If you want to bring more exposure to your brand and website, YouTube is the right platform to do it. Ranking high on YouTube can feel rather challenging. There are lots of videos and YouTube channels out there, so how can you rank higher when compared to others? Here’s how to do it!
Center videos around a keyword or keyphrase
The good idea is to figure out what keyword/s you want to use and center the entire video around it. Since YouTube is transcribing videos, they will understand what the video is covering. That means your video will rank higher, and results will be much better, thanks to that. Also, you want to add your keyword in the video content, tags, video description, and title. Speaking of that, you also want to add the keyword in your video’s name. YouTube thinks that your video is relevant for the audience, and that also helps with ranking too.
Use tags properly
When you add tags to the video, the first tag has to be your primary keyword. Then you also want to have variations of that keyword since it makes it easier for YouTube to understand the video as a whole. Tags are crucial for the YouTube algorithm, so every video you create should have tags.
Encourage video engagement
There’s a reason why every YouTuber will tell you to like, share and subscribe. All these interactions help rank your video higher. It shows the YouTube algorithm that the audience wants your content and it’s relevant to them. That’s why content with lots of engagement ranks higher when compared to less relevant content.
Make longer videos
Longer videos are outperforming shorter ones when it comes to the YouTube algorithm. Video duration counts as a ranking factor. There’s a reason for that; YouTube wants to see how much of the video people watch, so longer videos with a long watch time tend to rank higher. That’s why shorter videos are not ranking as quickly or as well as you imagine.
Your video description should have multiple keywords
According to YouTube, the most important keywords should be in the first sentences of your description. The description shouldn’t be longer than 200 words. The idea here is to make the description useful and not manipulate it to use random keywords that don’t make sense. Make it great, and you will rank higher.
Pick the video category
Many people who upload to YouTube forget to choose a particular category, which can be a problem. You always want to select a class because it’s easier for YouTube to categorize and recommend your videos.
Customize the thumbnail
Custom thumbnails also matter quite a bit. While thumbnails don’t offer direct ranking benefits, they do usually lead to a longer watch time. That’s because they are more appealing, and people get attracted by them; then, they stay for the high-quality content.
Add captions and subtitles
Not everyone will be able to understand every word you say, especially people that barely know English or your local language. That’s why you want to add captions and subtitles. It will make it easy for people to understand what you say. Even if it’s extra work, you add more value to the videos, and more people get to see them, which is always essential.
Boost your production value
Another thing that makes people watch your content more and eventually rank higher is the overall production value. When you see that the video is shot in very high quality and cleverly edited, it boosts the user experience. Which does make you wonder here, what can you do? Purchase a good camera, buy a backdrop, a tripod, and some good lighting. Don’t forget about a good microphone as well.
Conclusion
All these tips and tricks can help with your YouTube SEO, one way or the other. Not only do you want to optimize your videos, use keywords and tags, but you also want to boost your production value and provide viewers with a fantastic experience. That increases your engagement; people will share your videos more, which will eventually help you get the best possible ranking!
