YouTube Channel Optimization Tips

Why you should optimize your videos

SEO for your videos on YouTube channel allows you to improve rankings in search engines and to make your videos more attractive to consumers. Let us look on the tips on how you can optimize your YouTube channel:

1. Optimize Video Title

Figure 1. An example of the video title

Go to YouTube search and look for the titles similar videos, products or companies have. Based on this research think on your own video title, it should be unique. Then use keywords research tools to find the proper keywords and add them to your title.

The title should not be long; however, it should display your video content (i.e. it should be clear from your title what about is your video).

 2. Add Video Description

Figure 2. Example of video description

To make a good description follow these steps:

• Write several sentences describing your video essence;
• Add link to the main page of your channel and the short description about the channel;
• Add links to related playlists and videos;
• Add links to your website and social media (you should also add these links to your YouTube channel page header);
• Make a call to sign up for new videos and other related news.

You can use the same template for all of your videos, changing the video title and the description of the video itself. Do not forget about the keywords here.

 3. Add Tags

Video tags is the same kind of tags you use on the website description page (there they are called meta tag keywords). Use 3-6 keywords, describing your video to help consumers find you and accordingly to help search engines to give you a better position in rankings.

Figure 3. Example of tags selection

4. Add Link to your Video

When there are third party actors copying your video to their platforms – it would be convenient for them to see the link to the concrete video they want to share in the description field of this video.

5. Links to your website

As previously mentioned, you should add a link to your company’s website in the description section. Now we will discuss where exactly should the link direct your consumers:

1. It can the home page of your website;
2. The blog section of your website;
3. The landing page for a concrete product;
4. The page where this video is located on your website.

The exact direction will depend on your marketing goals: either to raise attention to a concrete product or to a brand in general.

6. Add timing

If your video is long, it is required to add timing to your description section to pay attention to the definite parts of the video. Look the example on the picture below.

Figure 4. An example of timing

7. Add the Video Icon

 As there is a growing number of those, browsing the Internet (and YouTube, in particular) with their mobile devices – a good designed Video icon can attract additional attention to your video and highlight it from the list of similar video content. On the image below, you can see the Video icons in the right section.

Figure 5. Thumbnail used to preview the video

To create a Video icon go to “Video Manager” section of your channel and, if your account has been approved, set up an affiliate program in YouTube Account Settings.

The main rules to create a good video icon are:

• Use small images (not more than 2MB);
• Use the 16:9 aspect ratio;
• Use the proper image format (JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP);
• Use the proper image resolution (1280×720 with a minimum width of 640 pixels);

8. Add Annotations

Annotations is a text box your viewers see over the video. You can use this tool to call to action (Like, Share, Subscribe or Follow the link to your website/social media page), as a part of a contest (asking video-related questions), as an additional place to clarify some ideas described in video etc.

To add an annotation go to “Video Manage” and click to the dropdown menu next to the chosen video or click to the “Annotations” icon below the video.

Figure 6. Annotations

Figure 7. Annotations

Figure 8. Annotations

You will see this window. Now you just need to add an annotation.

Figure 9. Annotations

Working with annotations you can increase the number of followers and boost the traffic on your website.

9. Create Playlists

Make collections from related videos. It will allow your consumers to find the needed video faster and to watch the series of videos with the same or similar topic.

To create a Playlist go to “Video Manager” and choose the appropriate tab.

Figure 10. Playlists

Then create a playlist and add your videos there.

10. Upload defaults

Upload defaults is a settings section where you can set up the settings for all the videos of the same type you would like to download (e.g. category, title, description, tags). This section will save you a great amount of time, as you will not need to add all this settings to each video, you will just need to change the title.

Figure 11. Upload Defaults

11. Add Branding

Branding is a section where you can add a brand logo to your video. It will help your consumers to relate this video to your brand, even if it is shared on third-party platforms. Go to an appropriate tab in Channel section to set up the branded watermark.

Figure 12. Branding

Conclusion

There are plenty of tools to optimize your YouTube Channel and create a good YouTube marketing strategy. We hope, by using the tips we provided in this article, you would boost your website’s traffic, strengthen the reputation of your brand and get additional sales.

Please, share with us the tools and techniques you use to get profits from the YouTube channel.