YouTube SEO: How to Rank YouTube Videos

Let’s begin with who doesn’t use YouTube in this day and age?

Everyone uses YouTube religiously as they do with the Google search box. No matter what occasion they want to watch or learn about, they go to YouTube.

This is because the platform offers a wide variety of content for free that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection. It has also been made available on many devices, so users can watch videos while on the go.

The numbers don’t lie when it comes to YouTube’s popularity.

Here are some jaw-dropping YouTube statistics:

  • YouTube has 2 billion monthly active users.
  • 1 billion hours of content is watched on YouTube every day.
  • The average mobile viewing session is 40 minutes long.
  • 70% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US.

That’s why businesses and professionals start using YouTube for their marketing campaigns besides TikTok marketing because of how potential this platform is for boosting sales. Not to mention, YouTube has become even more accessible for everyone that practically a person with a smartphone can publish videos on YouTube and become popular from that.

Now that we know how big YouTube is, let’s move on to how you can make your videos rank on the platform.

How to Rank Easy on YouTube in 2022-2023?

Since everyone can be a YouTube creator, the competition is tough. To make your videos rank on YouTube and get more views, you need to put some effort into optimizing them for the platform’s algorithm.

Here are some tips on how to do just that:

1. Do your research on keywords

The first step to take is to do your research on keywords. You need to find out what keywords or phrases your target audience is searching for on YouTube.

To do this, you can use the YouTube Keyword Tool. This tool will give you an estimate of how often a particular keyword is being searched for on the platform.

Once you have a list of keywords, you need to include them in your video title, description, and tags. This will help YouTube’s algorithm understand what your video is about and rank it accordingly.

2. Create engaging thumbnails

Your thumbnail is like a mini poster for your video. It needs to be eye-catching and should give viewers an idea of what they can expect from your video. Creating engaging thumbnails is an essential point to get more people to click on your video.

You can use image-generating platforms to create beautiful thumbnails for free and optimize your thumbnail image by including your target keyword in it. This will help YouTube understand what your video is about and rank it higher in the search results.

Moreover, another reason why you should use engaging visuals and graphics is to capture people’s attention and hold it throughout the duration of your video. For example, if you’re doing a tutorial, use screengrabs or step-by-step images to make it easier for viewers to follow along. Use an exciting picture that describes what you’re going to show in your videos.

3. Optimize your video title

Your title is one of the first things that people will see when they come across your video, so it needs to be catchy and relevant to your content. A great way to optimize your title is to include your target keyword in it. This will help YouTube understand what your video is about and rank it higher in the search results.

Using keywords throughout your video helps YouTube’s algorithm understand the content of your video better. It also makes it easier for viewers to find your video when they’re searching for keywords related to your content.

4. Add a transcript to your video

Adding a transcript or closed caption of your video helps YouTube’s algorithm understand the content of your video better. It also makes it easier for viewers to follow along, which can help improve your watch time. Subtitles are great for viewers who are watching your videos without sound. You can use the automatic captioning feature on YouTube or create your own subtitles using a tool like Rev.

Creating transcripts of your videos helps YouTube understand the content of your videos better and can help them rank higher in the search results. Transcripts or subtitles are also great for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, as they can read along with the video.

5. Promote your videos on social media and use tags

Social media is a great way to promote your videos and get more views. You can share your videos on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also run ads on social media to promote your videos. This is an excellent way to reach a wider audience and get more views on your videos. If you make a video, make sure to use a text animation app to highlight your experiences.

When promoting on social media channels or posting your videos on YouTube, make sure to include a tag or hashtag. Adding tags to your videos helps YouTube understand what your video is about and can help it rank higher in the search results. Tags are like keywords, but they’re more specific to the content of your video. For example, if your video is about “how to tie a bow,” you would want to use tags like “tie a bow,” “how to tie a bow,” ” tying a bow,” etc.

6. Use annotations and cards

YouTube offers two great features that can help improve the engagement of your videos – annotations and cards.

Annotations are small pieces of text that you can add to your video at certain points. They can be used to add links to other videos or websites, promote your social media channels, or ask viewers to subscribe to your channel. On the other hand, cards are like mini pop-ups that appear while someone is watching your video. They can be used to promote other videos or channels, run polls, or offer discounts and coupons.

7. Collaborate with other YouTubers

Collaborating with other YouTubers is another option to reach a new audience and get more views on your videos. You can collaborate with other creators by guest starring in their videos or vice versa. This is beneficial for both ends as you can cross-promote each other’s content and get more exposure for your channel.

Make sure to collaborate with relevant creators. For example, if you have a cooking channel, you wouldn’t want to collaborate with a gaming channel. But if you have a beauty channel, collaborating with a fashion channel would be a great idea.

Takeaway

YouTube is one of the biggest entertainment and informative platforms worldwide. And it’s undoubtedly the greatest video-distributing medium out there as people are used to tuning in on YouTube.

With so many people enjoying YouTube, and more creators on the platform fighting to land on everyone’s timeline or homepage, it can be hard to win over the competition if you’re not optimizing your videos for SEO. YouTube SEO is a technique to get more views on your videos and improve your channel’s visibility. By optimizing your videos for YouTube’s algorithm, you can reach a wider audience and get more people to watch your videos.

Follow these steps above to boost your YouTube video’s discoverability. When people can find your videos easily, you’ll have a higher chance to generate more traffic and sales to your website.