YouTube SEO Tips to Rank Your Videos #1

[00:00] In seven and a half months, we focused our

[00:04] for some of the most competitive keywords

[00:07] SEO, Ecommerce SEO, local SEO, SEO tips, and

[00:12] This led to an almost 400% increase in YouTube

[00:17] Our channel isn't huge.

[00:19] Our industry isn't exactly "exciting" either.

[00:21] And compared to our top YouTube competitors,

[00:26] But that's what I love about YouTube.

[00:28] Anyone and everyone has the opportunity to

[00:34] So in this video, I'm going to show you exactly

[00:39] Stay tuned.

[00:40] [music]

[00:44] What's up creators?

[00:45] Sam Oh here with Ahrefs, the SEO tool that

[00:49] your competitors and dominate your niche.

[00:51] Now there's a lot to video SEO, so rather than

[00:55] YouTube analytics, I'll be focusing on ranking

[01:00] to rank your videos on Google too.

[01:02] Let's get started.

[01:03] First, what is YouTube SEO?

[01:05] It's the process of optimizing your videos,

[01:10] organic search results for a given search

[01:13] YouTube explains their discovery and search

[01:17] "Videos are ranked based on a variety of factors

[01:22] and video content match the viewer's query."

[01:25] So there are three important points here.

[01:27] First, keywords matter in your title and description.

[01:30] Second, you need to match the search intent for

[01:33] And third, you need to drive engagement for

[01:38] But of all these things, the key point to

[01:44] So if you can't engage your audience, your

[01:48] a meaningful keyword will be slim to none.

[01:51] So the first step is to do YouTube keyword

[01:54] Unlike traditional Google search engine optimization,

[01:59] And a lot of these third party tools are just pumping

[02:04] But there are ways you can get estimated search

[02:07] The first is to use YouTube suggest paired

[02:10] Just type a keyword into the search bar, and

[02:13] contain your keyword.

[02:14] You can also add a star before or after your

[02:19] Now, since we don't have an official tool

[02:23] of YouTube suggestions into Google Trends.

[02:25] But remember, Google Trends uses "relative

[02:30] So take these estimates with a grain of salt.

[02:32] The second way to get keyword volumes is to

[02:35] Recently, we've released our latest version of

[02:40] and metrics for search engines like Google,

[02:45] Just select YouTube as the search engine and

[02:50] Right away, you'll see country-specific search

[02:54] and have access to five keyword idea reports.

[02:57] You can also enter a list of up to 10,000

[03:01] The best way to get a list of keywords is

[03:06] Just run a search in YouTube, and look to

[03:09] You'll see VidIQ's "Related Queries," or TubeBuddy's

[03:14] Just choose all relevant keywords you want

[03:18] your list into Keywords Explorer.

[03:20] We'll then show you all keywords that have

[03:25] Now, search volumes are great and all, but

[03:29] new keyword ideas.

[03:31] Let's say you want to start a channel on makeup

[03:33] Just type "makeup" into Keywords Explorer.

[03:35] And I'll also include a couple common variations

[03:41] Then go to the Phrase match report, which

[03:45] your seed keywords.

[03:46] And you'll see over 202,000 keyword ideas!

[03:50] Let's narrow in on some more focused topics.

[03:52] So I'll click on the "include" dropdown and

[03:57] face, halloween, wedding, and bridal.

[04:00] Finally, choose the "Any word" tab, which

[04:04] of these keywords.

[04:06] And we have over 17,000 relevant topics to

[04:10] Bottom line: there is no shortage of great

[04:13] We have an in-depth video on YouTube keyword

[04:18] Now, YouTube search is great and all, but

[04:22] videos on Google too?

[04:24] Don't think it's that important?

[04:25] Think again.

[04:26] Google search is one of our top external traffic

[04:31] past 28 days.

[04:33] Also, a study done by GetSTAT shows that Video

[04:39] for their sample list of keywords.

[04:41] Now in 2019, it's tough to browse Google for

[04:47] There are a few ways to find videos that get

[04:51] The first is to search for your target keyword.

[04:53] If you see a video carousel or another video

[04:57] to rank in that position too.

[04:59] Pay attention to video length and titles to

[05:03] The second way is to use Content Explorer,

[05:07] and get all relevant pages with their SEO

[05:12] To find YouTube videos that are ranking in

[05:15] site:youtube.com inurl:watch title:unboxing,

[05:23] Then, I'll sort the result by search traffic

[05:27] amount of Google search traffic these videos

[05:33] and social stats.

[05:34] Once you find a video that interests you,

[05:38] Organic keywords tab where you can see all

[05:42] the video on Google.

[05:43] Looking into both Google and YouTube search

[05:48] get more views to your videos.

[05:50] Alright, step 2 is to identify search intent.

[05:55] the reason why a user searches for a query

[05:58] Now, search engines are usually good at doing

[06:01] Just search for the keyword you want to rank

[06:05] angle of the top 3 results.

[06:07] For example, if you want to teach people how

[06:11] give them a step-by-step tutorial.

[06:13] YouTube agrees.

[06:14] But what if you want to rank for "Nintendo

[06:17] YouTube will tell you that people want to

[06:20] Now, let's say that you're a florist and you

[06:23] Bad idea.

[06:24] All of the results show that someone searching

[06:29] Not the plant or the actress.

[06:31] Let's move on to step 3, which is the most

[06:34] And that's to satisfy search intent with a

[06:37] YouTube says that their goals are to help

[06:42] and maximize long-term viewer engagement and

[06:46] And if you're matching the reason for a user's

[06:50] times for the video increases.

[06:52] Here are the exact steps we take to create

[06:55] First and foremost, plan your videos before

[06:58] If you're creating how-to videos, the last

[07:02] words or show sloppy demonstrations.

[07:04] Proper planning helps keep your ideas on point

[07:09] including keywords within your video, which

[07:14] Second, you need to start with a strong hook.

[07:19] video's success.

[07:20] Hook your readers, and you'll have audience

[07:24] Forego the hook and lose the majority of your

[07:30] Every niche is different and unfortunately,

[07:35] Being in the how-to and informational space

[07:39] stats or proof so that's worth your time to keep watching.

[07:42] Like in this video on YouTube SEO, I started

[07:47] 3 for a lot of competitive keywords.

[07:49] I also showed you that our search traffic

[07:53] And most importantly, I tell you that I'm

[07:58] so you can try and replicate our results.

[08:00] Drop-offs in the first 15 seconds is inevitable.

[08:03] But you can minimize the damage by connecting

[08:07] showing that you have a solution to that problem.

[08:10] Third, you need to edit your videos strategically.

[08:15] isn't to impress you with cool tricks.

[08:17] We care about engagement.

[08:18] So rather than getting into a full-out editing

[08:22] First, use jump cuts.

[08:24] A jump cut is a transition between two shots

[08:27] It creates the effect of the scene "jumping,"

[08:31] These add dynamics to a video and help polish

[08:35] Second, draw your audience's attention to

[08:39] Pay attention for a second.

[08:40] If you've never used our Site Explorer tool

[08:43] "Click on the Linked domains report."

[08:45] Did you see it?

[08:46] Probably not.

[08:47] But I could easily draw your eyes to the linked

[08:53] or even this.

[08:54] The effects don't need to be fancy, but they

[08:58] avoid drop-offs due to confusion.

[09:00] The last tip is to entertain with stories

[09:03] YouTube is an entertainment platform.

[09:05] But entertaining isn't easy.

[09:07] So while our primary focus is to teach SEO

[09:12] entertaining without trying too hard.

[09:14] If you've watched up to here, then you've

[09:18] deeper into that.

[09:19] We have a full video on the workflow we use

[09:22] recommend watching that, which I'll link up.

[09:24] Alright, step 3 is to do on-page video optimization.

[09:28] On-page optimizations for YouTube boils down

[09:31] We have the Title, Description, Tags, and Thumbnail.

[09:35] Each of these help provide context to your

[09:39] click-through-rates.

[09:40] After all, no clicks = no views.

[09:43] Here are a few best practices to craft searchable

[09:47] Tip 1 is to use your keyword in the title.

[09:52] terms in your titles and descriptions as

[09:57] A study from Briggsby also shows that more

[10:02] least part of a target keyword in their title.

[10:04] While it seems important to include at least

[10:08] your title, you don't want to sacrifice the

[10:12] Tip 2 is to keep your titles under 60 characters.

[10:15] YouTube recommends keeping your titles concise

[10:19] From an SEO perspective, that will often mean

[10:23] of your title.

[10:24] For example, our target keyword for this video is YouTube SEO.

[10:28] And you'll see that we added the phrase right

[10:31] Keeping your titles short will also prevent losing

[10:35] and browse features.

[10:36] Tip 3 is to write catchy titles that evoke

[10:41] If you were to create a tutorial on tying

[10:46] to tie a tie."

[10:47] But that's uninteresting at best.

[10:48] There are numerous angles you could take like:

[10:53] How to tie a tie in 11 seconds flat;

[10:58] The point is that boring titles are less likely

[11:03] Tip 4 is to create a thumbnail that complements

[11:06] In my opinion, this is the hardest part to

[11:10] Here's the thumbnail for our SEO mistakes

[11:12] The thumbnail text describes the video since

[11:16] And if you look closely, there's a picture

[11:20] circled stating, "You are here."

[11:22] You can also draw inspiration from things

[11:27] truths like our video, "How long does it

[11:30] And if you're stuck, try and get ideas from

[11:35] For example, I searched for the word "system" in Adobe

[11:40] So I used the idea to create our thumbnail

[11:44] The next video optimization tip is to write

[11:48] YouTube says using the "right" keywords can

[11:53] your videos show up in search results.

[11:55] But what are "the right" keywords?

[11:58] For starters, we include our target keyword

[12:02] But we also include related keywords by analyzing

[12:07] Just type in the keyword you want to rank

[12:11] keywords that have relevance to your topic.

[12:13] For example, this video uses language like

[12:17] context of a blog. Another phrase used is "increase website traffic."

[12:22] These might be keywords that I want to include

[12:27] keywords where my video matches the content.

[12:29] Next up are Tags.

[12:30] And tags are another way to give context to your

[12:34] search and suggested.

[12:36] YouTube simplifies this by recommending to

[12:40] of your video.

[12:41] You can also use tools like VidIQ or TubeBuddy

[12:46] Look for common tags within competing videos,

[12:51] to do so.

[12:51] And as an extra measure, I'll normally copy

[12:56] and paste them into Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer

[13:00] Step 4 are In-Video Optimizations.

[13:03] Creating the video is 80% of the battle.

[13:05] There are additional optimizations you can

[13:09] better user experience for your viewers.

[13:12] The first thing is to add subtitles or closed

[13:15] Many creators, including myself, believe that

[13:19] understand the context of videos.

[13:21] And chances are, your viewers come from all

[13:26] So it's worth using a transcription service

[13:30] the CC tab of your video, select your language,

[13:35] To give you an idea, around 17% of our viewers

[13:40] The second thing to do is to add cards to

[13:43] These are an interactive feature that encourages

[13:48] Just select the timecode where you want the

[13:52] want to use, choose an appropriate option,

[13:56] Now, when a viewer hits that timecode, the title

[14:01] Finally, use end screens.

[14:03] End screens are similar to cards.

[14:05] The purpose is to keep viewers on the YouTube

[14:08] For our channel, we have a Subscribe button

[14:11] watch next.

[14:13] This can help you get more subscribers, keep

[14:17] one of the metrics YouTube uses in their ranking

[14:21] I'll expand on this in a bit.

[14:22] For now, let's move on to step 5, which is

[14:27] The first 24-48 hours from publishing can

[14:31] So you need to promote your video as hard

[14:34] Here are some rapid-fire tips to do that.

[14:36] First, promote to your existing audience.

[14:38] At Ahrefs, we publish at around 8:00 AM Eastern

[14:42] We then use an inapp alert to notify our customers

[14:47] At noon, we tweet out our video link, which

[14:51] And of course, we send an email newsletter

[14:56] was live.

[14:57] Now, if you don't have an existing audience,

[15:01] niche forums like Quora.

[15:03] Just search for the topic of your video, provide

[15:08] You can also post on other platforms like

[15:12] The point is that you need to get involved

[15:15] Last but not least is to use YouTube ads.

[15:17] Right now, from our experience, YouTube ads are super cheap.

[15:21] You can target by interest, keyword, or custom

[15:25] If you have a great video, set up some search

[15:28] intention to earn their subscription.

[15:30] As your subscriber base grows, they'll begin

[15:35] help accelerate your growth without breaking

[15:38] The last and final step is to optimize your

[15:42] Session watch time is the total time a viewer watches videos on YouTube without leaving the platform.

[15:47] YouTube said in its Creator Blog:

[15:49] "We've started adjusting the ranking of videos

[15:54] that keep viewers watching.

[15:56] As with previous optimizations to our discovery

[16:01] if your videos drive more viewing time across

[16:05] Here are a few more ways to improve session

[16:07] First, create series.

[16:09] Think of series like #AskGaryVee or 490 episodes

[16:15] Series hook people and if they like what they

[16:20] total session watch time.

[16:21] We've created 3 series in total.

[16:23] One on keyword research, another on link building,

[16:27] The first two were made to educate our customers,

[16:32] And rank we did.

[16:34] To encourage viewers to watch the next video

[16:38] add a card to the next video near the end.

[16:40] This will make it easy for viewers to find

[16:44] Now, the next part is where the magic happens.

[16:46] And that's to turn your playlist into series

[16:49] A playlist is a list of videos that plays

[16:53] Whereas a series playlist is everything I

[16:57] tell YouTube that your group of videos is

[17:01] Think of how Netflix does it with seasons

[17:05] They're in a specific order and skipping a

[17:09] Using series playlists helps YouTube understand

[17:15] the "up next" spot.

[17:16] If you've done the card, endscreen, and series

[17:21] next video will be recommended to viewers.

[17:23] The last and final tip to boost your video

[17:28] Your channel page will likely be one of your

[17:32] Here's how the channel page hack works.

[17:34] If you look at our channel, the first 4 videos

[17:38] But they are not.

[17:39] Each of these videos is the first series in

[17:44] And the only reason the fourth video is in

[17:48] don't have a fourth series.

[17:50] Now, since all of these videos are separate

[17:54] click on them.

[17:55] The up next video is always the next video

[17:58] So no matter which video you click, it heightens

[18:03] videos on our channel.

[18:05] While YouTube doesn't have a "session watch

[18:09] believer that my channel playlist hack contributed

[18:15] since the day I added it.

[18:16] YouTube SEO from a technical perspective is

[18:19] Optimize your titles, descriptions, and tags.

[18:22] Then add relevant cards, endscreens or description

[18:26] But the most challenging part of video SEO

[18:30] So take these processes and tips and focus

[18:35] engage, and rank.

[18:37] Now, if you enjoyed this video, make sure to

[18:41] any questions about our video SEO process,

[18:46] So keep grinding away, create your videos