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YouTube SEO

What is YouTube SEO?

Search engine optimization, more commonly referred to as SEO, is the dynamic act of planning content on the internet to rank exceptionally on search engine result pages (SERPs). Internet search is the component that gives your content visibility it needs, so making your content fitting for search is important to draw in the traffic and grow your online presence.

SEO is also a thing on YouTube! However, in contrast to SEO for search engines like Google, which utilizes backlinks and different factors to assess rank, YouTube SEO includes advancing and improving your channel, playlists, metadata, and videos. You can upgrade your videos for search both inside and outside of YouTube.

There are some fundamentals of SEO for YouTube videos that are the same as the SEO we know. For example, incorporating the right keywords in titles, meta descriptions, and tags. 

However, there is more that needs to be done if you want your YouTube videos to rank well! Since internet searcher bots can't watch videos, they use the description text to rank and sort videos. 

Success with YouTube SEO is all about maximizing the force of your video's content through transcripts, closed captions, and subtitles. These will not only improve the viewer experience but also allow you to rank well SEO-wise.

YouTube SEO - Tips and Tricks

Now that we have a better understanding of what YouTube SEO is, let’s look at some of the tips and tricks you can employ to make the most out of your SEO strategy for YouTube.


Select relevant keywords

The key to improving your YouTube SEO is to select the right keywords for your videos. The purpose of keywords is highlighted in titles, metadata, captions, and transcript. An amalgamation of keywords in all these aspects results in a functional SEO strategy. 

When picking keywords, make sure that they are connected to the content of the video and likely to be searched for when a user wants to see something like you’ve put out. 

Be accurate with your closed captions

Although YouTube automatically gives your video the closed captions that it transcribes, they are usually only 70% accurate. This means that there is a very high chance that the closed captions playing under your video are wrong, which can be quite embarrassing. So, always use an SRT file to ensure that your captions aren’t automatically generated gibberish. 


Add a transcript to your video description

Adding a transcript to your video is one very effective way of improving your SEO ranking. You can put the transcript in the description box that accompanies your video. It can fit 5,000 characters, which is usually enough for a 10-minute video.l However, if your video is longer, you can add other important information to the description

Other best practices for YouTube SEO include:

  • Offer subtitles in multiple languages.
  • Write a keyword-optimized title, description, and tags.
  • Say your target keyword in your video.
  • Use a compelling thumbnail.
  • Add YouTube cards and end screens.
  • Focus on user engagement.
  • Track your analytics.


The Bottom Line

YouTube is wonderful too. Not just for video streaming and entertainment, but also for business! Therefore, it is a wise decision to start perceiving YouTube as a means of boosting your commercial progress. 

However, to ensure that your presence on YouTube is contributive to your overall online presence, you must put some time and effort into learning the mechanism of SEO for YouTube. Once you do that, you’ll be one video away from YouTube success.