Don’t worry, it’s not so bad! Today we’ll walk you through the most important steps for optimizing the SEO for your video so that you can make sure that your target audience can find it when they start looking for your content.
Let’s get started so that we can get your video the attention it deserves!
Make your keyword part of your video title
You’ll want to ensure that your keyword is part of the actual video title. This makes a difference, though it’s not as big as you think. The later steps which we include will help to make the video more visible and the title is really only part of it.
This is because an exact keyword match isn’t everything in a search. It’s also about things like categorizing and tagging. Current search engines don’t just target exact wording anymore, but rather attempt to find context in order to determine what the search engine ‘thinks’ that you are looking for.
The title is still very important, however, so ensure that your keywords are there in such a way that it doesn’t sound forced and this will really help.
Rename the video file itself to include a keyword
While YouTube cannot actually parse the content of your video to determine its nature (yet), it can take note of your video file’s name. This gives you a tiny little edge that you can take advantage of. To do this, simply rename your video file before you actually upload it.
For example, if you run a business called ‘Ceiling Tiles’ and you are looking to showcase some amazing new tiles that you offer, then change your video name to something like ‘ceilingtileemporium.mov’ (make sure that .xxx extension remains the same, it could be ‘ceilingtile.avi’ or ‘ceilingtile.mp4’, for instance.
Optimize the description for your video
While YouTube will let you use up to 1000 characters to describe your video, most people aren’t going to read the whole thing. Also, only the first 2 or 3 lines are going to be displayed. You’ll want to take advantage of this by including a sharp summary that can fit in this limited space.
Think about it. When you are searching videos and deciding what to watch, one of the first things that you look at before clicking is that description. If it’s too wordy or vague at a quick glance, rather than start the video you might just check other videos to get exactly what you want.
The space that you have actually displayed from your description comes to about 100 characters, so create a description that you think sounds catchy and make sure that it is under or at 100 characters and this can make a big difference.
Tagging your video is important
Tagging serves some important functions in YouTube. Aside from drawing the attention from your viewers who can see that tag right away, YouTube also uses tags to help associate your video with other videos that have the same tag.
This can be quite useful but you want to make sure that you take the best advantage of it. Use only the most common keywords associated with your video and after that, if you can add a tag to describe the ‘nature of your video then do that as well. For instance, if it’s instructional you might include a ‘how do I build?’ after those main keywords.
Don’t use any abstract tags, as this might muddle categorization and could get you less views. Stick with the keywords you’ve already decided on that are straight to the point.
Be sure that your video is properly categorized
If you want to potentially end up on playlists for those looking for your videos like yours, then after you’ve uploaded your video, you should go to ‘Advanced Settings’ and choose ‘Category’. Select the category that best matches your video and with this simple step your video is now a little easier for others to find!
Add the finishing touches
Once you’ve performed the major steps which we’ve outlined, consider adding a few final touches to maximize viewing potential. These ‘finishing touches’ include:
- End screens – These are the screens that you see at the end of a video you’ve just watched that lead you to more content. Tutorials are available online for taking advantage of this and you definitely SHOULD.
- Subtitles – You can upload custom subtitles to your video to ensure that all of the text is related perfectly, just in case YouTube doesn’t guess the speech in the video properly.
- Cards – When you see the ‘I’ appear in the center of a video that gives subscription options and more, you are viewing a ‘Card’. Online tutorials are there to teach you how to add these to your videos and they are well worth your while.
In closing
Now that you have the steps that you need, the rest is going to be up to you! Just make sure to use all of the steps which we have outlined here to maximize your viewership and subscription potential. Once you’ve done these things, the chances of people finding your content will be raised appreciably and you’ll see that in your views.
You can count on it!
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