A Guide to YouTube SEO | Strategies to Start Growing Your Channel Instantly

YouTube is one of the largest search engines on the Internet and is second only to Google. Given that Google owns YouTube, it makes sense that SEO is equally important for both of them. YouTube SEO can give you a massive advantage in terms of growing your channel. Instead of fighting with the algorithms, you can make them a tool for your success.

Most people think of Google when they think of search engine optimization, but just because YouTube focuses on videos does not make it any less useful. Optimizing your YouTube videos is the best way to reach millions of potential viewers on the site. It will help you garner more attention, receive more social media engagements, develop a larger audience, and maintain higher search rankings.

Keyword research is the core of SEO, because Google and YouTube both use the keywords typed into the search bar to find the most relevant content for their users. If you want to get the most exposure possible on your keywords, use apps like Keywords Everywhere to find the words that relate closely to your channel.

Some examples of general keywords include questions, how-to’s, tutorials, and reviews. Most importantly, be sure to put the keywords in your video titles, descriptions, tags, and anywhere else you can include them.

Video rankings depend heavily on how much of the video each person watches. Make sure your content is entertaining enough to keep the viewer around. The longer they watch, the higher your video will rank in the search results. Use your creative side to develop engaging content that supplies the information your audience is seeking.

Pretty much every popular YouTuber tells their audience to like, comment, subscribe, and click the bell icon these days. These are all effective ways to boost your video rankings with the help of your audience. If more and more users like, subscribe, and share, your rankings will skyrocket, and your audience will grow exponentially.

Also, do not forget to reply to some comments on your videos! Not only does it generate a larger comment count, but it is never a bad idea to engage directly with your viewers. It will make them feel more involved with your content and more likely to watch and share.

You have likely seen plenty of clickbait videos with crazy thumbnails and titles in all caps that immediately catch your eye. While it is obnoxious in many cases, creating more engaging thumbnails and titles can significantly improve your Click-Through-Rate or CTR. Writing a compelling title is going to make both new and returning viewers more likely to click. The better your CTR, the higher your video climbs in the search rankings.

Consider Video Length

YouTube is notorious for favoring longer videos to the point where the general rule is that videos under 10 minutes do not make money. However, this does not mean you should pad your videos for the sake of hitting an arbitrary time limit. If your viewers leave before the 4-minute mark, it will not matter how long the video is. Create as much content as you can while ensuring it is entertaining, so more people will watch and share.

Many people tend to forget about this in the YouTube SEO because they are so focused on getting it into their titles and descriptions. YouTube now has automatic video transcription, so saying your keyword in the recording will further optimize the content. You can even create your own closed captions to ensure the keyword is displayed properly.

The first tag on your video should be the keyword or phrase you are targeting. You can also include synonyms and other variations of the keyword in the tags or create tags for closely related subjects.

Drawing in viewers often takes more than just posting a few videos on YouTube. Create posts and links on your social media accounts, blogs, and other platforms to encourage more engagement with your content.

YouTube SEO is not complicated from a technical standpoint. You simply need to optimize your titles, descriptions, and tags for the right keywords. The difficult part comes with finding ways to create engaging content for your audience. Use these tips to your advantage, but do not forget to entertain and inform with every video you make.

Getting the results you want on YouTube is hard work, but if you put the time in and focus on creating high-quality content, you will see success in no time.