As a content creator, you know that ranking high on search engines is essential to driving traffic to your blog or website. But what about ranking high on YouTube? Like Google, YouTube is a search engine; just like Google, YouTube videos can be optimized for SEO. This blog post will give you a crash course in YouTube SEO Strategy so you can start driving more traffic to your channel.
Do Your Research
Before you start creating your video, it’s important to do your research and figure out which keywords you want to target. What are people searching for on YouTube? What sort of videos are they looking for?
You can use tools like Google Trends and the YouTube Keyword Planner to help you answer these questions. After you decide which keywords to target, you can begin making your video.
Create Compelling Content
This should go without saying, but creating content people want to watch is important. No matter how well you optimize your video for SEO, it won’t matter if nobody wants to watch it.
So take the time to create something truly special that will capture people’s attention and keep them engaged from beginning to end.
Optimize Your Video Title
The title of your video is one of the very first things people will see, so it’s important to make sure you grab their attention with a relevant and interesting headline. In addition to being interesting, your title should include one or two of your target keywords. This will help YouTube understand your video and rank it accordingly.
Write a Compelling Description
Once people have clicked on your video, they’ll see your description. This is an opportunity to not only add relevant keywords but also give your viewers a taste of what your video entails.
Be sure to include a call-to-action in your description so viewers know what they should do after watching (e.g., subscribe to your channel, visit your website, etc.).
Use Tags
Tags perform a similar function to keywords in that they help YouTube understand the subject matter of your video. Use a mix of general and specific tags, and include any misspellings or alternate spellings of your target keywords.
For example, if you’re trying to rank for the keyword “social media marketing,” you might also want to use the tags “social media,” “social media marketing tips,” and “social media marketing strategy.”
Add Annotations
Annotations are clickable links that appear superimposed over your video. By adding annotations to your videos, you can increase traffic to your website or blog or promote other videos on your channel.
Just be sure not to use too many annotations, as this can be distracting for viewers and may negatively impact how long they watch your video.
Optimize Your Thumbnail Image
Your thumbnail image is yet another opportunity to capture people’s attention and convince them to click on your video. Include text in your thumbnail image so viewers know what they can expect from watching (e.g., “X Tips for Improving Your SEO”). And as with everything else we’ve mentioned, ensure your thumbnail image is interesting and attention-grabbing.
Conclusion:
By following the tips above, you can start optimizing your YouTube videos for SEO and driving more traffic to your channel. Just remember that SEO is only one piece of the puzzle—you also need compelling content if you want people to stick around and watch your videos all the way through.
With both SEO and great content working in tandem, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful YouTube channel in no time.
