5 Hacks for YouTube SEO to Drive More Traffic to Your Videos

YouTube SEO: Online marketing has changed the face of marketing. It has been used time and again by advertisers to reach the large number of internet users that are on the internet surfing every other day.

The content by marketers has been optimized in different ways in a bid to set themselves apart from other competing companies.

The content of the advertisements was earlier only in written form like blog posts and eBooks among others.

However, it was later discovered that video content is the most popular among the internet users.

This presented an opportunity for advertisers to tap into the world of marketing by sound and video such as through podcasts, GIFs, and videos.

With the large number of people consuming video content such as on YouTube, there has been a need to get it right.

This brings us to the YouTube SEO best practices to ensure that advertisements placed on YouTube are actually successful.

The best thing about video content is that it is easy for the internet user to see. It does not take much time or effort like written content.

Most people would prefer to watch a video over reading, and it sticks to one’s mind. This makes it a must have for the online marketer. So how do you optimize your videos for search?

Tips for YouTube SEO

There are different ways in which you can improve your video campaign on YouTube to be more easily visible and have more people landing on your advert in the search results page.

All things play a part in reaching out to viewers to compel them to watch your video, from the very first time they get to the search page, working together to have one watch the video, take an interest in the product being promoted and take the next step where they become a client for your business.

YouTube SEO Tip #1: Relevant Title

The title is one of the most important things for a good YouTube video campaign. Just look at it in a practical manner; when you search for a video, the title is what you see first.

It is also the point at which you decide whether you will click on that video or not. The title draws you in or has you looking elsewhere.

As the first point of appeal for the searcher, your title needs to be the kind that will have people clicking through.

This calls for creativity and specificity. Have a title that not only draws the target audience in, but is also clear and straight to the point.

The title should also be similar to the viewer’s search objectives. This means the keywords should match with the title, so that the viewer gets exactly what they searched for in the title alone.

You may get carried away in formulating the title, and have a long one so as to incorporate every bit of information you deem necessary within it.

The problem with this is that your title is at jeopardy of being cut short when it appears in the search results page. You do not want this so keep your title short and concise.

YouTube SEO Tip #2: Written Description

YouTube videos provide for a brief description of your video in written form. The key word here should be ‘brief’.

Ensure that your description is brief and that it does not resemble a short story or blog. The people you are targeting are there for the video, not a whole lot of words.

YouTube usually allows 1000 characters, but you do not need all these. Have a short, simple description. While writing out the description, ensure you put the most important or relevant information first.

Remember YouTube will only show the first few lines on the search results page, and one has to click on the button that indicates ‘Show more’ to read the rest of the content.

This is for if you write a long description. If possible however, have content that will all be displayed on the search results page without further action by the viewer.

YouTube SEO Tip #3: Video Thumbnail

This refers to the image that appears for the viewers once they land on the search results page. Together with the title and the description, the image is another important aspect for YouTube video marketing.

The thumbnail informs the viewer of what to expect. It is like a snippet of the video content. YouTube does offer images that are auto-generated.

You can choose this option and simply pick one. However, having a custom image may be a better option.

Have a good quality image but ensure that it is small enough for easy download. You can use .jpg, .bmp or any other format that allows small size images.

Custom thumbnails make your ad more unique and you can choose an image that better represents your company.

It may be good to note that the thumbnail may actually increase the number of clicks on your link by the viewers who land on your advert on the search results page.

YouTube SEO Tip #4: Use of Tags

Tags act as a way of letting the viewers know what the video is about. Apart from informing the viewers however, tags also play a huge role for YouTube.

It uses them to get to know what the content of your video is about and then associate it with other similar videos.

Associating your video with similar videos would allow you to have a wider reach as well as get a more targeted audience for your content that is most likely to turn into higher conversions.

While choosing your tags, you need to pay close attention to the specific tags so that you get it right.

Start with the most important words and ensure that the tags are relevant to your content. Find words that are commonly used and have them as your tags ensuring their relevance to your industry and video.

YouTube SEO Tip #5: Category

You will want you video to appear under a category that has videos with contents similar to yours. Categorizing is a way to bring more traffic to your video.

To do this, head on to the advanced settings option on YouTube and add a category to your uploaded video.

Finding the category for a video might be complicated, especially in getting it right so that it works to your benefit.

You can look at the available categories that describe your video and find among them one that has an audience that you mean to target, videos with the same quality, length and value as your own and with creators that are known for something close to yours.

With this, you can get the category that will work well for you.

Conclusion

Once you have achieved all these, your video should be able to sell itself such that the traffic that views your advert actually translates to more business for your company.

Consider professional input when it comes to the video so that you have good quality content.

YouTube SEO best practices might be the break your company has been waiting for. If you have been stagnant in video marketing, try out these tips to improve traffic. This is healthy for your advert and have a higher rate of success.