YouTube Optimisation: How to Rank Higher

YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google, and considering over 300 hours of video is uploaded to the channel every minute, it may seem impossible to rank your video on the first page of its search results. There is no debating YouTube has a major impact on search engine optimisation (SEO). YouTube uses similar ranking factors to Google for their results page so follow these video optimising tips to create a stronger visual influence for your brand.

Select Strong Keywords
YouTube uses keywords to determine what your video is about and it is important you use them throughout every element of your video. If you need help choosing keywords, use the Google’s Keyword Planner to find out which have a high search volume and lower competition.

Use Keywords in your Video Meta Data
Once you have found the right keywords relevant to your video, the next step is to use them correctly in your title. Use a title with an accurate and attention grabbing description of your video and try to use your keyword at the beginning. Tags and categories are also significant as well as enabling the Closed Captions feature. This means your captions are crawlable by search engines, however you may need to edit the automatic script to include your keywords, as it is not always accurate.

Optimise your Description
Write a description of at least 300 words naturally weaving your keywords throughout. Start by including a link to your website at the beginning, before the cut off line (around the third line). Write a detailed and informative description including relevant links to your other social media accounts to encourage users to interact with you brand.

Customise your Thumbnail
Use an eye-catching thumbnail that encourages users to click on your video. Using an automatic screenshot YouTube creates from your video is not as appealing as a customised, high-resolution thumbnail including text, which conveys what your video is about. Try to be consistent with the thumbnails on your channel, matching your logo and reflecting your brand.

Keywords combined with views, likes, shares, links, comments and time viewed are some of the many factors YouTube uses to determine their page ranking. Use these tips to see a significant difference in your channel’s traffic and the ranking of your videos.

Here at Clarity marketing and Communications, we can help you with any of your social media marketing needs. Call us on 1300 060 204 or submit an online enquiry to find out how we can determine the most appropriate online marketing strategy for your business.