12 YouTube SEO Tips That Will Spearhead Your Views and Subscribers

Get ahead of other content creators / YouTubers with YouTube SEO.

Are you tired of spending hours creating YouTube content that nobody seems to watch?

Do you feel like you’re putting in all the hard work without getting any reward?

Well, fear not! In this blog, we’ll share with you 12 YouTube SEO tips that will help you get more views and subscribers to your channel.

Before we dive into the tips, let’s take a look at some statistics…

The importance of YouTube SEO:

• YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google, with over 2 billion monthly active users.
• More than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, making it a highly competitive platform for content creators.
• 70% of YouTube views come from outside the creator’s home country, making it a global platform with a vast audience.
• YouTube’s algorithm takes into account various factors such as watch time, engagement, and video quality to determine which videos to recommend to users.

Now that we’ve established the importance of YouTube SEO, let’s dive into the tips that can help you get more views and subscribers:

1. Conduct YouTube SEO Keyword Research

Just like Google, YouTube is a search engine that relies on keywords to understand the content of a video. Therefore, it’s essential to conduct keyword research to identify the words and phrases that your target audience is searching for on YouTube.

Step 1: Brainstorm YouTube Keywords

The first step in conducting keyword research is to brainstorm a list of keywords that are relevant to your video’s topic. Think about what your video is about and what keywords your target audience might use to search for it. You can also use tools like Google Keyword Planner or YouTube’s Search Suggest feature to generate keyword ideas.

Step 2: Analyse Your Competition

Once you’ve generated a list of keywords, it’s time to analyse your competition. Search for each keyword on YouTube and see what videos come up in the search results. Look at the titles, descriptions, and tags of these videos to see what keywords they’re targeting. This will give you a better idea of what keywords are already being used in your niche and how competitive they are.

Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ can help you identify high-volume, low-competition keywords to target in your videos. These tools analyse YouTube’s search data to show you which keywords are popular and how difficult they are to rank for. They can also provide suggestions for related keywords to target in your videos. You can also use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs for additional insight.

Step 4: Prioritize Your Keywords

Once you’ve generated a list of keywords, it’s essential to prioritize them based on their relevance and search volume. Identify the keywords that are most relevant to your video’s topic and have the highest search volume. These are the keywords that you should prioritize in your video’s title, description, and tags.

Step 5: Optimize Your Video

Now that you’ve identified the keywords to target in your video, it’s time to optimize your video for SEO. Include your target keywords in your video’s title, description, and tags. Make sure that your video’s title is catchy and engaging, and your description provides a clear overview of what your video is about.

2. Optimize Your Video Title and Description

Your video’s title and description are crucial for YouTube SEO. Make sure that your title is catchy and includes your primary keyword. Your description should be detailed and provide context to your video. Also, include relevant keywords in your description to help YouTube understand what your video is about.

3. Using YouTube Subtitles / Closed Captions (CC) for SEO

Subtitles are a crucial part of YouTube SEO. Not only do they make your videos more accessible to people with hearing impairments, but they also make your content more discoverable. When you add subtitles to your videos, YouTube’s algorithm can crawl the text and better understand the content of your video. This can help improve your video’s ranking in search results.

To add subtitles to your videos, you can use YouTube’s automatic captioning system, which uses speech recognition technology to generate subtitles. However, these subtitles may not always be accurate, so it’s recommended that you review and edit them for accuracy.

You can also create your own subtitles using a text editor or a dedicated subtitle creation tool. Be sure to include your primary keywords in your subtitles to improve your video’s SEO.

4. Use Eye-Catching Thumbnails

Your video’s thumbnail is the first thing that users will see when browsing YouTube. Therefore, it’s essential to create eye-catching thumbnails that accurately represent your video’s content. Use bright colours, text overlays, and high-quality images to create an attention-grabbing thumbnail that stands out from the competition.

5. YouTube SEO: Timestamps with Descriptions

Timestamps with descriptions are another excellent way to optimize your videos for SEO. When you add timestamps with descriptions to your video’s description box, viewers can quickly jump to specific parts of your video. This can improve your video’s watch time, which is a crucial factor in YouTube’s ranking algorithm.

To add timestamps with descriptions, you’ll need to create a timestamp for each section of your video and add a brief description of what’s covered in that section. This will give viewers a clear idea of what to expect from your video and make it more likely that they’ll watch the entire thing.

You can also use your primary keywords in your descriptions to improve your video’s SEO. For example, if you’re creating a video about how to bake a cake, you might include timestamps with descriptions like “0:30 – Preparing the ingredients” or “3:45 – Baking the cake”.

6. Increase Your Watch Time

Watch time is one of the most crucial metrics that YouTube uses to rank videos. Therefore, it’s essential to create engaging content that keeps your audience hooked. Make sure that your videos are informative, entertaining, and provide value to your viewers. Also, use CTAs (Call to Action) to encourage your viewers to watch more of your content.

7. Encourage Engagement

Engagement is another crucial metric that YouTube uses to rank videos. Therefore, it’s essential to encourage your viewers to engage with your content. You can do this by asking them to like, comment, and share your video. Also, respond to their comments and build a community around your content.

Linking to Relevant Videos

Linking to relevant videos is an excellent way to keep viewers engaged with your content and improve your video’s SEO. When you link to relevant videos, you’re providing additional value to your viewers and helping them discover more of your content.

To link to relevant videos, you can use YouTube’s end screen feature, which allows you to add clickable links to other videos or playlists. You can also add links to your video’s description box or in the comments section.

When linking to other videos, be sure to choose videos that are relevant to your content and provide additional value to your viewers. You can also use your primary keywords in your links to improve your video’s SEO

8. Add Relevant Tags

Tags are another essential factor that YouTube uses to understand your video’s content. Therefore, it’s essential to add relevant tags to your videos. Use your primary keyword as your first tag, and then add other relevant tags to help YouTube understand your video’s topic.

9. Create Playlists

Creating playlists is an excellent way to keep your viewers engaged and increase your watch time. Group your videos into playlists based on a particular topic or theme. This will help your viewers discover more of your content and keep them hooked on your channel.

10. Promote Your Videos on Social Media

Social media is an excellent way to promote your videos and increase your reach. Share your videos on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach a wider audience. Also, use relevant hashtags and CTAs to encourage your followers to watch your videos and subscribe to your channel.

11. Collaborate with Other YouTubers

Collaborating with other YouTubers is an excellent way to reach a new audience and increase your subscribers. Find other creators in your niche and reach out to them for a collaboration. This can be a guest appearance on each other’s channels, a joint project, or a shoutout to each other’s channels.

12. Monitor Your YouTube SEO Analytics

Finally, it’s essential to monitor your YouTube analytics to understand what’s working and what’s not. Keep an eye on metrics like watch time, engagement, and retention rate to see how your videos are performing. Use this data to make informed decisions about your content strategy and improve your YouTube SEO.

YouTube SEO is essential for content creators who want to increase their views and subscribers. By following these tips, you can optimize your videos for YouTube’s algorithm and reach a wider audience. Remember to create engaging content, encourage engagement, and promote your videos on social media to maximize your reach. Happy YouTubing!