YouTube SEO

Why It Matters

YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine with 2+ billion users. Proper YouTube SEO can drive millions of views, build brand authority, and generate traffic to websites. YouTube videos also appear in Google search, providing dual visibility opportunities.

How It Works

YouTube's algorithm ranks videos based on relevance (title, tags, description), engagement (watch time, likes, comments, shares), and channel authority (subscriber count, upload consistency, overall performance). Videos optimized for both YouTube and Google search capture maximum visibility.

Use Cases

• A tech channel optimizes video titles with target keywords, increasing impressions by 300% and views by 150%
• A cooking channel creates compelling thumbnails with 15% CTR, doubling views compared to generic thumbnails
• A business coach adds timestamps in descriptions, improving average watch time by 40% and boosting rankings

Best Practices

• Include primary keyword in video title (first 60 characters) and make it compelling for clicks
• Write detailed descriptions (300+ words) with keywords, timestamps, and links to related content
• Create custom thumbnails with faces, text overlays, and high contrast for higher CTR
• Add tags strategically: 5-8 specific tags, mix of broad and long-tail keywords
• Optimize for watch time by hooking viewers in first 15 seconds and delivering value throughout
• Encourage engagement (likes, comments, shares) as these are strong ranking signals