- YouTube SEO<\/a><\/li>
- It All Starts With Keyword Research<\/a><\/li>
- Creating Your Video<\/a><\/li>
- Optimizing Your Title<\/a><\/li>
- Optimizing Your Descriptions<\/a><\/li>
- Optimizing Your Tags<\/a><\/li>
- Add Cards<\/a><\/li>
- Add Subtitles<\/a><\/li>
- Ending Your Video Well<\/a><\/li>
- Thumbnails<\/a><\/li>
- Drive Engagement (Share, Link, Embed)<\/a><\/li>
- Pay Attention to the Metrics<\/a><\/li>
- Takeaways<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
YouTube SEO<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Inbound marketing relies on the power of great content to drive traffic and push for more conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Video is a great way to bring interactive content to viewers, and you can have tutorials, product presentations, reviews, webinars, and even original content on the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is why video has grown to be one of the most potent ways to drive engagements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It All Starts With Keyword Research<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
YouTube SEO is a lot like regular organic SEO \u2013 which makes a lot of sense since Google owns YouTube \u2013 you start with keyword research. Most of the searches done on Google are via text searches, so if you want to rank, you\u2019ve got to do your research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using Tools<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are a couple of keyword research tools that you can use to generate similar and related keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All you have to do is enter your seed keyword, switch out the standard search engine for YouTube\u2019s search engine, and presto! You\u2019ve got a list of keywords that you can use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it doesn\u2019t just end there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You still have to filter out the results<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just as with regular keyword research, it would be wise to run the other interesting keywords through the tool again to get a good overview of the subject at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manual Method<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The natural way to fish for keywords is to use YouTube\u2019s autocomplete feature \u2013 and yes, it\u2019s the same as Google\u2019s autocomplete feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOnce you type in your seed keyword on YouTube\u2019s search bar, you\u2019ll get a bunch of suggestions on what other keywords you can target for your campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These keywords are essential to make sure that you only use terms that are relevant to the campaign and that you\u2019re optimizing for maximum exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs you can see from this example, the suggestions on Google and YouTube are different. This is because they are on two distinct platforms, and people have different searching habits and interests on YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keyword research is different on YouTube and Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is what you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start playing around with the autocomplete feature of YouTube and start listing down the keywords that are being suggested. If you find another exciting keyword, then type that down, too, so that you can get more suggestions around that keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to get more suggestions you could try this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201ckeyword\u201d + \u201cany single letter\u201d \u2013 this is so that you can find alphabetical keyword suggestions. E.g., Growth Hacking A<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/3-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBefore long, you can build yourself a list of keywords that you can use on your YouTube video title, tags, or description.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only keep the keywords that have been gaining a lot of momentum, such as those with a least a hundred searches. However, if you are covering a popular topic, expect that number to go higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, if you\u2019ve found a market for a niche, you\u2019ll find that more than a hundred views could be topping the scale for keywords that you should be using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll find that there is a substantial market for \u201cHow To\u2019s\u201d or tutorial videos because sometimes it is easier for many people to watch a video than it is to read a guide. Tutorial videos are also great because they are engaging, and they show viewers practical applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Set your keywords aside because we will be using them extensively later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creating Your Video<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are a lot of ways to create a video, and there are a lot of formats for you to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Tutorials \u2013 there are several kinds of tutorials, but we are all used to a video presenter doing the actual tutoring. You can switch it up a little bit and create an animated video or a screen recording; as long as it has excellent narration, it can still be a winner.<\/li>
- Lessons or classes \u2013 these are very popular with digital marketing strategists and other industry leaders because it allows experts to share their knowledge and expand their networks. However, it\u2019s not just limited to the big guys; a lot of people have gained traction using lessons.<\/li>
- Original Media \u2013 might be a little more challenging to do, but it really helps bring out your organization\u2019s creativity.<\/li>
- One Time Videos \u2013 there is no excuse for you not to optimize even singular videos that you release from time-to-time. These could be promotional ones or also company updates and press releases.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The production values matter a lot, and this means going all out \u2013 of course, as long as it is still within your budget. Here are a few things to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Use a good microphone<\/li>
- Don\u2019t settle for a phone camera<\/li>
- Use a backdrop whenever possible<\/li>
- Make sure that you use a script \u2013 it will come in handy in ranking your video, but more on that later.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Optimizing Your Title<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Remember that keyword list you built a while ago?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s going to be very handy in the next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most important rule in creating your title is to include your keyword, and the same rule applies to organic search engine optimization, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, YouTube is completely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Title Tags, we\u2019re used to sticking our primary \u2013 sometimes secondary \u2013 keywords in along with a little bit of branding, but with videos, they just won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your titles on YouTube have to encourage potential viewers to click on them even if they are official videos from your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means getting a little creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A title such as \u201cIntroduction to YouTube SEO \u2013 Growth Hackers\u201d might work on other platforms, but throwing in a little flair such as \u201cYouTube SEO: The 30-Second Method\u201d would probably gain more traction if you were to ask us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another thing that you have to keep in mind is the title length. The last time we checked, it\u2019s best to keep your titles under 60 characters, although you can push this limit in some cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Say you want to make use of the ellipses (\u2026) that are used when your titles are too long to generate some mystery, then, by all means, go beyond the limit and add other keywords along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your title is the most essential part of the optimization process because it identifies your video and helps it stick out above the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Optimizing Your Descriptions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your video description is kind of like the meta description of your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it holds a lot of weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is your chance to start effectively using the rest of the keywords that you\u2019ve gathered in your list and start structuring them. Back in the day, one could be tempted to just list down all your secondary keywords and LSI in your description, but we all know that\u2019s spammy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how do you go about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/8-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDescriptions are supposed to add value to the video, but not go overboard to distract the viewer and appear spammy. You want your video description to add to the main point of the video that you\u2019ve published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Write a keyword-rich description that summarizes the point of the video on the first line or paragraph. Make sure the primary keyword is in the first line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use secondary keywords and LSI, but make sure that it fits in naturally into the description that you\u2019ve made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use the remainder of the description to put in links that you have to your other material, extra notes, and how people can reach you i.e., your social media profile or your website address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Optimizing Your Tags<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
YouTube tags are used to help categorize where your video belongs to, and they can help you optimize your video to increase your exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The platform will also help you out in this regard by giving you a couple of suggestions that you can use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/10-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you want to gain an edge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out what tags your competitors are using and throw those into the mix, too. There\u2019s a reason that they are ranking, and you want to take advantage of those opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add Cards<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your videos have to drive engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can think of cards as resource links within the video to help your viewers get more information during the video\u2019s playback. These cards appear as little bubbles that give out suggestions to the viewers as the video plays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/12-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFor example, you can tell your viewers to check out another video explaining something that you\u2019re currently discussing and have a little bubble appear on the video. This adds a lot more value to your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are a couple of cards that you can use in your video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suggest that your viewer watch another video or playlist<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out an external link<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out another YouTube Channel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Support a non-profit<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Invitation to answer a poll<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, here\u2019s the catch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It might be super tempting, but you don\u2019t want to use too many cards, you want to stay relevant to the topic that is being discussed. You also don\u2019t want to appear spammy and distracting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add Subtitles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Imagine Netflix without subtitles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wouldn\u2019t that be terrible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s the same with videos on YouTube, people like subtitles because it helps them follow what you\u2019re saying. However, the CC (Closed Captioning) feature of YouTube is intended to help those who are hearing impaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Subtitles are excellent because they make sure that your viewers are accurately interpreting what you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And guess what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re not at all difficult to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
YouTube will try to auto transcribe what you are saying, but if you were using a script in the beginning, you can just easily upload the text, and the platform will match the words and the audio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is also the option to upload, and auto transcribe, which is very useful if you often find yourself going off script or adding something out of the blue while filming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, and did we tell you the most important part about all of this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marketers agree that captions get crawled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means having keyword-rich captions might have the effect of being ranked higher than standard videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So in effect, you better be mentioning your keywords when you do your video in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More: How to Reach Millions of Views on LinkedIn<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ending Your Video Well<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t just say goodbye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/13-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYou can still optimize your video until the last second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
YouTube allows you to place a couple of suggested video links towards the end and an option to place a link to subscribe to your channel. However, if you want to make use of these features creatively, then you will want to create an overlay at the end of your video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Provide some room on the overlay in order to be able to put two video links and the subscribe button from YouTube. You can even get creative with this process and place extra text or have an overlay that still plays a portion of your video telling your viewers to like and subscribe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/9-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thumbnails<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ever picked out a video just because the thumbnail looked interesting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And, this is the reason why picking out a proper thumbnail is extremely important when optimizing your video. If you think about it, the thumbnail takes up more space than the video title and its description. This is why it is as critical as the rest of the text itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can be considered to be your video\u2019s call to action. The thumbnail gives your viewers an idea of what the video is going to be like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/4-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYou could have the most exciting video in the world, but if it has a boring thumbnail, nobody will want to see it. Your thumbnail has to get people to click the video in effect, improving your video CTR rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are a few types of YouTube thumbnails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Still photo \u2013 the still picture is an action still shot taken from the video itself, it gives potential viewers a glimpse of what\u2019s going on in the video. This is a standard way to do a thumbnail, but it\u2019s not always recommended. Sports videos benefit the most from this because still, action shots look engaging enough.<\/li>
- Custom graphic thumbnail \u2013 a visual thumbnail can be composed of several things. You can have a custom background with some text, a call-to-action embedded, and you can even use an edited still shot with text from the video itself.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
We recommend that you use a custom YouTube thumbnail for all your videos because it gives you room to be more creative with the way you call for people\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/5-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s what you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Create the background \u2013 you can use a photo of the video\u2019s presenter over a colored background, an action shot in the video itself where the presenter only takes up a third of the scene, or an action shot without any clutter. If you go for a colored background, make sure that it contrasts with the text so that your potential viewers can read it quickly.<\/li>
- Create some text to go with the background \u2013 the current standard is to put the text to the right-hand side of the presenter, but you can put it anywhere that you want to as long as it is clear. The text can be a subheading of your video\u2019s title or even a shortened version of the title itself.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Keep it as short as possible; you do not want to overpower the thumbnail with too much unnecessary text. If your title is, \u201cTop 20 Growth Hackings Tips\u201d, the text on your thumbnail could be \u201cGrowth Hacking Like a Pro.\u201d<\/li>
- Make sure that your text is legible, so increase the font size whenever you can. Do a quick check on a mobile if the text is clearly readable on a standard smartphone; this is important since YouTube also commands a sizeable mobile share.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Note:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure the thumbnail size is at least 1,280 x 720, as YouTube recommends this size. Use a ratio of 16:9 as it also coincides with your video.<\/li>
- It has to be less than 2 MB in size<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Whatever you do, don\u2019t use the standard thumbnail that YouTube provides for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More: 5 Tools Every Growth Hacker Should Be Using <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drive Engagement (Share, Link, Embed)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your video needs to gain momentum after you publish it, and there are a couple of ways of doing this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ratings, Comments, and Views<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
First start with getting people to comment on your video, if you can\u2019t get a crowd on it, ask your team or friends to check out the video and leave a quick comment. This not only drives engagement for the videos, but it makes it look like a video has a following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It serves as social proof of the worth and effectiveness of the video. People want to get onto a video that is popular because it just goes to show how many people are agreeing to the video\u2019s content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, ask people to leave a rating for the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sharing and Embedding your Video<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take a look at all the mediums that you have online for sharing media: email, social networks, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now decide what type of buyer personas these mediums cater to, and start crafting posts and emails that encourage people to check out your video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should look into sharing your video on different platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn<\/a>, and even Quora. Now Facebook and LinkedIn are pretty straightforward, and you can share your video immediately with a short description.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Reddit and Quora require a different approach. In these two platforms, you should aim to share your video when a question is being asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bamf.lovelacecreative.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/7-YouTube-SEO-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Rank-Your-YouTube-Videos.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFor Reddit, you could share it as a link on a thread to drive conversions. However, the caveat is that you have to be an active member of a thread for people to take your video seriously. If you aren\u2019t, they\u2019ll know that you are just engaging in everyday old marketing tactics in order to get views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quora is a different platform to work with, as well. You can embed your video in answer to a question, so that you may be able to support it. But, as mentioned, you need to answer the question via a text answer first before the embed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just like Reddit, you might be misconstrued as someone who just wants to build links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try sharing your video as much as possible on different platforms; you need to be able to generate traction as soon as the video is published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linking to and Building Links<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building links to your video can involve asking people to share it on their web properties and sharing it on your website as well. Links to your video increase the video\u2019s authority because there are more people referring to it. The more authority a video has, the more likely it is to rank higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re going to build links and link to your video, do not forget to link to your channel as well. Your channel mainly relates to all the videos that you have, so you will want to feed it some link juice so it will trickle down to everything on your channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Create Playlists<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Playlists are another great way to drive engagement because they group videos. The reason we love it is that it tells the platform that videos are related and in turn, keeps people on a channel for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a way, it\u2019s conversion rate optimization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following video in the series will usually be suggested to your viewer, and it increases their tendency to consume more of your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now you want them to do this often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not only does it give your other videos more views, but also it establishes you like a channel that helps them with their needs. This type of inbound marketing helps drive conversions and gets you noticed by search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pay Attention to the Metrics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Growth hacking means proper tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The YouTube platform has its signature analytics platform that you can use, but there are also other tools out there that can help you track your progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You need to track the performance of your video to find out what works and what doesn\u2019t in your channel. It makes no sense to invest in videos that garner less engagement than those that really appeal to your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you find your unique formula \u2013 almost every channel has one \u2013 you can then proceed to make some more videos of that caliber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your analytics and insights will help determine if you are ranking well, should you find out that switching out a particular line improves your rankings then you better document it so you can do it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can even throw your video in a rank-tracking tool like SERP Robot and find out how it\u2019s ranking for different keywords daily. This helps the monitoring process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, do a quick Google and YouTube search of your video’s keyword and see how you\u2019re ranking; this should give you a good picture of your content\u2019s visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The notes that you get from here will paint an accurate picture of your propensity to rank higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you find yourself still a little confused about what keywords to use or what kind of content you should be releasing, look at your competitors. Growth hacking involves competitor research. You need to be able to determine and study what works for other people and apply those successful lessons on your own videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
YouTube has turned into one of the most potent video delivery mediums in the world. It\u2019s come to the point that if you want your videos to do well, they have to be on the YouTube platform, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- It All Starts With Keyword Research<\/a><\/li>