Elevenlabs AudioNative Player

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    Content can take many forms. Today, the world is dominated by video content creators who post their videos on various online platforms. 

    One of these is YouTube, full of amateur and professional videos, with topics ranging from entertainment to information and even science. 

    How to break through on YouTube and what ranking factors affect the positions of videos?

    YouTube ranking factors

    Every minute, another 500 hours of videos arrive on YouTube. Such a huge competition proves that additional measures are necessary for your video to gain popularity and display high on the search list.

    When we want to search for content on YouTube, just like on Google, we type keywords into the search bar. What determines what video will be displayed in the top positions?

    Trackability 

    Like written content, it’s all about responding to your audience’s needs. Using keyword analysis tools and their potential (e.g., Keyword Planner, Senuto, Google Trends), you can draw conclusions about what queries users are directing to the search engine and what results they expect.

    Additionally, it’s a good idea to analyze competitors that offer content on the same or similar topics and track which videos bring the most traffic and what phrases they show up for in YouTube search results. 

    It is worth mentioning that YouTube’s search engine also considers the preferences of logged-in users. Typically, recommended content is videos from subscribed channels or thematically related to those viewed previously.

    There are also many other content recommendations.

    Quality

    Good quality content is the cornerstone of building visibility for websites and e-commerce. Video is no different. In addition to taking care of technical issues—good sound and video quality—remember valuable content. The content of your videos should pique the interest of your audience and encourage them to watch the entire video and check out other videos posted on your channel. 

    Audience engagement

    Videos with many views and likes are more likely to appear directly in search results and in the video recommendations module. 

    If viewers watch the video to the end or return to it, are active in comments or share it on their social media, it gains popularity. This is a snowball effect, which we can achieve by adjusting the important elements that influence the position. 

    What do they include?

    Basic elements of YouTube SEO optimization

    If your goal is to rank high on Google, you should optimise your site, among other things. The SEO agency you work with will perform an SEO audit, identify errors and a course of action. The next step will probably be planning link-building activities, laying a content plan and integrating the SEO plan with the other marketing branches (Social Media, SEM, UX).

    So it will come as no surprise to you that the activities follow a similar course of action in the case of SEO for YouTube videos. 

    Start by analyzing –keywords

    Keyword analysis is definitely a must. You will need them both in the video description and title and to optimize the rest of the elements. You can gain a much higher number of views with a good analysis and selection of words in terms of your industry, target audience, current trends, and potential. 

    Add your chosen keywords to the Basic Information in your channel settings panel.  

    The keyword phrases you obtain through analysis can also be used to create tags. Thanks to them, viewers can easily find videos on topics of interest to them. According to YouTube creators, tags are less important than descriptions or titles, but they should not be overlooked. It is certainly also an additional place to use keywords naturally.

    Title and description of the video

    A certain number of characters limits both titles and movie descriptions, so it’s a good idea to plan their content well. 

    The title should contain the keywords we derive from the analysis, attract the user’s attention, and encourage them to click. The content must clearly indicate what is in the video. The title can be up to 100 characters long. 

    The description underneath the video already has a slightly wider scope. Although we are limited by 5000 characters, we can include more information and keywords here. 

    Remember that some users read only the first sentences of the description, not developing the whole thing, so try to interest the viewer from the beginning. 

    The content of the description can include information about the specific video and the creator or topic of the channel’s activity. It’s also a good idea to include an engaging message here that will encourage the user to subscribe to the channel or leave a comment and like. 

    There’s also an engaging message that will encourage the user to subscribe to the channel or leave a comment and like it.

    If your video is long and you can divide it thematically, include links to specific sections in the description. This will make it easier for users to locate the content they seek and provide additional space to include keywords. 

    Cards when displaying a video

    Internal linking plays a very important role in SEO. In addition to making it easier for users to navigate, it supports the indexation process and points robots to pages worth navigating.

    We can also implement them in videos published on YouTube. We are talking about tabs on the screen as a button redirecting to a similar or recommended video by us located on the same channel. 

    This is also a great way to get the user interested in your next video and promote others. If your channel is more extensive, you can also include links to Playlists that combine several videos on specific topics. 

    Remember, however, that links to other videos should not interfere with the title’s viewing and visibility. It’s a good idea to place links informing about other videos on the channel in the last seconds when the user is looking for another video or wants to learn more about a particular topic. As part of the links, adding a button encouraging users to subscribe to the channel is worth adding. 

    Miniature video

    Graphics and visuals are the elements that most often catch users’ attention. The most important aspects to keep in mind when creating a thumbnail are first and foremost:

    • communicability – each video should have a promotional graphic original to itself
    • thematic relevance – a well-chosen thumbnail image informs users what topic is covered in the video
    • Quality—The graphics used for the thumbnail should be high quality, properly cropped, and clearly visible regardless of the audience’s screen resolution.

    Channel Optimization

    Your channel is your brand’s calling card, so it’s important to take care of its basic elements.

    • Name and description – the name of the channel should relate to your business type and be easily remembered by users. In the description, include the most important information about the channel so users can get to know you better. Include key phrases and messages encouraging people to subscribe and promote the channel. 
    • Channel trailers—for some time now, a very popular form of presenting the channel’s subject matter has become several dozen or several dozen seconds long trailers. Such a short presentation and introduction to the topic is a good way to get people interested in the channel’s topic who accidentally came across it or are looking for videos of a particular industry.
    • Sections—Organizing your videos by subject areas makes it easier to navigate your channel, especially if your videos appear regularly and frequently. 
    • Graphic design: Logos and graphics should be color-correlated and, like thumbnails, indicate the channel’s or brand’s activity. 
    • Promote your channel—If you also have accounts on other portals and social media, remember to promote your channel. You can regularly post information about the videos that appear, with a short note about the subject matter covered. Also, encourage your subscribers to share your videos on their social media accounts and to comment and share their thoughts on the channel.

    Positioning videos on YouTube

    The issues discussed above are the basic factors and elements whose optimization affect the display of videos on YouTube’s search engine. Following a few simple steps can help you promote your channel and improve its visibility. 

    If you have questions about SEO and online visibility- contact us, and let’s talk!

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    Karolina Jastrzebska
    Karolina Jastrzebska

    The author of the post is Karolina Jastrzebska. She started her adventure with SEO in 2021. She currently works as an SEO Specialist at Up More.