YouTube is one of the most popular search engines next to Google. It comes as no surprise since, like Google, YouTube has an active user base with billions of users worldwide.
Similar to Google, you can optimise your videos on YouTube for search engine optimisation (SEO) and achieve higher rankings to get more views. SEO for YouTube is essential if you want your videos to get more exposure, but how does it work?
Youtube SEO: What Is It?
SEO for YouTube is similar when it comes to optimising your content for search engines like Google and Bing. However, you could say that YouTube SEO is much simpler since videos are more compact and easy to optimise compared to websites and blog posts. How does YouTUbe SEO work anyway?
In short, you might find it easy to optimise your videos on YouTube. Nonetheless, optimising your YouTube videos is easier said than done due to the millions of other channels trying to outrank one another. The competition is fierce, and you have to adapt if you want your videos to gain the top spot in YouTube search results.
Also, you could say that YouTube is a more powerful search engine than Google. It sounds like an exaggeration, but YouTube being more efficient than Google is not as far-fetched as you think.
YouTube, as a search engine, is exclusive to videos and channels. All you need is a YouTube channel with SEO-friendly videos, and you can reach hundreds and thousands of views!
How To Optimise Your Youtube Videos?
When it comes to videos, no search engine can match the efficiency of YouTube. Sure, Google can show you thousands of video-related search results from countless websites, but YouTube is the only place where you can find what you need in an instant.
With billions of users every day, no doubt that YouTube is the perfect website for posting high-quality videos. However, to get a high number of views, you need to optimise your videos first. Doing so will not only make your videos searchable on YouTube but Google as well.
Here are some tips for optimising your YouTube videos for SEO.
1. Keyword Research Is Vital
Regardless of the search engine, keyword research is always the first step to optimising your content for SEO. Apply the same technique on YouTube by researching relevant keywords that will help your channel and videos get exposure.
One factor to consider is the difference between standard search engines like Google compared to YouTube. You could type the same keywords on Google and YouTube, but you will receive different results on both search engines.
For instance, YouTube users love to search for “how-to” videos. If you search for “how to optimise your website” on Google, chances are the results will show articles and blog posts. On the other hand, YouTube will show videos (obviously), but keep in mind that Google will sometimes show YouTube videos based on your keywords.
In that case, you can search for high-value keywords relevant to your videos that rank high on both Google and YouTube. Test different keywords to see which ones allow YouTube videos to appear on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).
2. Optimise Your Titles And Descriptions
Similar to writing headlines and content for articles, your videos should include relevant titles and descriptions to increase their rankings on YouTube. Optimising your videos for SEO will allow them to get more exposure on YouTube, helping you get more views and subscribers as a result.
Use relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions so your videos can appear on the top page of YouTube search results. Titles with high-value keywords are vital since they can help your videos show up on YouTube’s search engine results pages.
3. Promote Your Videos On Social Media
Even if your videos are well-optimised for YouTube SEO, you will not attract viewers if you forget to promote them on other digital marketing channels, especially social media.
Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to promote your content. Blog posts, web pages, videos—you can share all of these on your social media page. Choose an active social media site, like Facebook or Twitter, where you can promote your YouTUbe channels to gain more subscribers and views.
Conclusion
Since YouTube SEO functions similarly to Google and other search engine algorithms, you might find it easy to optimise your videos on YouTube. Nonetheless, the success of your digital marketing campaign on YouTube depends on how well you can manage your videos for SEO.
Remember the mentioned tips on how to optimise your YouTube videos, and soon you will gain followers in a slow yet steady pace. It might take a while, but the results are worth it in the end!
For more digital marketing tips, our SEO company in Singapore.
