At our YouTube marketing agency; we know that video marketing can function as an integral element of your business SEO strategy. Try searching ‘How to rank on Google’. Or, indeed, ‘How to…’ anything – and you will inevitably see a selection of videos in the results.
This alone won’t convince you, of course. It’s not enough to know that it does work; you also need to know how it works and what you can do to make it work! Well, keep reading to find out…
How Does YouTube Help With SEO?
Having been raised by Google since it’s infancy, YouTube is now firmly ingrained within Google’s processes. It’s no surprise, therefore, to see video snippets shown in relevant search results. A high-ranking YouTube video will not only help to increase exposure on the streaming platform itself, but also on other SERPs (search engine results pages), too.
It’s only natural to think of the big cheese, Google, when thinking of SEO. Remember that YouTube is a search engine too, however. Not only this, but it’s also owned by Google, making it incredibly helpful to rank on. Although, as a video-centric platform, its SEO best practice guidelines are likely to be a little different to what you’re used to. That being said, it’s worth noting that YouTube SEO and Google SEO are still similar in a few ways.
Take keywords, for example. Your YouTube video titles can be optimised in order to attract views from people interested in watching something you would like to rank for. It’s important to remember, however, that it must be relevant to the video’s actual content. If it’s not, then people won’t watch for long before closing out of the video; ultimately suggesting your content is of very little interest. In other words, if this blog about ourYouTube Marketing Agency was filled to the brim with keywords about local bakeries, it would be of virtually no value to those actually searching for the keywords. So, how can you effectively optimise your YouTube videos? Well, keyword research and audience retention are you best options, but what does this actually mean?
Keyword Research
Similar to the process of setting up your website’s on-page SEO strategy, here you will need to identify what people are searching for and offer information that answers their questions. Unsurprisingly, any keywords you implement will need to relate to the product or service you provide. To build on our previous example, there’s absolutely no benefit to you ranking as a YouTube Marketing Agency if you run a small chain of local bakeries. You will be provided with numerous suggestions when you start typing one of your services or products into Google’s search bar. Here, you must acknowledge that widely searched phrases will result in an overload of results. More specific keywords or phrases are essential in order to be seen amongst the fierce competition.
What next?
After your keyword has been established, the next step will be to create a video that pertains to the subject. When recording your content, be sure to say your phrase a few times. The reason for this is that YouTube automatically transcribes your videos and will know if your keyword is spoken! Further to this, ensure your video’s title is optimised with the keyword you have chosen. Similar to a blog post, you will receive a boost by simply including your key phrase in the title.
Next you must consider your video description. This isn’t just some optional extra information to benefit the viewer, but a method of aiding both Google and YouTube in understanding the overall context of your video. The better the search engines understand the context, the more your chances of ranking highly will increase. The basics of a well-optimised video description are:
- Make sure your key phrase is used within the first sentence.
- Ensure it is around 250 words long.
- Implement the keyword or phrase several times throughout the description. Between 2-4 times is ideal, depending on the length of the text. Too many uses of the same word or phrase can look like spam, and the search engines will treat it as such.
What else?
Finally, once the title, description and overall content are complete and ready to post, you need to focus on tags. Admittedly, they aren’t quite as important as what’s covered above, but their usefulness is certainly still apparent. Start with the key phrase you are aiming to rank for as your first tag. Follow this up with several variations of the key phrase, using Google’s search suggestions for inspiration. One thing to bear in mind is that you should not be afraid to use the same keywords and phrases as your competitors. On the contrary, this is best practice when it comes to YouTube! As we’re sure you’re aware, when you show interest in a video, related content will be suggested en masse. By using the same keywords as the competition you will increase the chances of your video being suggested.
Audience Retention
This simply refers to the length of time viewers watch your video for. It goes without saying that longer = better. In fact, YouTube itself has explicitly stated that the amount of time people watch an individual video has a considerable impact on it’s resultant ranking. So, how can you create a video that retains a viewer’s interest?
Simply put, your video will not rank if it’s rubbish. There is no definitive formula to create well-composed, engaging content, but it is necessary in ensuring it climbs up the ranks. However helpful creating this kind of content can be, it certainly isn’t everyone’s strong suit. Consider hiring a YouTube Marketing Agency, like VerriBerri, if you would like some assistance in creating engaging content with a good level of audience retention and interaction. This includes:
- Likes
- Comments
- Shares
- The length of time a video is watched
- Viewers subscribing, after watching
How Can You Encourage These Results?
Producing genuinely useful and engaging content is the obvious (albeit correct) answer to this question, but there are other things you should do besides this! Be sure to simply ask people to engage, for example. It’s very easy to make fun of the ‘make sure to like, subscribe and hit that bell, guys!’ kind of YouTuber but, in many cases, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
Further to this, share your videos on social media. The algorithm assumes that if content is shared on the likes of LinkedIn and Facebook, it must be good, so it must deserve a higher ranking! Don’t wait for other people to share it for you either – start the trend yourself with a shameless share to your own/business profiles. You can even embed the video onto your website and include a link to it in your email signature. Doing this will increase your watchers and click throughs respectively.
Let’s not forget that YouTube allows you to set up playlists, too! As you build your catalogue of videos, separate your content into relevant playlists. At base value, this can add an element of professionalism to your channel, but it can also add thousands of views thanks to YouTube automatically playing the next video in a playlist.
Contact Us
We hope you’ve found this quick overview helpful, although we won’t be surprised if your other duties don’t leave enough time for YouTube video optimisation. If this is the case, consider hiring a YouTube Marketing Agency, like VerriBerri! We offer both a consultancy and full service agency, so be sure to get in touch for as much or as little help as you need. If you would like to find out more, give us a call on 01376 386850 or click here to reach us directly.