Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of optimizing web content so that it ranks high in search engine results pages (SERPs). Search is the gatekeeper to the Internet, so optimizing content for search is essential to attract traffic and build a following. YouTube SEO involves optimizing your channel, playlists, videos, and metadata to increase the likelihood of being found by potential viewers. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this.
Chaptering
When it comes to YouTube SEO, chaptering can be a huge asset. It helps your video appear more prominently in search results. YouTube’s search algorithm favors videos that have chapters because they’re easier to navigate. Chaptering also increases viewer engagement, conversion rates, and visibility in search results.
Chaptering is particularly helpful for videos that are long or contain multiple subjects. Including subtitles, especially for business videos, will make your content more easily digestible to viewers. It also helps with SEO. Chaptering in YouTube will boost your search engine ranking if viewers can read the subtitles without difficulty. If you’re unsure whether chaptering is right for your videos, you can always manually add them.
Subtitles
Including subtitles in videos will increase the reach of your videos to viewers from other countries and regions. Search engines index subtitle files, and videos with subtitles will appear in translated searches. In addition to increasing the SEO for YouTube reach of your videos, subtitles will also improve your SEO for YouTube. Make sure your subtitles match the description of the video and the keywords users are likely to type in search.
YouTube automatically transcribes videos, but this feature is far from perfect. Videos with gibberish or other non-speakable text can be mistaken for spam, which can hurt video search rankings. Some YouTubers opt to manually transcribe their videos and clean up any machine generated errors. However, subtitled videos tend to rank higher on YouTube than those without subtitles. This is because subtitled videos generate more engagement, and more engagement boosts video search rankings.
Closed captions
Closed captions on YouTube are an important tool for improving the SEO for your video. They give your viewers the information they need and also increase your viewers’ engagement. Unlike auto-captions, which can be sloppy, closed captions can be a powerful SEO tool. YouTube favors videos that answer specific questions over static webpages, and closed captions can give you an advantage in search engine rankings.
Closed captions improve the quality of your video. If you do not include closed captions on your videos, you run the risk of violating Google’s anti-spam policy. This is because Google penalizes metadata that looks like random words. Adding closed captions makes videos easier to use, which can increase your viewers’ engagement and views.
Keyword research
YouTube keyword research is essential if you want to succeed in the world of online video marketing. With over 2.3 billion people accessing the site every month, it’s important to optimize your content with the right keywords. Using the best keywords can mean the difference between getting 10 views or ten million. YouTube offers various tools and services to help you do this research.
Among the tools you can use is YouTube analytics, which shows you what words your viewers use to find videos. You can also see which keywords your competitors are using to reach their target audience. You can use these results to incorporate the right keywords into your videos and ads campaigns.
Video description
If you have a video on YouTube, it’s vital to optimize its description for search engines. The meta-description is a key element in generating traffic and boosting video views, and should include a call-to-action (CTA) so that viewers can subscribe to your channel or view more videos. You can also include a link to your site or blog in the video description.
Make sure you use relevant keywords in the description. The keywords should appear in the first two lines of the description, where the title and keywords are most visible. In addition, you should include keywords related to your video in the title, so that viewers can find it through a search.