The probability that over the years communication will be increasingly focused on video messages is very high.
Moving images are indeed a constantly evolving tool, and for this reason, especially companies are adopting videos to promote their brand.
Today, creating videos is essential because it is a more direct means of communication and easy for users to understand.
Images remain more easily imprinted in people’s minds. This theory is validated by the notable differences that exist between news read in a newspaper and those broadcast on TV.
It is clear that, if used wisely, videos are capable of achieving amazing goals. In this article, we will try to understand how to do SEO for YouTube and position videos on the Google and YouTube SERPs.
Discover the YouTube SEO techniques available online
Many SEO techniques for YouTube available online, unfortunately, are not always truly functional in achieving objectives. Sometimes they only serve to signal a topic present in the video to the platform.
SEO techniques for YouTube include inserting keywords in the title or description of the video. In addition to tags, as long as they are connected to the keyword and hashtags within the description, finally, mentioning the keyword in the video.
However, since these are elements that we directly control, they don’t have great relevance for YouTube in terms of ranking.
It’s clear that they all still have a certain importance, as they help YouTube understand what the video is about or how to categorize it. Ranking, however, is a whole different story.
Additional relevant factors, not directly controllable by us, are the number of likes, views, comments, channel subscriptions, and shares.
What is the relationship between Video and SEO? Keep reading and you’ll find out
The factors that most influence video ranking in the SERP are clearer compared to those of standard SEO.
YouTube, in practice, considers a video based on how users interact with it and not just for the number of likes, views, or comments.
The importance of keyword research for Videos
Keyword Research for videos is different from the classic one, as it’s as if we’re telling both platforms, Google and YouTube, for which keywords we want to appear.
There are several useful tools for finding the best keywords to optimize videos on YouTube. Some of these tools are YTCockPit, KeywordTool.io and Ubersuggest, although many professionals opt directly for Google’s Keyword Planner.
Google’s Keyword Planner does its job, however, we advise you to:
- not underestimate the suggestions provided by YouTube on the SERP, as it detects the keywords typed by users for that specific search;
- also in YouTube Analytics, just as with Google Search Console, the platform suggests with extreme precision which keywords users type to find us and which of these appear on our videos. All you need to do is go to Traffic sources and YouTube search, to optimize our videos through specific keywords and discover additional ones to reserve for new projects;
- It seems that videos appear in Google’s SERP only based on specific types of queries. For example, for reviews mainly concerning material goods, we can ask how to do it and add the keyword, especially if it’s something practical, based on interviews, tutorials, funny videos, and keywords related to sports. We should type the keyword in Google’s SERP and make sure that videos appear. In this case, two things can happen: either the videos are not shown, or they are. If they appear, it means that Google optimizes the SERP for that keyword by including videos in the search results, and consequently, we can use it to become competitive. If they don’t appear, we can either change the query or proceed by ensuring that there are optimized videos for that keyword on YouTube: if not, we might have found a free SERP. This is a rather rare case, but not impossible.
What really affects video ranking on YouTube?
At this point, we should ask ourselves what factors really influence video ranking on YouTube.
Mainly, there are 6 ranking factors, which are Total Watch Time, Audience Retention, Session Time, CTR, Engagement, and Channel Authority:
- Total Watch Time is the first ranking factor and concerns the total number of minutes viewed.
- Audience Retention is the percentage of video watched and establishes how much users are really interested in a specific video.
- By Session time we mean the time the “user spends on the platform after watching our video”. Again, YouTube doesn’t want the user to leave the platform, and if our video was liked enough to lead them to watch more, it will reward us.
- The click-through rate, known as CTR, corresponds to the number of clicks we have received, in relation to the number of impressions. If a user frequently clicks on one of our videos, it means they are interested because they were intrigued by it.
- “Engagement is a very important factor, because comments, likes, shares, and other interactions indicate that the”user appreciated the video, therefore the platform will attribute great importance to this.
- The authority of a channel is not confirmed by official data, however, newly created accounts have more difficulty emerging compared to others that have acquired greater relevance, even if they don’t respect the numerous factors mentioned above. It’s possible that “Channel Authority is measured in number of subscribers, consistency in publishing, based on the ” age of the channel and effective branded search. Some experts suggest also considering the number of backlinks to the videos and the channel.
How to create the perfect video for YouTube. Read our suggestions
But how to create the perfect video? Certainly by respecting the points mentioned above and starting by following these technical tips:
- Insert keywords in the description or title.
- Rename the video using the keyword.
- Insert hashtags in the descriptions, but without overdoing it and risking penalties from the platform.
- Upload a transcript of the video.
- Insert targeted tags. In this case, you can use TubeBuddy to get information about competitors and check their tags and correctly insert tags from the most specific to the most generic.
How to amplify Audience Retention and Total Watch Time
Users stay on your channel if they view valuable and quality videos, for this reason you must follow these small precautions to increase their interest and make the videos more performant.
Let’s see together how to do it in detail:
- Create FHD or 2K videos, which are highly appreciated by the platform. Users love them more because they are smooth and pleasant to watch, and they also make you appear professional and reliable.
- What really counts are the first twenty seconds or so of the video, meaning it should be crafted so well that it immediately intrigues users; the rest will follow naturally. To achieve this, use the APP Method (Agree, Promise, and Preview) by Brian Dean of Backlinko, which consists of Agree, meaning identifying the problem and acknowledging it; Promise, promising a specific result; and Preview, previewing how we’ll solve the problem throughout the video;
- Break the pattern, which means suddenly changing the video’s theme. This involves breaking the mold with a joke or a brief sketch unrelated to the video’s topic. This way, you’ll regain the user “’s attention” without boring them. Mastering this will lead to good Audience Retention.
- On YouTube, videos longer than 10 minutes rank better. However, one shouldn’t make the opposite mistake of creating overly long videos that would conflict with Audience Retention. The total number of minutes viewed, given an equal percentage, will be higher, and YouTube will identify this as a relevant signal. A video of optimal length should last from 10 to 15 minutes.
- If you want to increase the number of clicks on videos, upload eye-catching thumbnail images. Or write effective descriptions and headlines. Even for headlines, which is a lengthy topic, the goal is always to intrigue the user.
- To increase the duration of a YouTube session, create series of interconnected videos, videos in popular niches such as entertainment or online earnings. Always remember to make the most of playlists and insert related videos at the end of videos.
- Obtaining Channel Authority is the most difficult thing because it requires consistent publishing while waiting patiently without losing faith. Results will indeed come with time. Meanwhile, you can still invite users to subscribe and share your video.
How to promote a video on YouTube and improve its ranking?
Once you’ve created and uploaded the video following all the steps, you’ll be free to promote it to attract traffic.
You could do this, for example, by resorting to the use of social networks, which for ordinary SEO can really make a difference.
Sharing your video on social media will bring numerous benefits, starting with attracting traffic that will then be processed by YouTube for ranking purposes. Remember, if users like it, it could even go viral.
Blogs and Newsletters are another way to promote videos. Using advertising systems or asking a good influencer to share them is also useful.
The ultimate goal will always be to get your video to as many people as possible.
If you want a winning SEO strategy to maximize return on investment in video and YouTube, contact us!
