Semalt YouTube SEO Guide
Over 2 billion users and 500 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute - that's how you can briefly describe YouTube's popularity. Is it still a good place for new channels? How can I improve the visibility of my videos? Is it possible to position movies? These are some of the questions that can go through the mind of people who want to start a YouTube channel nowadays!
In the following content, you will discover the best tips to make your YouTube channel visible!
YouTube search engine
YouTube searches for new content based on search results and recommendations (home page, featured videos). The search engine, which is part of the website, works in a manner similar to the Google search engine. Each video is evaluated by algorithms, based on which the results for a given query are displayed in the correct order. Sponsored content is at the top of the list of search results - most often, these are links to websites as part of Google Ads campaigns.
Indeed, on October 9, 2006, YouTube was purchased by Google for $ 1.65 billion. Since then, the website has been continuously integrated with the services of the new owner - a Google account is used to log in, the Google Ads platform allows you to create ads displayed on YouTube, and videos posted on the website are displayed in the Google search results along with displaying chapters, i.e. key moments of a given video that you can jump to directly from the search results.
Now let's talk about the description and tags of YouTube videos
YouTube relies on a ranking system that analyzes three basic metrics against which each video uploaded to the site is rated:
- Relevance - the algorithm analyzes the title, tags, description of the video, as well as its content. On this basis, it assigns the movie to specific key phrases.
- Commitment - this indicator includes, among others, videos watch time, likes, comments and shares. If users are willing to watch a video all the way through, comment on it, and share it, such material will likely be displayed higher in the search results for queries that users enter into the search engine.
- Quality - website algorithms analyze the creator's channel and its previous publications to determine credibility and experience in a given topic. Videos posted from accounts with a long, well-rated history may rank higher in search results than videos posted to new channels.
Importance of the analysis of these three basic parameters
Based on the analysis of the three variables above, the algorithms answer specific questions:
- Are users eager to view this video?
- How long do users view this material?
- Is the movie willingly commented on and shared? What are the reactions?
- Is the popularity of the movie increasing?
- When was the material published?
- How often do new videos appear on the channel?
- How much time do users spend on the site after watching this movie?
This is not the end, because the search results and recommendations are also adapted to the personal preferences of the user. For this reason, two different people logged into the site with their own accounts may see different search results after entering the same keywords. This phenomenon is noticeable on the home page of the website, which is almost entirely filled with recommended content - it looks different for each user.
Recommendations are the result of an analysis of the search history and the most-watched films (e.g. in terms of subject matter and duration). Algorithms answer the following questions:
- What topics is the user interested in? What channels and movies has he/she watched in the past? With what content does he/she click the "I like this" reaction?
- How much time does the user spend watching specific videos?
- How many times has this person viewed the video?
- What does this user dislike watching? With what content does he/she click the reaction "I don't like this"?
Positioning of YouTube videos - how to do it right?
If you want your YouTube brand channel to meet your business goals, you'll need to prepare an appropriate strategy that answers the following questions:
- Who should the films reach?
- What user problems are they supposed to solve?
- How often will new content be posted?
It can be an extension of the content marketing strategy that is being prepared for a company blog and content published on external websites. The YouTube channel can supplement a company blog or take up other topics and thus reach a new target group.
So, let's discover together the important steps to succeed in the positioning of your YouTube channel!
Keyword analysis
The first step in preparing your strategy is keyword analysis. As in the case of the Google search engine, in this way, we can select specific queries that users enter into the search engine on YouTube. Knowing what the users are looking for, it is enough to prepare the content that will solve their problems.
The basic analysis can be carried out by observing the search suggestions in the search engine field - by entering the phrase "how to cook", the search engine will automatically suggest popular queries (it is worth doing it in the private browser mode, without a logged in user account). More advanced analysis with a specific monthly number of queries can be done with specialized tools used by SEO agencies and SEO experts. Among these tools, we can find the Dedicated SEO Dashboard.
Indeed, Semalt has taken a big step forward with the Dedicated SEO Dashboard, which includes not only frequent updating, but also a greater wealth of data in terms of keywords. Compared to other tools, it has thus expanded its canvas.
This tool is certainly a tool of the latest generation, better and richer, and its use is very simple and convenient.
Keyword analysis will allow you to find ideas for specific topics for your videos, but in order to make them visible for these phrases, you should optimize the video on YouTube. How to do it? Pay attention to the following steps.
Title and thumbnail
The user only sees these two elements in the search results and recommendations (different from the desktop version of YouTube, where you also see two sentences of the video description), so they play the most important role in convincing them to view the material.
The most important key phrase should be used in the title. It is worth observing the titles of other popular films, using popular formulas, such as calculations ("10 ideas for home exercises", "5 ideas for a weekend in Dubai") or sentences that build interest ("The whole truth about laser eye correction").
The thumbnail should harmonize with the title presenting the situation it describes. It is worth betting on contrasting colors here. You can put a slogan on it - the main phrase that emphasizes the subject of the movie.
Description of the video
The description of the video is a very important element that allows you to effectively build the visibility of the film. It is worth placing a short summary of the film here, using the most important key phrases. Importantly - the description must be written naturally. There is no question of writing decimal phrases! The first two sentences are visible under the video without expanding the description, so it's worth constructing them in such a way that they interest the user.
Tags
Directly inform the algorithms about which topics a given material concerns. This is a mandatory element that allows you to position the film in selected topics and target groups.
Tabs in video
The tabs in the video are a button displayed on a video that can redirect to another video or playlist within the same channel. Tabs perform a similar function to internal linking in blog articles.
End screen
The end screen is an overlay that appears in the last seconds of the video material. Like cards, it can link to another video or playlist, or invite you to subscribe to a channel.
Important tip: It is also worth optimizing the channel. It concerns the selection and completion of keywords, preparation of a description saturated with key phrases, as well as updating the graphics that will make the channel stand out - profile picture, background graphics, as well as the channel logo displayed in the videos played.
Conclusion
Effective SEO and optimization of a YouTube channel require knowledge and commitment. Knowing how the ranking system works, keeping track of news and updating the algorithm is essential, as well as spending time regularly publishing, optimizing content, and testing different solutions. It is a task worth entrusting to an SEO agency that will conduct professional keyword analysis, prepare a strategy, and then create specific goals and tasks based on it. If you have additional questions regarding the positioning and optimization of the YouTube channel, please contact us. We will help you create a comprehensive action plan and choose the solution best suited to your needs.