If you want your videos to stand out from the billions of content available on YouTube, good SEO is essential. The video-sharing site is the second most-used search engine after Google. It therefore represents a superb acquisition lever for driving traffic to your content. However, to fully exploit this potential, it's essential to adopt an effective optimization strategy.
Video SEO on YouTube is about more than just views. It relies on theintelligent use of keywords, optimized titles, descriptions and tags, as well as engaging thumbnails. The platform'salgorithm also relies on criteria such as watch time and interactions (likes, shares, comments) to determine which videos will be highlighted in results and suggestions.
Do you want to boost your natural referencing on Youtube and are wondering how to boost the number of views on your content? Are you aiming to create an engaged community around your channel, but don't know how to go about it? Follow the guide!
The experts at tydeo have written this article, listing practical techniques to improve the SEO of your YouTube videos. Let's go, let's go!
Understanding how the algorithm works
YouTube's algorithm is designed to maximize user engagement. It is based on several key criteria and factors that directly influence the ranking of your videos, such as :
- Click-through rate (CTR): a good thumbnail and a catchy title improve your CTR, i.e. the proportion of Internet users who click on your video after viewing it in their search results or suggestions. But the video must also match the expectations created to avoid too high a bounce rate. An attractive thumbnail and an engaging title are therefore crucial to improving this indicator.
- Watch time: the longer users watch a video, the more relevant the algorithm will consider it. A high watch time suggests quality content.
- Interactions: likes, shares and comments play an important role. The more interactions your video generates, the more popular it is considered to be, and therefore more likely to be highlighted by the algorithm.
- User retention: a video's ability to maintain viewer attention, as measured by time spent viewing, has a major influence on ranking. Videos with a high viewer retention rate appear higher in the recommendations.
To get the best results, there's no secret: you have to follow the rules dictated by the platform! You'll then earn points with the algorithm, which can improve the position of your content in the search results.
Optimizing video SEO elements
Choosing the right hook
The title of your video is the first impression that viewers and the YouTube algorithm make. So it's time to put your thinking caps on to find relevant keywords that will capture attention while maximizing the chances of higher rankings. An optimized title should respond to a specific query, while including terms that are popular for SEO purposes.
Example:
- Generic title : "Video editing tutorial".
- SEO-optimized title: "How to edit a video: a complete beginner's guide".
The second title uses keywords that users are looking for ("how to", "video editing", "complete guide", "beginners"), which will capture users' attention and improve SEO.
Conciseness is also an essential asset. We recommend headlines of no more than 50 to 60 characters. A headline that's too long can be cut off, losing its impact, whereas a short, effective headline increases the chances of interaction and clicks.
Designing effective descriptions
Theimportance of descriptions is often underestimated. Yet they play a vital role in SEO. A well-structured description not only helps YouTube and Google understand what your video is about, it also attracts the user by providing a clear overview.
How do you structure a description?
- Keywords at the beginning: include the most relevant keywords in the first few sentences. For example, if your video is about"YouTube video SEO", include that phrase right at the beginning.
- Ideal length: try to keep your descriptions to around 150 to 200 words, to give as much information as possible without losing your visitors' attention.
Tools such as Google Trends or Google Keyword Planner can help you identify popular terms to include in your descriptions. By analyzing search trends, you can adjust your content to better meet user expectations.
Example of a description structure :
- First sentence: include the main keyword and an attractive phrase.
- Middle: briefly describe what the video is about, with secondary keywords.
- Links and CTAs: end with calls to action (CTAs), such as"Subscribe for more videos" or"Discover our other content". You can also include links to other videos, your website, or your social networks.
An optimized description not only improves your SEO, it also helps retain your subscribers longer.
Using YouTube tags
YouTube tags are another essential component for optimizing a video's SEO. Although the streaming platform doesn't place as much emphasis on these content tags as it used to, they are still useful for associating a video with relevant queries.
Choose the right secondary keywords: tags let you tell YouTube what the video is about, while adding related search terms to boost relevance. You can also use tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to find keywords that will boost your popularity.
Concrete examples:
- If you're making a video on "how to properly SEO a video on YouTube", your tags might include: " YouTube video SEO", "optimize a YouTube video", "natural SEO", "increase visibility on YouTube".
Additional tips :
- Use a combination of short and long keywords. For example, a short tag might be " SEO YouTube", while a longer tag would be " How to optimize SEO on YouTube".
- Include variants: if your content can be searched for in a variety of ways, include a wide range of tags. For example: " SEO video"," optimize YouTube video".
Using metadata and advanced functions
Subtitles and translations
The use of subtitles is nowadays essential to improve the SEO of your videos on YouTube. Not only do they improve accessibility for hearing-impaired users, they also optimize SEO. Google's video platform can read and index transcripts, which helps to identify the keywords present in the video.
It's a good idea toadd subtitles in the video's original language, as well as translations to reach an international audience. By providing multilingual versions, you improve the video's reach to a foreign audience, thus increasing your global notoriety.
Video file titles
Metadata optimization starts before you even upload the video to YouTube. The video file name should be thought out to include the main keyword you're targeting. For example, rather than leaving a generic file name like"video123.mp4", rename it using a relevant phrase like"referencement-video-youtube.mp4".
Although it may seem minor, YouTube takes the file name into account when indexing, and this subtly influences the ranking in search results.
Information sheets and end screens
YouTube info sheets and end screens are powerful tools for encouraging viewers to interact more with your videos and stay on your channel.
Tip Sheets allow you to add real-time suggestions to a video currently playing. They appear as small notifications on the right-hand side of the screen, prompting you to explore other video content, a playlist, a poll or a link to an approved website. This increases the viewing time relative to your channel, enabling you to gain positions in the platform's search rankings.
End screens, on the other hand, are displayed in the last few seconds of a video and can be used to promote other videos,encourage subscriptions or direct viewers to an external link. This encourages viewers to stay longer on your channel, which improves audience retention - an essential criterion for good video ranking.
Video chapters
YouTube chapters, also known as " timestamps ", allow a video to be structured into sections, facilitating navigation and enhancing the user experience. By including chapters in the description, each part of the video can be accessed directly, increasing retention and interaction (likes, shares).
These also contribute to SEO, as well-optimized chapter titles with keywords can appear in YouTube and Google search results, improving the video's ranking. Using this trick can be very useful, especially if you publish long video formats.
Clear, concise chapters will enable viewers to watch the content that interests them, maximizing both the engagement and visibility of your videos.
Improve engagement and interaction
Creating exchange
Reactions such as likes, comments and shares are the first levers that can boost video ranking on YouTube. The more interaction your content generates, the more likely it is to appear in the suggestions made to subscribers. It's essential toencourage users to like, comment and subscribe to your channel from the very first seconds of the video, or in a clear call to action at the end.
To encourage comments, ask a question at the end of your video or ask your subscribers for their opinion on a subject. Sharing can be encouraged by reminding users to share the video on their social networks, or to send it to interested friends.
Rely on clever tricks
YouTube's pinned comments feature allows you to highlight a specific comment at the top of the comments section. This can be a message encouraging discussion, an invitation to give feedback or an open question to the community.
This marketing strategy not only guides exchanges, but also adds a personal touch to your interactions. You can pin a thank-you comment or an answer to a frequently asked question to show your subscribers that you're listening to them. This helps create an active, engaged community around your channel.
Produce interesting content
The key to solid video engagement lies in the quality of the productions on offer. Relevant, entertaining or instructive content encourages viewers to interact. For example, detailed tutorials or explanatory videos captivate viewers for longer, and encourage users to return to your channel.
Vlogs and more personal content can also create an emotional bond with the audience, strengthening long-term loyalty. It's important to study the types of videos that resonate with your audience and adapt your content accordingly to maximize engagement.
YouTube shorts are all the rage! These formats are an excellent way of increasing engagement thanks to short, punchy videos. Optimized for mobile and promoted by the algorithm, they appear in dedicated streams, increasing visibility.
Other best practices
To maximize popularity, it's essential to take care of the channel'saesthetics. This includes the banner image, the logo and a clear description reflecting the brand's identity. Organizing videos into playlists is also important to facilitate navigation and maintain user interest. Remember also to link your other social networks to reinforce the coherence of your online presence.
Regularity of publication is crucial: a well-defined calendar and regular content help build subscriber loyalty. Set a frequency (weekly or fortnightly) and stick to it to keep your community engaged.
Finally, interacting with other channels by subscribing and actively participating in discussions is a good webmarketing strategy. Not only does this enable you to expand your network, it also increases awareness of your own channel through these interactions.
V. Measuring and adjusting your SEO strategy
Performance monitoring
To evaluate the effectiveness of your SEO strategy, YouTube Analytics ( Youtube Studio's own reporting tool) is indispensable. It enables you to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as number of views, watch time, click-through rate (CTR), as well as engagement levels (likes, comments, shares). These metrics provide valuable information for understanding how users interact with your videos.
Although there is no YouTube coach accreditation program similar to the Google Partners program for Google Ads specialists, YouTube does offer an official program called YouTube Creator Academy. This offers you the opportunity to take free courses to learn how to maximize the performance of your channel.
Adapting and renewing
Analyzing the data is only the first step. To maximize your SEO potential, it's essential toregularly adjust your content according to the feedback obtained via YouTube Analytics. A common practice is to perform A/B tests on thumbnails, titles and descriptions to identify the elements that generate the most clicks and interactions.
At the same time, you can regularly adjust your keywords and tags according to browsing trends. In this way, you can be sure of maintaining quality, relevant content that meets users' current expectations.
Video SEO is not always an easy task, and it's important to remember that it takes time and patience, just like traditional SEO. If you need help, don't hesitate to call in a specialized agency, or an independent consultant, for example. Surrounding yourself with professionals is a real time-saver, and will help you to achieve the notoriety you're looking for more quickly.
VI. Additional SEO tools and techniques
Using Google tools to refine your SEO strategy
Google tools such as Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends are essential for identifying relevant keywords to include in your videos. The Keyword Planner helps you select popular terms with little competition, while Google Trends identifies the most current queries. By aligning the names, descriptions and tags of your videos with this data, you improve your chances of appearing at the top of search results on both YouTube and Google.
The potential of collaborations and backlinks
Collaborations with other YouTube content creators are also an excellent way of increasing the visibility of your videos. By collaborating, you gain access to a new community while benefiting from the support of another creator. This can considerably improve your ranking, especially if the channel you collaborate with is well ranked.
Finally, external backlinks, i.e. links from third-party sites pointing to your videos, can have a direct impact on YouTube SEO. A good network of backlinks from blogs, social networks or partner sites boosts your video's authority, improving its ranking on YouTube's search engine and beyond.
Now it's your turn!
Optimizing the SEO of your YouTube videos is essential to maximize your visibility and engage a wider audience. Every element, from titles and descriptions to tags and thumbnails, needs to be carefully crafted. Understanding the ranking mechanisms and using advanced features such as subtitles and cards can improve your results.
The latest SEO trends on YouTube highlight the importance of voice search. This is changing the way the platform is used, and means that we need to rethink the SEO methods we've been using until now: relying more on long-tail keywords, or using titles formulated like questions.
Artificial intelligence, of course, is also at the heart of the streaming platform's thinking. YouTube is exploring the integration of AI to enhance video thumbnails and titles. This means that content creators could soon benefit from tools capable of automatically generating or optimizing these elements, based on video performance analysis.
With these trends in mind, it's time to adjust your SEO strategy to make the most of these new opportunities. Need more resources? Youtube's dedicated online help can certainly help! And when it comes to shooting your videos, as you'll have gathered, quality is everything, so think tydeo!
