If you\u2019re a content creator or run a brand\u2019s YouTube channel, you probably want more people to watch your videos. Of course, creating great content is important, but did you know other factors within your video determine who sees it and when?<\/p>\n
Like most search engines and social networks, YouTube uses a variety of elements to determine the placement of your video in search results. YouTube SEO is all about optimizing<\/a> these different elements to ensure your videos are shown to more people more often.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready to learn more about YouTube SEO, here are some proven tactics and best practices to follow.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Free YouTube Growth Checklist<\/span>:<\/strong> Find out how one YouTuber grew his channel to nearly 400,000 followers<\/strong> in 4 years and how you can gain 100,000 followers a year too.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n YouTube SEO is the process of optimizing YouTube videos and channels to rank higher in YouTube search results. YouTube SEO includes strategies like keyword research, script optimization, link building, and more.<\/p>\n SEO stands for \u201csearch engine optimization\u201d and is typically used for web pages that want to rank in search engines like Google. <\/p>\n However, many social media platforms<\/a>\u2014like YouTube and Instagram<\/a> \u2014 have their own rules for pushing certain content forward.<\/p>\n YouTube\u2019s algorithms use many SEO factors when ranking YouTube videos and channels. These include information sources like video titles, descriptions, metadata, tags, thumbnails, watch time, view count, and more.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the algorithm wants to show viewers the most relevant and useful YouTube videos.<\/strong> It\u2019s good for them and <\/em>you, because when you like what you\u2019re watching, you\u2019re more likely to stay on the platform.<\/p>\n But YouTube isn\u2019t the only search engine you should optimize your videos for. YouTube videos can also rank in search engines like Google.<\/p>\n That means a well-optimized YouTube video won\u2019t just appear in YouTube\u2019s search results. If you do it right, your YouTube videos can also show up in Google\u2019s main search results, video search results, Google Images, and the Discover tab.<\/p>\n In short, a strong YouTube SEO strategy includes two components:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you can combine these two search engine optimization techniques together, you\u2019re looking at some serious YouTube success.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Create. Schedule. Publish. Engage. Measure. Win.<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree 30-Day Trial<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n YouTube SEO is important for a few reasons.<\/p>\n Wondering how to rank YouTube videos? Here are 13 proven YouTube SEO tips that Hootsuite\u2019s own YouTube channel<\/a> producers use to get their videos to show up at the top of the SERPs.<\/p>\n Keyword research is an essential part of SEO for YouTube. In other words, you want to identify the words and phrases your audience will likely use when searching for content like yours.<\/p>\n When conducting YouTube keyword research, start by identifying primary, secondary, and longtail keywords.<\/p>\n You can use the same keyword research tools you\u2019re already using for external SEO. This includes Semrush, Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, and the like. Many of these tools, like Semrush<\/a>, have added YouTube keyword analytics to their feature offerings.<\/p>\n These tools can be a great help. However, YouTube\u2019s search bar also suggests related queries as users type, and these suggestions can be a goldmine. In addition to your general keyword research, our YouTube experts recommend leveraging the YouTube search bar to find related search terms.<\/p>\n Plus, recency does seem to matter on YouTube. If the top YouTube videos for a particular keyword have a lot of views but are relatively dated, this may point to an opportunity for you to create a successful new video with those topics.<\/p>\n When doing your keyword research, look at the size of competitors\u2019 YouTube channels versus the video\u2019s views. If channels with small followings have a lot of traffic, it\u2019s a sign that the keyword is popular and gaining traction.<\/p>\n Now that you have your target keywords, it\u2019s time to add them to your video. Keywords should be included in the following places:<\/p>\n Google recommends<\/a> using the target keyword as close to the beginning of the title, description, and tags as possible. Try combining longtail keywords, synonyms, or related terms when writing descriptions and adding tags<\/p>\n As with any SEO strategy, though, don\u2019t just cram keywords in anywhere you can<\/strong>.<\/p>\n YouTube SEO is about making your content easier for your viewers to find and for YouTube\u2019s algorithm to understand. If you overuse your keywords, you risk confusing your audience. Or worse\u2014getting penalized by YouTube and Google.<\/p>\n Captions are an essential part of social media accessibility<\/a>. Not only do they benefit your viewers with hearing impairments, but they also add context and fill in any audio gaps that viewers might miss. In fact, a recent study showed that 75% of people<\/a> watch videos on mute, making captions an essential viewing component.<\/p>\n In addition to improving accessibility and user experience, captions also present an opportunity to include important keywords that YouTube can easily pick up on.<\/p>\n You can add captions manually by uploading a text transcript or a timed subtitles file. YouTube also offers the option to directly enter transcript text, allowing the subtitles and timings to sync with your video automatically.<\/p>\n In some cases, you can even add automatic captions<\/a> through YouTube\u2019s speech recognition technology after you upload your video. If you do use this route, make sure to proofread the captions, as automated captions tend to be less accurate than manually created ones.<\/p>\n It\u2019s better to build your video around your keywords instead of adding keywords after the fact. Including your keywords in your script makes for a better viewing experience than trying to shoehorn them in after the fact.<\/p>\n YouTube cards<\/strong> allow you to link to other videos, playlists, channels, or even external links from your YouTube video. Cards appear with a custom message in the top right corner of your video for a few seconds, and viewers can click to learn more.<\/p>\n Plus, cards also appear below your video description so viewers can access all linked or relevant videos. This is a great way to direct viewers to additional video content on your channel.<\/p>\n End screens<\/strong> are visual elements that appear during the last 5-20 seconds of a video. These give you a chance to promote other videos, encourage subscriptions, or point users toward your most popular playlists.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of what your end screen could look like:<\/p>\n From an SEO standpoint, both cards and end screens keep viewers engaged with your content longer.<\/p>\n While we don\u2019t know everything<\/em> about what makes a YouTube video rank higher or lower, we do know that the video\u2019s success plays a part. Keep your audience interested in your content, and your SEO performance will improve.<\/p>\n YouTube timestamps tell YouTube when the important parts of your video begin and end. <\/p>\n This information allows YouTube to better understand the content of your video \u2014 and, in turn, gives you a stronger YouTube SEO ranking signal.<\/p>\n We suggest adding timestamps (also called chapters) to your video description, as well as the video itself, to make it easy for viewers to navigate your content. <\/p>\n However, your chapters will also appear below your description as yet another option for navigating your video.<\/p>\n Need another reason to add chapters to your YouTube videos?<\/p>\n In Google search results, timestamps appear in a \u201cChapters\u201d dropdown next to the video. If a user searches for a particular phrase and Google sees that this phrase is used as a timestamp, Google will direct the user to the exact part of your video where they can find the answer.<\/p>\n YouTube uses categories to group videos into broad topics, like \u201cSports\u201d or \u201cTechnology.\u201d While categories may not directly impact your ranking, they tell YouTube which channels produce the best quality content in that space, which makes it easier for the platform to recommend related content (like yours!).<\/p>\n Selecting the appropriate category for each video you upload gives YouTube a clear signal about what your video is about. YouTube will use this information to determine whether your video should appear in search results for certain topics.<\/p>\n You can access the Category<\/strong> area under the Details<\/strong> tab of uploading your video:<\/p>\n It\u2019s always important to be aware of how your content will appear in search results. If your ideal viewer sees your title and thumbnail, will they want to click on your video?<\/p>\n Give yourself a good shot at success and make your YouTube titles accurate and descriptive, with thumbnails that are visually appealing enough to stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n Thumbnails impact your video click-through rate, which in turn affects your SEO on YouTube.<\/p>\n If you have a verified account<\/a>, we suggest creating custom thumbnails rather than relying on YouTube\u2019s auto-generated options.<\/p>\n YouTube recommends<\/a>:<\/p>\n Look how much nicer your video feed looks when all of your thumbnails are properly branded with eye-catching graphics:<\/p>\n Just like with any social media platform, cross-promotion matters on YouTube. Our in-house YouTube experts found that embedding YouTube videos in relevant blog posts can improve SEO for both your YouTube channel and the blog.<\/p>\n Of course, this assumes you already have an active blog \u2014 but if you don\u2019t already have a high-traffic home for your content, don\u2019t worry. We found that embedding YouTube videos in microblogs<\/a> (like Twitter or Tumblr) can also have a positive SEO impact.<\/p>\n Just remember: When embedding YouTube content, make sure all videos are relevant to the URL and keywords they are linked to.<\/p>\n Your embedded video will look something like this:<\/p>\nWhat is YouTube SEO?<\/span><\/h2>\n
How does SEO on YouTube work?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/youtube-seo-google-search-results-620x542.png?resize=620%2C542&ssl=1\")
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![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Inpost-CTA-Planner.png?ssl=1\"\/)
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t#1 Social Media Tool\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\nWhy is YouTube SEO important?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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How to do YouTube SEO: 13 essential tips<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Conduct keyword research<\/h3>\n
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![\"youtube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-3-1-620x323.png?resize=620%2C323&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n2. Add keywords strategically to videos<\/h3>\n
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![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-4-1-620x332.png?resize=620%2C332&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n3. Use captions<\/h3>\n
![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-5-1-620x322.png?resize=620%2C322&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n4. Use cards and end screens<\/h3>\n
![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-6-1-620x397.png?resize=620%2C397&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"End](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-7-1-620x322.png?resize=620%2C322&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n5. Add timestamps to your video<\/h3>\n
![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-8-1-620x323.png?resize=620%2C323&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-9-1-620x192.png?resize=620%2C192&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-10-1-620x396.png?resize=620%2C396&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n6. Categorize your video<\/h3>\n
![\"youtube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-11-1-620x583.png?resize=620%2C583&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n7. Upload a custom thumbnail<\/h3>\n
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![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/YouTube-SEO-12-1-620x266.png?resize=620%2C266&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n8. Embed videos in your blog<\/h3>\n