YouTube SEO for Beginners: A Complete Guide

Are you just starting a YouTube channel and don’t know effective YouTube SEO tips? This may lead to low views, likes, and engagement on your channel. But in this, we’ll guide how you can grow your YouTube channel through SEO. 

YouTube channels are a great way to grow your business and reach more target audiences through creative content ideas. Study shows that 78% of marketers consider YouTube as an effective video marketing channel. So, it’s worth trying because YouTube doesn’t need too many technical efforts. 

However, ranking a video on YouTube will be a different thing, as the search engine and its algorithms are different. You need to optimize your videos for YouTube ranking factors to make the most of your time, effort, and money. You can also consider YouTube as a Google video search result, which needs an SEO strategy to rank your videos on YouTube SERP. 

So, in this blog, we will learn YouTube SEO best practices that help to rank your videos. We will also understand what YouTube SEO is, how it works, and its importance for a better understanding of its algorithms. Also, discover some popular tools for YouTube optimization so there are no barriers to ranking your YouTube videos!. So let’s get started 

What is YouTube SEO? How does it work?

SEO YouTube is the method of optimizing your YouTube videos to rank higher on its search results. It helps to increase engagement, subscribers, views and likes on your YouTube channel. However, YouTube is purchased by Google, that’s why its algorithm is similar to Google’s search engine. 

Also, there are various YouTube ranking factors that you consider when ranking your videos. Such as video titles, descriptions, keywords, content quality, tags, engaging thumbnails, etc. So, SEO means we are optimizing videos not only for search engines but also for users.  

When users search for a term on the YouTube search bar, the algorithm searches across all channels to provide relevant results. Like if your video has a similar term in the video title, description, or tag, it ranks better on YouTube SERP rather than others. YouTube also has channel engagement standards to rank your videos higher on search results. 

If your video has maximum likes, comments, and potential watch time it ranks better because YouTube understands it delivers value to users. So, the more optimized videos have a higher chance of getting more traffic and views over time. 

Importance of YouTube SEO 

Do you ever think why you should optimize videos for SEO YouTube? So, here are some reasons. 

• Higher ranking: By using the right keywords in video titles, descriptions, and ads, the videos have higher chances of ranking on both Google and YouTube SERP. 
• Improve CTR: By optimizing thumbnails and titles with SEO YouTube techniques, it becomes more appealing to users. So, it has a higher chance that users will click on your videos.
• Easy to find: SEO YouTube will help users to easily find your videos. So, it will boost visibility and allow new users to find your channel. 
• Increase watch time: Seo-optimized videos are more relevant to user search queries, so they watch them for a longer time. It helps to increase overall watch time and encourages YouTube to recommend this video to more users. 
• Saves time and cost: through YouTube SEO Optimization you can reach target audiences that are interested in your content. So it doesn’t take too much time or any extra promotion. 
• Builds authority: continuously optimizing videos will build a channel’s reputation. Through SEO optimization, it becomes a trusted source of information in your niche. 
• Long-term growth opportunities: optimized videos have continuously attracted passive traffic and engagement even if they are posted a few seconds before. So, it will contribute to the long-term growth of your channel with organic views. 

10 Best Practices of YouTube SEO 

1: Conduct keyword research

Keyword research is the foundation of any content strategy to make your content relevant to user search. Take a look at your homepage or trending videos to get an idea of what is mostly searched by users. Also, you can use Semrush and Ahrefs, which have separate options to focus on keyword research for SEO YouTube. 

Additionally, you can use Google Trends and keywords everywhere to find the most trending keywords and topics. After creating a list of keywords, you have to identify which one has a high search volume. For this purpose, you can YouTube your search suggestions, put one word or phrase from a YouTube search, and see the magic.

If it suggests below more relevant queries, then it’s a popular one. And if there are no queries, then you have to go for other keywords. 

2: Optimize video titles and descriptions

After finding the right keywords, you need to optimize the video title and description for that particular keyword. Add your focus keyword at the start of the title, and keep it concise for 50-60 characters. Also, use the focus keyword on the description that sounds natural, and keep it for 150-200 characters. 

Ensure that the video title and description match the user search intent and the overall content. They are not direct YouTube SEO ranking factors but are worth considering to indicate to users and search engines that your content is relevant. Also, add a call-to-action in descriptions to subscribe, like, and share the video. 

Also, ensure that the description delivers value to users so that they can engage with your videos. Include 12-15 relevant hashtags in the video description so that it reaches the potential audience. 

3: Edit the filename using the focus keyword 

Before uploading your video to the channel, take time to edit the filename with your main or focus keyword. You can also add your video title to the filename, as the title already has a focus keyword. It helps YouTube search engines that your uploaded content is exactly what the user and search engines want. 

Instead of uploading a filename full of codes, ensure to use a descriptive name like “How to bake a cake”. It helps search engines to identify what the content is going to discuss with the users. This helps a lot in YouTube optimization and increases the chances of ranking higher.

4: Make high-retention videos 

The video that has more audience retention to your videos means it’s more optimized SEO and has a higher chance of getting ranked. Audience retention refers to how much a user watches your video before moving to the other one. So, it’s an important ranking factor of YouTube SEO. 

For making high-retention videos you need to focus on delivering value to users rather than expensive cameras and smooth production skills. Keep the introduction brief and break information into different sections so that the audience can retain it without overwhelming it. 

Also, add a call-to-action at the end of the video to encourage users to like, share, comment, and subscribe to your channel. So, it indicates YouTube algorithms that users entertain or gain valuable information by watching your video.

5: Customize thumbnail 

Create and customize engaging thumbnails, which helps to make your videos more appealing to users. According to an SEO YouTube study, 90% of the best-performing YouTube videos have custom thumbnails. However, you need to add creative elements with the title and your logo as a watermark of the image. 

It also helps to increase engagement and watch time to your videos, which leads to higher search engine rankings across all platforms. However, it’s important to upload your thumbnails with your videos; otherwise, YouTube uploads a simple frame with it. So, it’s better to create a thumbnail that is engaging to users and defines your efforts to algorithms.

Ensure that the minimum resolution is 1280×720 and the minimum width is 640 pixels. pro

6: Optimize channel

Channel artwork like thumbnails, logos, and title cards are not direct YouTube SEO ranking factors. But it helps a lot of people to identify and remember your brand and builds trust and credibility. So, whenever you’re making thumbnails, or logos, select those colors, designs and elements that fit your brand values.

They serve as your business assets or digital identification so ensure they support the impression you want to leave on the audience. They play a major role in optimizing your channel and improving visibility on search engines. Also, you need to ensure that your channel has a clear name with a consistent theme to attract more viewers.

Add focus keywords to channel descriptions and create an engaging banner that represents your brand. Lastly, divide your videos into different categories and make a playlist for each category for better understanding. 

7: Promote videos and channels 

YouTube optimization is a great way to reach a new target audience, but if you have followers on other platforms. So you have to promote your YouTube channel and videos on other platforms to drive engagement. 

Here are some tips: 

• Insert YouTube video links into your blog posts
• If you have a newsletter, add a section to show YouTube videos.
• You can promote videos on social media by using content promotion strategies CTA like “subscribe now” and “watch the detailed video”
• Participate in communities like forums and Q&A sites to answer user questions with your YouTube videos.

Also, ensure that you promote videos in the context that they are relevant to user queries and deliver value to them. 

8: Engage with audience in comments

Engaging with the audience in the comment section will also improve YouTube SEO and build a loyal community. When YouTube search engines see interaction in the comment section it boosts your search engine ranking. So, you can simply appreciate them by watching your full video in the comment section to start the interaction. 

However, you can ask for feedback and the audience’s favorite tip or any other recommendations they want from you. Like if your video is about “How to bake a cake without an oven,” you can ask what was the audience’s favorite recipe or what recipes they want in the next videos. 

Also, you must add a call-to-action to encourage them to share this video and subscribe to the channel for more relevant videos. It also helps users to comment if they have to ask something or if they are trying this recipe or not. It will maximize the chance that your videos get more engagement as more people respond to your content.

9: Continuously upload content

Consistent content will help to build an engaging YouTube channel that ranks well on the YouTube search engine. In the beginning, ensure to regularly upload videos to your channel so that it indicates to search engines that your channel is active. 

For instance, your YouTube channel is about book reviews, ensuring to upload one review video each day. It will not only engage the users but also keep them coming back for more review videos. After this, you can create a schedule of weekly, monthly, or bi-weekly so that your audience knows when your content is coming. 

Additionally, continuously uploading will help you to test different types, styles, and topics of the video. It will help to analyze which type of content perfectly resonates with your audience. 

10: Take advantage of YouTube shorts

YouTube shorts are another excellent way to improve the YouTube SEO ranking of your channel and lead it to growth. Shorts are short and vertical videos of up to 60 seconds that are designed to capture user attention quickly. So, it has a higher chance of getting viral than longer videos as people prefer quick answers. 

For example, if you run a YouTube channel on beauty and skincare. You can create 30-second makeup tutorials or product recommendation videos. So, as they are quick the audience can engage and watch all through, which improves engagement rates. 

Additionally, shorts will allow you to create content more continuously instead of longer videos which take more time. It will keep your channel active and provide users with another chance to engage with your content regularly. 

Best YouTube SEO tools

1: TubeRanker 

TubeRanker is the best tool for YouTube optimization that helps rank well on YouTube search engines.  Its main feature is to find the best keywords to target in your video titles and descriptions. Also, its “video rank checker” will help to see how your videos can perform for a particular keyword. 

It will also help to track video performance and suggest improvements for better ranking. Also, provides step-by-step recommendations on your strategies, whether you’re a beginner or an expert. It saves you time and effort to identify which keywords are most effective or which are not. 

Overall, it clears the path to rank higher on YouTube SERP and attract more traffic.

2: Ahref

Another popular tool that offers YouTube SEO features to boost video and channel performance. It’s a powerful keyword research tool that helps you to identify what audiences are searching for on YouTube. It not only provides keyword search volume and competition but also conducts competitor analysis. 

So, it provides a refined list of keywords and analysis of which strategies are used by those who have successful YouTube channels. It will give you a clear picture of your SEO performance which helps you to create videos around high-demand topics. Overall, through detailed analytics, you can adjust your strategy over time and stay ahead of the competition. 

3: TubeBuddy 

It’s a YouTube-certified tool that directly integrates with YouTube channels and offers SEO and channel management features. It provides suggestions on keywords, and tags to optimize your title and description. It also suggests the best time to upload your videos for maximum engagement. 

It’s not only helpful in YouTube optimization but also provides valuable information about what’s working or what needs improvement. However, it’s an easy-to-use tool that can be effective if you’re just starting your YouTube channel. So, TubeBuddy will manage your channel effectively while improving SEO and increasing the chances of its success.

Conclusion 

Overall, YouTube SEO is the process of optimizing your video title, descriptions, tags, and content according to user search terms. SEO YouTube helps you a lot to get maximum engagement and traffic with minimum manual efforts. So, it’s very easy to optimize your videos according to the following mentioned practices. 

Moreover, the SEO algorithms of YouTube are not too difficult. You need to ensure that your videos are helping people so that they can generate maximum views. We’ll also mention some popular tools that help to improve your SEO ranking and keep your users engaged. 

So, let’s change the game of YouTube optimization by implementing the best practices and powerful tools!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)