YouTube video SEO
According to the latest statistics, the site is visited every month by 1.5 billion logged-in users. Users themselves watch a billion hours of video per day; on mobile devices alone, internet users spend an average of one hour a day.
At present (as of 23 Nov 2017) the most popular video on YouTube has a record-breaking 4.377 billion views!!
In short
YouTube video SEO (VSEO) is the optimisation that makes your video appear higher in YouTube and Google results. The key elements are: a title and description with keywords, relevant tags, an attractive thumbnail, captions/transcript and engagement signals (watch time, reactions, comments). YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine — well-described videos build brand visibility and traffic, including from Google, where video is sometimes shown in the results.
Marketing and YouTube
For several years now we have been able to observe how companies increasingly strengthen their image by using videos for that purpose. Videos work to increase conversions and are starting to play a dominant role in promotion strategies. YouTube channels are becoming genuine competition for television programmes, and their quality, accessibility and the topics they cover keep growing.
Because of the growing interest in online video, video SEO is becoming ever more popular and, at the same time, indispensable, with the aim of appearing in the best possible position in the search results.
YouTube is the world's second most popular search engine. The steady growth in the number of queries surpasses Google. A YouTube channel is becoming a very important tool in the hands of marketers.
Companies increasingly promote their services and products precisely on YouTube channels. Guides, tutorials, training sessions and invitations to various kinds of events are gaining in popularity. Many companies have used YouTube as a place for self-presentation, to show the company from the inside and to invite the viewer to interact. It is an ideal way to win trust and strengthen brand awareness.
YouTube video SEO — what does it involve?
Video SEO is based on the same principles as traditional website positioning, differing only in slightly different techniques. Optimising a video on YouTube comes down to achieving the highest possible positions for that video in the platform's search results.
For the video we have created to be possible to rank, it should first be properly optimised. There are elements that have a fundamental influence on a video's position in the search results, so the video needs to be optimised with these in mind.
Namely:
Video content — the material we intend to present in the video should be attractive so that it interests the viewer. It is worth thinking about adding graphics that will enrich and add variety to the video message.
Title — the video title should encourage the viewer to watch it and properly describe the content of our material. A correctly constructed title makes it easier for the user to find the video. It is also worth placing a keyword in the title, preferably in its first part.
Video description — it should describe the content of the video very well and contain skilfully woven-in key phrases. The text should be unique and encourage the viewer to play the video. Don't forget to add links to the page/subpage of our website and to other additional sources with information about the company.
Video quality — high recording quality testifies to our professionalism and respect for the viewer. Studies prove that users pay enormous attention to the quality of the material. Let's not lose viewers or expose ourselves to negative comments just because of insufficient video quality. HD material is chosen more often by users and is also favoured by the YouTube service.
Duration — in the case of a long recording, make sure it is interactive. Asking questions of viewers who have the option to comment, or announcing competitions, encourages a large number of views and a higher position for the recording, regardless of the video's length. And if users watch the video in full, they make it clear to the algorithm that the video is interesting and worth promoting.
Subscriptions — a large number of subscribers is proof that a given channel's videos are shared more often and is information about how attractive the message is to users. This causes the system to recommend the material.
Views — the more popular a video is, the greater the likelihood that it will appear in the search results.
Shares — this metric shows us how many users decided to share a given material on social media. As with the previous video elements, the more shares, the more people will notice the material.
Comments — these are internet users' private opinions about our material. Positive comments play a very important role, as they can encourage other users to watch the video.
Ratings — this parameter shows whether the presented video is attractive, valuable and technically good. Positive ratings indicate the high quality of the material and influence its position.
Once our video is optimised, we can move on to the next, crucial steps in YouTube video SEO:
Choosing phrases and keywords.
Properly chosen phrases and keywords that reflect the content of the material will allow the video to be indexed correctly and make it easier for the user to find. When choosing phrases, it is worth using the Keyword Planner and taking advantage of the YouTube search engine's suggestions. In the latter case, after entering the title, the search engine will suggest the most popular alternative terms.
Tags and categories
Remember to add tags to your video and to assign it to the right category. Tags are a kind of keyword, while thanks to the category the video will be easily found among other videos of the same type.
Custom thumbnail
The thumbnails offered by YouTube do not fully convey the topic and character of the presented material. It is therefore worth creating your own, custom thumbnail. This is a guarantee that the video will stand out positively from the rest.
Analysing the competition's activity
Check competing videos. Analyse their descriptions, titles and even comments. Analyse and compare their content (just don't copy it!) — it is valuable knowledge that you can use to optimise your own materials.
Links
This is a very important element of the YouTube ranking. The more valuable, diverse links and links from good sources, the better the chances of achieving a high position.
Contact with viewers
Keeping in touch with your viewers is indispensable when running a channel on YT. Thanks to this you attract the attention of other users, build trust and also have a positive influence on your rating, making your channel unique and attractive to the user.
Organising videos on your YouTube channel
It is worth keeping order on your channel by creating playlists. Thanks to this the user will easily find what they are looking for. For each playlist, prepare a short description containing keywords.
Finally
So as not to waste the work you have done, remember to keep posting new videos consistently and to be active on your channel. Don't forget about promotion either. You can advertise your materials on social platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook.
Think about placing the video on your website. The possibilities are truly enormous. Make use of them!!
