest!

To add an end screen, all you have to do is:

Sign in to your YouTube account and create your video.
Upload your clip and click on the “Video Elements” tab.
Pick the “Add an end screen” feature.
Choose the timestamp where the element will appear in your video.
Click on the “+Element” and choose what elements to integrate- video, subscribe channel, playlist, or link.
Make sure you adjust the elements correctly and put them wherever you like.
Click “Save” and enjoy!

9. Prioritize User Engagement

Although people consume a lot of content on YouTube just by looking at it, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be active! After all, YouTube is still an important social media platform.

You can schedule a few hours per week to respond to comments, or write down what your viewers suggest. Other people might ask you questions about the things you’ve talked about in your video. This is a nice opportunity to show them your expertise, meet and connect with other YouTube creators, or gain YouTube backlinks. ^[3]

By doing this, you’ll boost your brand’s credibility and make your brand stand out among your competitors.

Prioritizing user engagement will make people feel welcomed on your channel. Thus, the longer they stay on your videos, the more you’ll appear in other’s YouTube recommended videos section.

10. Track Your Analytics

*Analytics can give you in-depth insights about your YouTube channel.* Source: Sprout Social

Like on Google, YouTube analytics can teach you a lot of things about your audience and how you can improve your content. ^[4]

From your Channel Dashboard section, you can select all kings of analytics and investigate parameters like:

Channel and real-time views.
Subscriber change.
Your estimated revenue.
Watch Time.
The gender and age of our audience.
The total amount of time (in hours) people have spent on your channel.

And because content is king even on YouTube, you can improve your channel one video at a time while watching these metrics.

11. Insert a Catchy Call-To-Action to Engage with Your Audience

For this one, you can think about something funny or catchy that sticks with your audience. You can even try to add a personal sound effect, catchphrase, or a funny image to your CTA.

In the end, it’ll feel like giving your brand more personality!

This way, you can attract even more viewers and maybe start a new trend or memes.

The CTA button is a great way to test how persuasive you are, and how many viewers respond to your suggestions. Over time, you can try different CTAs and see what works best for your audience.

As a general rule, the more compelling you make your CTA, the more people will engage with it.

Try out as many options as possible: interesting fonts, background colors, video effects, unique voiceovers, interesting graphics- anything can be a good idea!

What’s more, don’t forget to optimize your YouTube content and your CTA for mobile screens too!

Here’s an article about interesting and effective CTA buttons that boost engagement with your audience.

Conclusion

To sum things up, SEO for YouTube can be a fun and easy part of digital marketing campaigns if you know how to build proper strategies.

If you’re curious about how to get more views on YouTube, you can try different features like YouTube Ranker or YouTube views free trial.

But keep in mind that whenever you’re trying new apps outside YouTube, be careful so you won’t risk any conflicts with YouTube.

At first, it might seem like a lot of things to think about, but over time, you’ll get used to them. Adding transcripts, researching keywords, using SRT files, or tracking your analytics- practice will make them perfect.

When you’ll learn how to properly implement these strategies into your marketing campaigns, you can definitely boost your brand’s awareness.

Plus, searching on YouTube for different answers can help you a lot.

When you’re just starting out, learning all these YouTube techniques can be quite time-consuming. So if you have any questions about SEO, our specialists are here for you!

Our experts from One Search Pro Marketing can help you with professional advice for:

SEM
Social media marketing services
Digital marketing Malaysia
SEO strategies personalized for your needs

Do you have any questions related to digital marketing techniques and strategies? The best social media marketing Malaysia professionals are here for you!

Contact us and see for yourself why our advertising agency Malaysia is considered the best in its field!